What follows is a summary of Church teaching on the sacrament of penance and its current practice. In a series of quotes arranged topically the general outline the sacrament is presented. Frequently asked questions about the celebration of the sacrament are included at the end.

Sacramental confession is a privileged moment of intimacy between the individual Christian and God. Since these quotes derive from various Church documents they were written as instructive since they pertain to the life of the Church they are also regulatory and juridical in nature. What is to be remembered however, in the gentle reminder which closes the church's Code of Canon Law and describes its purpose: the salvation of souls is always the supreme law of the Church.

Christ "loved the Church and gave Himself up for it to make it holy" (Ephesians 5:25-26) and He united the Church to Himself as a bride. He filled it with His divine gifts, because it is His Body and His fullness, through the Church He spreads truth and grace upon all.

The members of the Church, however, are exposed to temptation and often fall into the wretchedness of sin. As a result, "whereas Christ, 'holy, harmless, undefiled' (Hebrews 7:26), knew no sin (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) but came solely to seek pardon for the sins of His people (see Hebrews 2:17), the Church, having sinners in its midst, is at the same time holy and in need of cleansing, and so is unceasingly intent on repentance and reform."

The people of God accomplish and perfect this continual repentance in many different ways. They share in the sufferings of Christ by enduring their own difficulties, carry out works of mercy and charity, and adopt ever more fully the outlook of the Gospel message. Thus the people of God become in the world a sign of conversion to God. All this the Church expresses in its life and celebrates in its liturgy when the faithful confess that they are sinners and ask pardon of God and of their brothers and sisters. This happens in penitential services, in the proclamation of the word of God, in prayer, and in the penitential parts of the eucharistic celebration.

(From the Introduction to the Rite of Penance)

What is sin?

Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with Him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1440)

Sin is the root of division and alienation within the human family. Our shattered world owes its state to the presence of sin:

(From Reconciliatio et Paenitentia [RP] On Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church Today. Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II following the Synod on Penance, 1984)

Mortal Sin and Venial Sin

Tracing its origin to scripture and reaching into the earliest centuries of the Church, tradition and Church teaching have distinguished two kinds of sin: mortal and venial. Mortal (grave or serious) sin is "the act by which man freely and consciously rejects God, His law, the covenant of love that God offers, preferring to turn in on himself or to some created and finite reality, something contrary to the divine will ( conversio ad creaturam). This can occur in a direct and formal way in the sins of idolatry, apostasy and atheism; or in an equivalent way as in every act of disobedience to God's commandments in a grave matter" (RP). By such a "conscious and free act of his will he can change course and go in a direction opposed to God's will, separating himself from God (aversio a Deo), rejecting loving communion with Him, detaching himself from the life principle which God is and consequently choosing death" (RP). For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be together met: a sin whose object is grave matter, is committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent. Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments. Full knowledge presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice (Catechism 1857-1859). "Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us -- that is, charity -- necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation" (Catechism 1856).

"One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave manner, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. Venial sin weakens charity; it manifest a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly reparable" (Catechism 1862-1863). While the Church teaches that sacrament of penance is not strictly necessary for the forgiveness of venial sin -- these are forgiven through reception of the Eucharist (Catechism 1394), acts of sorrow, works of charity, prayer, and penitential rites (RP) - the Church strongly recommends confession of everyday faults (venial sins) (Catechism 1458).

Social Sin

There are three meanings of this term. Each individual's sin in some way affects others and therefore "there is no sin, not even the most intimate and secret one, the most strictly individual one, that exclusively concerns the person committing it. With greater or lesser violence, with greater or lesser harm, every sin has repercussions on the entire ecclesial body and the whole human family. According to the first meaning of the term, every sin can undoubtedly be considered as social sin" (RP).

Secondly, social sins are understood to be those which constitute a direct attack against one's brother or sister. This sense of social sin "can be applied to sins of commission or omission -- on the part of political, economic, or trade union leaders, who though in a position to do so, do not work diligently and wisely for the improvement and transformation of society according to the requirements and potential of the given historic moment; as also on the part of workers who through absenteeism or non-cooperation fail to ensure that their industries can continue to advance the well-being of the workers themselves, of their families and of the whole society" (RP).

