The Sacrament
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
Reconciliation with God and the Church (1440)
Sin is primarily an offense against God, but it also damages communion with the Church. Conversion, then, entails God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church. These are liturgically accomplished by the sacrament of Penance.
Only God Forgives Sins (1441-1442)
Jesus has said, "The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (Mk 2:10) and "Your sins are forgiven" (Mk 2:5, 10, Lk 7:48). Jesus also gave this authority to his apostles (Jn 20:21-23).
Christ wanted his whole Church to be a sign and instrument of the forgiveness which he gained by shedding his blood. He entrusted this power of absolution to the apostles who received the "ministry of Reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:15). Paul makes the appeal "Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:20).
Power Given to Apostles (1443-1445)
During his public life, Jesus forgave sinners and reintegrated them into the People of God. His eating with sinners was an astonishing gesture of God's forgiveness.
Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins and to reconcile sinners with the Church. This is best seen from Christ's promise to Peter. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mt 16:19). Later, Jesus gave these powers to all the apostles united with Peter (Mt 18:18).
"Bind and loose" means that whoever is excluded from your communion will be excluded from God's communion. Whoever is welcome back into your communion is welcomed back into God's communion.
Recovering Baptismal Grace (1446)
Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of the Church, especially for those who have fallen into grave sins after Baptism. This sacrament gives Christians the possibility to recover baptismal grace. Penance is "the second plank (of salvation) after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace" (Tertullian).
Two Different Forms (1447)
Over the centuries, the Church has had two forms of this sacrament. In the early Church, there was an "order of penitents" for those who committed grave sins (as idolatry, murder or adultery). This involved a rigorous discipline, often for years. People were admitted rarely to this order and sometimes, only once.
In the seventh century, Irish missionaries to Europe (inspired by the Eastern monastic practice) began "private penance," the form we have today. The sins were told secretly to a priest and the penance was not prolonged. This allowed for frequent receiving of the sacrament and the forgiving of both grave sins and venial sins at the same time.
Two Unchanging Elements (1448)
Although the forms have changed, two equally essential elements remain. First, the person undergoing conversion makes acts of contrition, confession, and satisfaction. Secondly, the Church (through the priest) forgives the sins in the name of Jesus Christ so that the sinner is healed and returned to Church communion.
The Absolution (1449)
The Church's absolution formula expresses the three essential elements:
- The Father is the source of the forgiveness
- He reconciles by Christ's death and Resurrection and by the Spirit's gift.
- The action happens through the ministry of the Church.
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