Penance...

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BlueinSD

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Why is penance necessary for the complete forgiveness of one’s sin? I understand confession and why Priests have the authority to forgive sin (John 20:21-23), but why is it necessary to do acts of contrition in order to fully remove the effects of mortal sin? I’m converting from Protestantism, so I am trying as hard as I can to look at it from a view that isn’t in keep with sola fide, but I am having a hard time answering this question.

A related question has to deal with Purgatory. I understand what Purgatory is and why someone would got there, but how does it not undermine the notion of the total forgiveness of man’s sin by Christ at Calvary? A Priest once explained to me that Christ brought about the forgiveness of sin, but that it must still be punished and that is what Penance (while on Earth) and Purgatory (if you die with some venial sin left) are for.

Can someone help a fellow out here and explain why Penance is necessary? My Protestant education has told me that Christ took both the sin and the punishment for it at Calvary…is this not true? Thanks folks!
 
We must distinguish between:
  1. The guilt of sin
  2. The eternal punishment due to sin
  3. The temporal punishment due to sin
  4. Attatchment to sin and other more “psychological” effects of sin
Sacramental absolution, or even the forgiveness granted to someone who has made an act of perfect contrition provided you plan on still confessing those sins at the nearest opportunity, takes away the first two. Penance is to work on the second two, and Purgatory is to take care of whatever of the second two were not taken care of on earth.

Christ can forgive temporal punishment due to sin, and indeed this is where indulgences and prayers for the dead come in, but the Sacrifice of Calvary and sacramental absolution are primarily about the actual guilt and eternal punishment (hell) due to sin.
 
I’m a convert from Protestantism too so I struggled with the same concepts…

Penance is a way of repairing the effects of sin. The sin itself has already been forgiven through absolution. But if a person rejects doing their penance, that shows a lack of repentance so they are not forgiven. Here’s a good article by Archbishop Fulton Sheen on this topic 🙂 timothyandtitus.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/why-penance-after-confession-fulton-sheen/

As for Purgatory… remember that mortal sin needs to be forgiven for a person to go there. It’s for forgiveness of venial sins, and also to make the soul ready for Heaven… think of a person who is forgiven but they still have all their old habits, attachments, they don’t love God perfectly… it won’t be easy for them to be in the direct presence of God if they can’t love Him with all their heart. So Purgatory helps them to be fully “sanctified” to use a more Protestant term 🙂

the reason it doesn’t undermine the Cross is because - Purgatory exists because of God’s justice but since it helps people to get to Heaven, it is related to the Cross. If Jesus had not died, we wouldn’t have Purgatory, only hell. I think a big difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is how we believe God’s grace (won for us on the Cross) is applied to us. In Protestantism, especially evangelical Protestantism, they believe it happens through faith alone. Catholics believe we are saved by grace alone through faith working in love… (put St Paul and James 2 together :)). And we receive God’s grace also through the Sacraments. What Jesus did for us on the Cross is applied to us in many ways, not just one.

Regarding Purgatory, - just keep in mind that mortal sin must be forgiven to enter there… and if any venial sin is forgiven in Purgatory, it’s STILL forgiven through the Cross. My question for Protestants, sometimes is: “why do you believe that forgiveness through the Cross can only happen here, in this life, and only through faith alone, and not through the Sacraments, and not in the next life, if the person is saved and has been repentant?”. It’s still through the Cross. 🙂 just applied to us differently. Whatever change people go through in Purgatory, that’s through God’s action also.

I hope I’ve explained everything accurately, if not, someone please correct me…

in short: YES Christ paid for our redemption on Calvary but that is applied to us in various ways.

God bless 🙂
 
Actually that article by Archbishop Fulton Sheen also explains indulgences and other things… it might be helpful, it’s certainly informative 🙂
there’s forgiveness of sin, and then there is reparation.
 
