I came across this old thread while trying to work out the Latin of the Act of Contrition. The Latin in this prayer is tricky because, unlike, say, the Ave Maria, it contains some unusual grammatical constructions.
I’ve prepared the following interlinear translation for those who might be interested:
Deus meus,
My God
ex toto corde
out of [my] whole heart
paenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum,
I regret all my sins (literally, it pains me of all my sins)
eaque detestor,
and them I detest
quia peccando,
because, by sinning,
non solum poenas a Te iuste statutas promeritus sum,
not only the punishments by You justly established I have earned
sed praesertim quia offendi Te,
but especially because I have offended You,
summum bonum,
the greatest good,
ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.
and worthy to be loved above all things. (literally, and worthy who above all things should be loved)
Ideo firmiter propono,
Therefore, firmly I determine,
adiuvante gratia Tua,
with helping grace Your,
de cetero me non peccaturum
that henceforth I will not sin
peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum. Amen.
and of sinning the occasions near will flee. Amen.
As someone above mentioned, and as confirmed with the help of Mr. Google, the phrase “de cetero” is late Classical/early Medieval idiom for “henceforth.” It literally means “regarding the other.” The closest idiomatic English analogue would propbably be something like “for the rest” or “as to the remainder.”