The third meaning of social sin refers to the relationships between the various human communities. The class struggle as well as obstinate confrontation between blocs of nations, between one nation and another, between different groups within the same nation are examples of social evil. Social sin does not, however, take away accountability for individual sin. Social sin is the result of many personal sins. "It is a case of the very personal sins of those who cause or support evil or who exploit it; of those who are in a position to avoid, eliminate or at least limit certain social evils but who fail to do so out of laziness, fear or the conspiracy of silence, through secret complicity or indifference; of those who take refuge in the supposed impossibility of changing the world and also of those who sidestep the effort and sacrifice required, producing specious reasons of higher order. The real responsibility, then, lies with individuals" (RP).

Conversion

Our first conversion occurred at baptism when the wash of regeneration and the invocation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit claimed us for Christ, for membership in His body. We were called to live in the world as a sign of promise: a priestly and prophetic people, proclaiming the kingdom of God. But we do sin and Christ's call to a second ongoing conversion echoes in each Christian heart. It is this call which draws us to God's mercy and forgiveness offered in the sacrament of penance. It is this call which invites us back into right relationship with God and our brothers and sisters.

Contrition

"The most important act of the penitent is contrition, which is 'heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed along with the intention of sinning no more'". "Conversion should affect a person from within toward a progressively deeper enlightenment and an ever closer likeness to Christ" (Introduction to the Rite of Penance).

Confession

"The sacrament of penance includes the confession of sins, which comes from true knowledge of self before God and from contrition for those sins. However, the inner examination of heart and the outward accusation must be made in the light of God's mercy. Confession requires on the penitent's part the will to open the heart to the minister of God and on the minister's part a spiritual judgment by which acting in the person of Christ, he pronounces his decision of forgiveness or retention of sin in accord with the power of the keys." (Introduction to the Rite of Penance).

Satisfaction

"Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must 'make satisfaction for' or 'expiate' his sins. This satisfaction is also called 'penance'." (Catechism 1459)

"The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent's personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, provided we suffer with Him'." (Catechism 1460)

Role of the community in the celebration of penance

"The whole Church, as a priestly people, acts in different ways in the work of reconciliation that has been entrusted to it by the Lord. Not only does the Church call sinners to repentance by preaching the word of God, but it also intercedes for them and helps penitents with maternal care and solicitude to acknowledge and confess their sins and to obtain the mercy of God, who alone can forgive sins. Further, the Church becomes itself the instrument of the conversion and absolution of the penitent through the ministry entrusted by Christ to the apostles and their successors." (Introduction to the Rite Penance)

Minister of the Sacrament of Penance

"The Church exercises the ministry of the sacrament of penance through bishops and priests. By preaching God's word they call the faithful to conversion; in the name of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit they declare and grant the forgiveness of sins." (Introduction the Rite of Penance)

"When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner." (Catechism 1465)

"The confessor is not the master of God's forgiveness, but its servant. The minister of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of Christ. He should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has failed; he must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church. and lead the penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity. He must pray and do penance for his penitent, entrusting him to the Lord's mercy." (Catechism 1465)

The Sacramental Seal

"Conscious that he has come to know the secrets of another's conscience only because he is God's minister, the confessor is bound by the obligation of preserving the seal of confession absolutely unbroken." (Introduction to the Rite of Penance) "He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the 'sacramental seal,' because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains 'sealed' by the sacrament." (Catechism 1467)

The role of the penitent

"The parts that penitents themselves have in the celebration of the sacrament are. of the greatest importance. When with proper dispositions they approach this saving remedy instituted by Christ and confess their sins, their own acts become part of the sacrament itself, which is completed when the words of absolution are spoken by the minister in the name of Christ. In this way the faithful, even as they experience and proclaim the mercy of God in their own life, are with the priest celebrating the liturgy of the Church's continual self- renewal." (Introduction to the Rite of Penance)

