T
thistle
Guest
Absolution is NOT conditional upon the penance being done.There is a popular blog which is purportedly written by a Catholic priest online. The priest runs articles of interest and dispenses advice and instruction for the faithful. He also describes himself as “slavishly” devoted to the truth and to accuracy.
Recently, he ran an article which asserted that the performing of your penance was not required in order to have received the Sacrament these are his words below :
“But this obligation to give and do penances does not affect the validity of the absolution or the efficacy of the sacrament. If the penitent hasn’t done the assigned penance before going to Communion, he is still forgiven and can still go to Communion.”
He repeats his belief that the efficacy of the Sacrament is not effected by the non-performance of your penance.":nope:
In charity, I wrote to this alleged priest in order that he might correct his error, which he might be disseminating to thousands of faithful Catholics, who would then be misinformed and not saying their penances, and then not actually receiving the Sacrament.
He responded to the information I provided with one sentence dismissals (I tried a couple of times) and the instruction, “don’t bother to write back.” When I presented him with irrefutable proof of the truth of what I was saying, he called me a “sock puppet.”
So, I feel compelled to try to correct his erroneous teaching here.
As you may or may not know, there are four things necessary to the valid reception of a Sacrament:
The Matter of the Sacrament of Penance is comprised of three things:
- Valid matter: 2. Valid form: 3. Valid intention: 4. Valid mind:
Contrition, Confession to a Priest, Satisfaction (the penance).
If one of these things is missing, the matter is not valid. If the matter is not valid, you have not received a valid Sacrament.
Can. 4. * If anyone denies that for the full and perfect remission of sins **three acts are required on the part of the penitent, constituting as it were the matter of the sacrament of penance, namely, contrition, confession and satisfaction, which are called the three parts of penance; or says that there are only two parts of penance, ***namely, the terrors of a smitten conscience convinced of sin and the faith received from the Gospel or from absolution, by which one believes that his sins are forgiven him through Christ, let him be anathema.
This is from the Council of Trent trosch.org/chu/trent-1.htm
The Constituent Parts of Penance
The Matter
There is nothing that should be better known to the faithful than the matter of this Sacrament; hence they should be taught that Penance differs from the other Sacraments in this that while the matter of the other Sacraments is some thing, whether natural or artificial, the matter, as it were, of the Sacrament of Penance is the acts of the penitent, – namely, contrition, confession and satisfaction, – as has been declared by the council of Trent. Now,in as much as these acts are by divine institution required on the part of the penitent for the integrity of the Sacrament, and for the full and perfect remission of sin, they are called parts of Penance. It is not because they are not the real matter that they are called by the Council the matter as it were, but because they are not of that sort of matter which is applied externally, such, for instance, as water in Baptism and chrism in Confirmation.
As regards the opinion of some who hold that sins themselves are the matter of this Sacrament, it will be found,when carefully examined, that it does not really differ from the explanation already given. Thus we say thatwood which is consumed by fire is the matter of fire. In the same way, sins which are destroyed by Penance may properly be called the matter of Penance.
This is from the Roman Catechism, A Catechism of the Council of Trent for Priests
freecatholicebooks.com/books/catechism_of_trent.pdf
From the same source comes this:
*Necessity Of These Integral Parts
The reason why these are the integral parts may be thus explained. Sins against God are committed by thought, by word and by deed. It is, then, but reasonable, that in recurring to the power of the keys we should endeavour to appease God’s wrath, and obtain pardon for our sins by means of the very same things which we employed to offend His sovereignty*
And also from the same source comes this:
It is also in keeping with the divine mercy not to remit our sins without any satisfaction.
I hope this convinces you that performing your penance is absolutely required in order to have received the Sacrament, and for the forgiveness of your sins.
I hope is also convinces you of the necessity of wariness when using the Internet for religious instruction, and most especially when it comes to blogs and message boards.
Information needs to be carefully verified, even when it comes from a person who claims to have a title or a degree that connotes authority or expertise.
I usually try to find several sources that agree, and that aren’t just an exact copy of the same thing repeated on different sites.
Anyway, this is exactly what I was taught many years ago by the nuns in Catholic School. But, it seems like many people weren’t so lucky. My husband also remembers being taught this same thing.
