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... of dogmatic, moral, spiritual and pastoral theology, but also through the study of human sciences, training in dialogue and especially in how to deal with people in the pastoral context. " He should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity. " (Catechism 368) Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. This secret, which admits with no exceptions, is called the sacramental seal because of what the penitent has made known to the priest remains sealed by the sacrament. There are many parts or actions, which take place during each act of Penance. Three of these acts are from the penitent himself. These include the acts of contrition, confession and satisfaction.
The act of the priest is called absolution. Among the penitent's acts, contrition occupies first place. Contrition is " sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again" (Catechism 364) The confession of sins frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Confession to a priest is essential part of the sacrament of Penance. Through such an admission, man looks at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the Church in order to make a new future possible. Many sins wrong our neighbor.
One must do what is possible to repair harm. For example, return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone abused or pay compensation. Sin injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationship with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin but it does not fix all the disorders sin has caused. The sinner must recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin.
He must make satisfaction for or forgive his sins. This satisfaction is called penance. The penance the priest gives to the penitent must take into account the penitent's personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond with nature of the sins committed.
It can consist of prayer, and offering, works of mercy, services of neighbor, sacrifices and above all the patient expectancy of the cross. Such penances help lead us to Christ, who forgave our sins once for all. The priest, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has the ability to forgive the sins of others in Gods name. When ones sins are officially absolved the priest will say the formula of absolution toward the end of Penance.
The formula states: "God, the father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. " (Catechism 364) It is at this moment when this is said that the sinner encounters the power and the mercy of God. The absolution that the priest, the minister of forgiveness, grants to the penitent is a strong sign of the intervention of the Father in every absolution. "The priest by virtue of his sacred office appears as the witness and representative of this ecclesial nature of the sacrament. " (John Paul II 83) In 1551, when Julius III was the Sovereign Pontiff, he put together The Council of Trent and wrote The Fourteenth Session. This contains the Canon Laws, which concern the Sacrament of Penance. There are fifteen laws, but the one, which concerns confessing sins to a priest, is Canon VI.
It states: "If anyone denied, either the sacramental confession was instituted, or is necessary to salvation, of divine right; or saith that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, which the church hath observed from the beginning, and doth observe, is alien from the institutional and command of Christ, and is a human invention; let him be anathema. " (Julius III 6) What this is basically stating is that if a person, denies that there is a need for him to confess his sins to a priest, denies that this sacrament is needed for salvation, this person will be banned or excommunicated from the church. There are many spiritual effects of the sacrament of Reconciliation. One is reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace. There is also, forgiveness of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins. Forgiveness of temporal punishments resulting from sin is also an outcome. Peace and tranquility of conscience, and spiritual comfort also effect an individual during Reconciliation.
In addition, there is an increase of spiritual strength. Furthermore, there is reconciliation with the communion of the Church. Reconciliation is a very serious sacrament not to be taken lightly. It is a gift, which was principally given to us by God.
It also has a two-fold aspect to it, which consist of liberation from sin and communion of grace with God. It joins us with God in an intimate friendship with him. Through reconciliation, one has made a personal commitment to God to begin a new life. In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgement of God, anticipates the judgement that they will be subjected to, when they die.
Though this sacrament may consist of different parts, it is through the priest that they are put in contact with the power of God and solves them in God's name. The strongest aspect which one can have to get them through this sacrament is faith. As stated by Pope John Paul II, "Only faith can give us certainty that at that moment every sin is forgiven and blotted out by the mysterious intervention of the Savior. " (John Paul II 82) Bibliography: John Paul II Reconciliation et Paenitentia: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penance Boston: St. Paul's Books and Media, 2 December 1984.
Julius III The Fourteenth Session On The Most Holy Sacraments of Penance and Extreme Unction 25 November 1551. Rating, Joseph Cardinal Catechism of the Catholic Church New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1946.
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