The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance

"Like all the sacraments, Penance is a liturgical action. The elements of the celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blessing from the priest, reading the word of God to illuminate the conscience and elicit contrition, and an exhortation to repentance; the confession, which acknowledges sins acid makes them known to the priest; the imposition and acceptance of a penance; the priest's absolution; a prayer of thanksgiving and praise and dismissal with the blessing of the priest." (Catechism 1480)

Rites of Reconciliation

There are three rites for the reconciliation of penitents which preserve the essential character of the comments in the previous paragraph. "Regardless of its manner of celebration the sacrament of Penance is always, by its very nature, a liturgical action, and therefore an ecclesial and public action" (Catechism 1482)

All liturgical prayer takes place gathered in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in worship of the Father. Likewise the celebration of the sacrament of penance invites us into the very life of the Trinity. The prayer of absolution offered by the priest makes this clear:

Individual Reconciliation

"The first form -- reconciliation of individual penitents is the only normal and ordinary way of celebrating the sacrament, and it cannot and must not be allowed to fall into disuse or be neglected." (RP)

Communal Reconciliation

"Here the confession of sins and individual absolution are inserted into a liturgy of the word of God with readings and a homily, an examination of conscience conducted in common, a communal request for forgiveness, the Our Father and a thanksgiving in common." (Catechism 1482) "The second form -- reconciliation of a number of penitents with individual confession and absolution-even though in the preparatory acts it helps to give greater emphasis to the community aspects of the sacrament, is the same as the first form in the culminating sacramental act, namely individual confession and individual absolution of sins. It can thus be regarded as equal to the first form as regards the normality of the rite." (RP)

Communal Celebration of Reconciliation with General Confession and General Absolution

In cases of grave necessity; imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent's confession, or when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the faithful through no fault of their own would be forced to be for a long time without the grace of the sacrament or without communion. The diocesan bishop determines the conditions for this third form. In such cases, "those who receive pardon for serious sins through general absolution are to go to individual confession as soon as they have the opportunity before any further reception of general absolution. And unless moral impossibility stands in the way, they are absolutely bound to go to a confessor within one year." (Introduction to the Rite of Penance)

What is the name of this sacrament?

It is most often called the Sacrament of Penance, sometimes also the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. The liturgical rite is called the "rite of penance" and its different forms are known as "rites of reconciliation". The names really describe two aspects of the same sacramental reality; its process and effects. Through penance, the process of sorrow, forgiveness, absolution, and expiation for sins forgiven, we are reconciled with God and each other.

How often must I receive the Sacrament of Penance?

A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is recommended for ah. After reaching the age of discretion (commonly accepted to be seven years of age), the faithful are to confess serious sins at least once a year. (Code of Canon Law, canon 989).

What sins must I confess?

Serious sins must be confessed in number and kind. It is recommended that venial sins also be confessed. (Code of Canon Law, canon 988)

Do I use the confessional or may I confess face to face with the priest?

The penitent always has the option to use a confessional. In the United States a confessional may be a reconciliation chapel or room, which allows the option for the penitent's kneeling at a fixed grill. Confessions may be heard outside a confessional for a just cause. (Code of Canon Law, canon 964, NCCB, decree, BCL Newsletter 10 (1974) 450)

What about the "Act of Contrition"?

After the penitent confesses his or her sins, the priest asks the penitent to express sorrow. This may be done in one of the traditional forms or in the penitent's own words similar to the traditional forms, or in other forms (Rite of Penance). Other forms include these prayers from scripture or tradition:

I haven't been to confession in a long time, how will I know what to do?

The rites are outlined above, but let the confessor be your guide. His ministry is that of Christ. His task is reconciliation. He is most concerned with helping you experience the graces of the sacrament, not how well you remember the rite. In a communal celebration there are always programs to help the assembly. In addition, the presider will give instructions at various points during the service.

Why is it that communal celebrations of the sacrament of penance seem to differ from parish to parish?

"It is for priests, and especially parish priests (pastors):

(Introduction to the Rite of Penance)