C
catholicfellow
Guest
Is a Priest supposed to give a penance in Confession? Or is it optional? I have been to confession several times since moving to Georgia and have never been one penance.
- Status
L
Lorrie
Guest
It depends on which priest you go to. Some give a penance and some don’t. I have two confessors, one always gives me a penance and the other tells me to go spend time in the Eucharistic Chapel (where the tabernacle is kept). Like I said, it just depends on who you go to. Is a priest obligated to give a penance? No, its optional. He does what he see’s fit.
T
thistle
Guest
But isn’t being told to spend time in the Eurcharistic Chapel the penance he is giving you?
L
Lorrie
Guest
True, I guess it just doesn’t* feel* like penance to me.
T
thistle
Guest
I know what you mean. I normally pray all 20 decades of the Rosary every day so when I get a penance of one Hail Mary it doesn’t feel like a pennace.
H
hilde_the_dog
Guest
Lorrie and Thissle that does not sound like any sort of action(?) that would fulfill a penatential rite. I mean kneeling before the tabaernacle is loving, penance is I sorry and I wish to atone for my sins as best I can by the advice of a priest. I guess it could as being before Christ is wonderful but I’m never sorry for being there in front of a tabernacle. And I would never think of being in front of Christ as a penance.
V
Verbum_Caro
Guest
Good thread here!
Thistle, I know that we have discussed similar issues before, and I’m glad that the forums provide a place to hash them all out.
Hilde,
Strictly speaking, as noted above, penance is not an essential component of the sacrament (meaning it is not necessary for the primary effect, namely absolution) however it is clear that penance is an integral part of the sacrament, because it produces the secondary effect (namely satisfaction for sin, the relief of temporal punishment due to sin).
The imposition of a penance is definitely normative, but is left to the prudence and pastoral wisdom of the priest. I am not sure of the appropriate statute in the Code of Canon Law, but I am sure someone can find it for us with a little research.
Here is what Trent had said about it:
The Church urges us to live lives of penance, to supplement any penance imposed on us in the sacrament. Those penances imposed usually do not remit all punishment due us, so the Church, being a good mother, encourages us. The penance imposed is a step towards this goal.
In fact, the performance of the penance imposed also contributes to our santification because it ALSO gives us an oportunity for holy obedience, which in and of itself is meritorius.
Here is another thread on the subject:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=72022&highlight=penance
Thoughts?
VC
Thistle, I know that we have discussed similar issues before, and I’m glad that the forums provide a place to hash them all out.
Hilde,
Strictly speaking, as noted above, penance is not an essential component of the sacrament (meaning it is not necessary for the primary effect, namely absolution) however it is clear that penance is an integral part of the sacrament, because it produces the secondary effect (namely satisfaction for sin, the relief of temporal punishment due to sin).
The imposition of a penance is definitely normative, but is left to the prudence and pastoral wisdom of the priest. I am not sure of the appropriate statute in the Code of Canon Law, but I am sure someone can find it for us with a little research.
Here is what Trent had said about it:
As regards the actual penance, in no way does the absolution or forgiveness depend on the amount or severity of penance performed. In fact, NO amount of penance could merit any forgiveness. Therefore we should remember that it is by joining our penitential acts to the Sacrifice of Christ that they have merit.
The Church urges us to live lives of penance, to supplement any penance imposed on us in the sacrament. Those penances imposed usually do not remit all punishment due us, so the Church, being a good mother, encourages us. The penance imposed is a step towards this goal.
In fact, the performance of the penance imposed also contributes to our santification because it ALSO gives us an oportunity for holy obedience, which in and of itself is meritorius.
Here is another thread on the subject:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=72022&highlight=penance
Thoughts?
VC
L
Lorrie
Guest
hilde the dog:
I agree, but what the priest tells me to do I do. I’m going to question him? No. The priest I refer to (who tells me to go to the Tabernacle) usually says, “Talk to God, have personal prayer time with Him.” I interpret that as meaning pray in reference to how I can better my life/sin less. The other priest I go to (when the other isn’t available or vice versa) usually gives me a whole Rosary to do, am I going to question him by saying that’s too stiff? No. I just do what they tell me to do and do it gladly.