BlueinSD said:
Why is penance necessary for the complete forgiveness of one’s sin? I understand confession and why Priests have the authority to forgive sin (John 20:21-23), but why is it necessary to do acts of contrition in order to fully remove the effects of mortal sin? I’m converting from Protestantism, so I am trying as hard as I can to look at it from a view that isn’t in keep with sola fide, but I am having a hard time answering this question.
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Penance is not for forgiveness of sins. It is for reconciliation AFTER forgiveness.

I think your problem here stems from a misconception that penance is PUNISHMENT for the actions you’ve done. It isn’t. Penance is designed to be restorative for the damage that sin does to our soul. While the sin is forgiven, penance is what fully restores us to Christian society and removes the hurt done in our lives.

I might add my personal perspective: I know that my sin HURTS God. And repeatedly I hurt God whenever I sin. As a result, being WILLING to go through penance represents a commitment to not sin again: it represents my offering to God of my willingness to experience some level of purification in my life that demonstrates my sorrow and commiseration for His suffering and my resolution for the future. When we do harsh penance, we understand a measure of the suffering our sin has caused for others and God, and this might lead us to fully understand the nature of our sin and avoid it.
A related question has to deal with Purgatory. I understand what Purgatory is and why someone would got there, but how does it not undermine the notion of the total forgiveness of man’s sin by Christ at Calvary? A Priest once explained to me that Christ brought about the forgiveness of sin, but that it must still be punished and that is what Penance (while on Earth) and Purgatory (if you die with some venial sin left) are for.
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Purgatory is not a physical place (really! Look it up in the catechism, which properly defines it as a process which occurs before entrance into heaven). And, most likely, you already believe in purgatory, but call it by something else instead: sanctification.

Purgatory is a process (I like to use the word purgation because it’s less confusing for people) by which our impurities are removed and we are made totally worthy to enter heaven. It is impossible to be a bible believing Christian and NOT believe that there is some method of sanctification/purgation which occurs before we get into heaven, because we know from Revelation that NOTHING impure will enter. So whether we believe that we are cleansed through purgation (penance), that Christ’s blood “washes us”, that we’re covered in grace, etc… these are all ways of describing the Catholic doctrine of purgatory (although, again, using different words).

And, as others may have pointed out, purgatory is only possible BECAUSE IT IS CHRIST’S GRACE. Purgatory is the final cleansing and purification of the soul through the Paschal Sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Can someone help a fellow out here and explain why Penance is necessary? My Protestant education has told me that Christ took both the sin and the punishment for it at Calvary…is this not true? Thanks folks!
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Christ took on our death from Sin, and merited that we be given the grace for salvation. What He did NOT do, however, was remove free will to sin, or remove the fact that sin is both damaging to ourselves and others, and requires reconciliation to God and the community of the faithful in order to restore us mentally and spiritually.
 
If I break my arm the doctor will set the broken bone, but I will need some rehab to strengthen that weak point. When I sin, I break my relationship to God. Absolution restores that relationship, but penance is needed to strengthen that weak point.

My :twocents:.
 
BlueinSD said:
Why is penance necessary for the complete forgiveness of one’s sin? I understand confession and why Priests have the authority to forgive sin (John 20:21-23), but why is it necessary to do acts of contrition in order to fully remove the effects of mortal sin? I’m converting from Protestantism, so I am trying as hard as I can to look at it from a view that isn’t in keep with sola fide, but I am having a hard time answering this question.

Can someone help a fellow out here and explain why Penance is necessary? My Protestant education has told me that Christ took both the sin and the punishment for it at Calvary…is this not true? Thanks folks!
Click to expand...
You may want to check this thread asking the same question:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=571473

I would also recommend a book for a deeper understanding of the sacrament and penance…Scott Hahn’s Lord Have Mercy.

Just adding to some of the responses, Penance provides the opportunity for us sinners to provide restitution and repair for the damage of our sins. It is a way to express our gratitude for the mercy of God in forgiving our sins, for sin hurts God. So penance is a way to restore and strengthen our bond with Christ, with our fellowman, a way to grow in our lives, to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ.

Just my :twocents:
Look also at paragraph 1460 of the CCC.
 
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