T
thistle
Guest
For my own edification if the priests tells someone at Confession to do something is that automatically to be taken by the person confessing that its a penance, or does the priest have to say your penance is … for it to be a penance. In short if the priest does not say to you that what he is telling you to do is a penance is it then not a penance.
B
Brendan
Guest
The purpose of the Penance is to provide the penitent with a postive means to avoid the sin in the future.
This is normally in the form of the graces inheirant in prayer, fasting and alms giving.
Spending time with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament certainly qualifies
V
Verbum_Caro
Guest
I thought it would be appropriate to share this wonderful prayer from an older prayer book (1951) regarding penance.
A Method of Offering the Penance Enjoined in Confession.
(Accustom yourself to direct your intention, before you recite your sacramental penance, fervently uniting it to the sufferings and merits of Christ.)
Prayer
O my God and Creator, I offer Thee the penance I am about to perform; Thou didst impose it on me by the ministry of my confessor, and I desire to perform it with the utmost contrition, devotion, and humility. But, Lord, since Thou well knowest that it is inadequate to my sins, and that anything I could do would be incapable of blotting out the least of my offences, permit me to unite this penance, as well as all the actions, pains, and sufferings of my life, to the bitter sufferings of my Reedemer, to the great sacrifice of expiation which Jesus offered on Mount Calvary for my sins; also to the merits of the Blessed Virgin, to the penance and sufferings of all the saints, and all the just, that thereby the deficiencies of my imperfect satisfaction may be abundantly supplied. Amen.
A Method of Offering the Penance Enjoined in Confession.
(Accustom yourself to direct your intention, before you recite your sacramental penance, fervently uniting it to the sufferings and merits of Christ.)
Prayer
O my God and Creator, I offer Thee the penance I am about to perform; Thou didst impose it on me by the ministry of my confessor, and I desire to perform it with the utmost contrition, devotion, and humility. But, Lord, since Thou well knowest that it is inadequate to my sins, and that anything I could do would be incapable of blotting out the least of my offences, permit me to unite this penance, as well as all the actions, pains, and sufferings of my life, to the bitter sufferings of my Reedemer, to the great sacrifice of expiation which Jesus offered on Mount Calvary for my sins; also to the merits of the Blessed Virgin, to the penance and sufferings of all the saints, and all the just, that thereby the deficiencies of my imperfect satisfaction may be abundantly supplied. Amen.
T
twiztedseraph
Guest
I got an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be last time. Compared to the Liturgy of the hours its nothing so LOL, funny times.
D
Dr.Bombay
Guest
One time a priest told me to perform an act of kindness for someone this week as my penance.
Now, really. I’d rather be told something specific than be given some vague generality like that.
Now, really. I’d rather be told something specific than be given some vague generality like that.
C
Courtneyjo
Guest
One time the penance was to think about the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. A few minutes later my husband was given the same penance. So we talked and thought together, a penitential duet. 
D
didymus
Guest
I never heard of NO penance before.
Earlier this year I went to Confession after several years away from the Church, which was very difficult – I half-expected to be struck by lightning just for entering a church (stupid, I know). But after I finished he gave me what seemed a scandalously light penance and I sort of felt shortchanged.
Maybe I’m just being weird – anybody else ever have an experience like that?
L
Lorrie
Guest
I’ve definitely felt like I’ve gotten off lightly a few times. I guess it just boils down to us trusting our confessors judgment and going with it.
S
Summer_Girl
Guest
When I went to Lourdes I was told by the priest that my penance was that I had no penance. 
Maybe he figured I would be doing a lot anyways since I was on a pilgramage and I would be praying all day.
Maybe he figured I would be doing a lot anyways since I was on a pilgramage and I would be praying all day.
T
tuopaolo
Guest
I think with the second confessor, his telling you to spend time in the chapel is your penance
But you were there and we weren’t so we wouldn’t knowI’m pretty sure at least a couple times I received no penance but those were probably special cases like if after confessing I went back because I forgot to mention a sin – this second time the priest would absolve me but not assign an additional penance.
The impression I have is that a priest is not required to assign a penance when only venial sins are confessed. This is just my impression based on an interpretation of what a priest said during one of my confessions, not anything anyone point blank told me.
- Status