Priest does not give penance

[Bookcat]

Even if you didn’t commit any mortal sins, and all confessed were venial, sins, the priest should still give SOME penance. Even if it is just 1 Our Father or 1 Hail Mary. SOMETHING. .

Correct. A penance is to be imposed in the Sacrament. One that takes into account the person and the sins.

 

[Oneofthewomen]

Correct. A penance is to be imposed in the Sacrament. One that takes into account the person and the sins.

Yes, and sometimes the penance IS “no penance”.
And, in my experience, that is the hardest penance of all!

It is up to the priest, and what HE believes to be appropriate.

OP, the next time you go to confession- ask the priest why. He may have a very good reason for not assigning you a penance, but only he can answer that question.

 

[Bookcat]

Yes, and sometimes the penance IS “no penance”.
And, in my experience, that is the hardest penance of all!

It is up to the priest, and what HE believes to be appropriate.

Nope. Such is not an option. A penance must be imposed by the Priest in confession.

It is not only to take into account what sins where confessed --but the condition of the penitent -but one is to be imposed.

 

[Oneofthewomen]

Nope. Such is not an option. A penance must be imposed by the Priest in confession.

I know quite a few Canon lawyers (priests, Bishops and lay people) who would disagree with you.

Can. 981 The confessor is to impose salutary and suitable penances in accord with the quality and number of sins, taking into account the condition of the penitent. The penitent is obliged to fulfill these personally.

A priest deeming that no penance is suitable is following the directive above.

Again, OP, we can spin our wheels here all day. Ask your priest!

 

[mommamaree]

Nope. Such is not an option. A penance must be imposed by the Priest in confession.

Bookcat,
What about the situation I described above, where the penance assigned was to go to Sunday Mass, an act I was already obligated and planning to do. Is this a real penance? What do I do if this happens again? I am not attempting to esteem my own opinion above that of the priest, but I am honestly confused. Nothing in my faith education prepared me for that situation.

 

[Bookcat]

I know quite a few Canon lawyers (priests, Bishops and lay people) who would disagree with you.

A priest deeming that no penance is suitable is following the directive above.

Nope as I added above - a penance is to be imposed - yes it is to take into consideration the condition of the penitent - but is still to be imposed. It may be one simple little prayer “Jesus I love you” or a little verse of Scripture etc -but it needs to be given.

(now of course there could be a case of impossibility -but that is a different matter).

 

[Bookcat]

Bookcat,
What about the situation I described above, where the penance assigned was to go to Sunday Mass, an act I was already obligated and planning to do. Is this a real penance? What do I do if this happens again? I am not attempting to esteem my own opinion above that of the priest, but I am honestly confused. Nothing in my faith education prepared me for that situation.

One older work that was used by Confessors (1950’s) notes that “a work which is already obligatory” can be imposed as a penance.

The penance can be all sorts of good things. So I imagine such can still be the case.

One may always ask for a different penance -and even suggest one – though one in the end accepts the penance that is given finally. *(note if one accepts a penance and later it turns out to be a penance that is not do-able - or is too burdensome (speaking here in general) one may seek to have it changed later).

 

[mommamaree]

One older work that was used by Confessors (1950’s) notes that “a work which is already obligatory” can be imposed as a penance.

The penance can be all sorts of good things. So I imagine such can still be the case.

One may always ask for a different penance -and even suggest one – though one in the end accepts the penance that is given finally. *(note if one accepts a penance and later it turns out to be a penance that is not do-able - or is too burdensome (speaking here in general) one may seek to have it changed later).

Thank you! That really does help. I didn’t know how to find out the answer for myself, and in my confusion in the confessional, I think I had already annoyed the priest by asking for a penance. In terms of asking for another penance, in my experience, the penance have always been so light that I have never needed to worry about that. I really wish that I had known this BEFORE that time in the confessional, because I wasted time and emotion worrying about it unnecessarily.

 

[dans0622]

… There may be truth to the basic statement that Penance is given as part of the Sacrament, according to CL, but like Constitutional Law, and other Law, CL is not always straight forward, and clearly black and white. That’s why there are canon lawyers. …

Hello,

Sometimes it’s complicated but sometimes it’s simple. This is a simple matter. The imposition and completion of a penance, while not essential to the validity of this Sacrament, is nonetheless an integral part of it. So, the confessor is to impose an appropriate penance. If he doesn’t, the Sacrament, in the words of John Paul II, will be missing its “crown” (Reconciliation and Penance, #31).

Dan

 

[thistle]

But then again, a non-trained and certified canon lawyer can only cite Canon Law, and not interpret it, and surely not enforce it. There may be truth to the basic statement that Penance is given as part of the Sacrament, according to CL, but like Constitutional Law, and other Law, CL is not always straight forward, and clearly black and white. That’s why there are canon lawyers.

What needs to be remembered about CL, is that it is not designed to just say what is right and what is wrong, to keep the clergy or laity in line, but rather it is to protect the faithful.

So, in this case, Canon 981 “MAY” (I say “may” again, to emphasize that as a non-canon lawyer, I can only speculate on the accepted Church interpretation of the law) reassure the person who received the sacrament without penance of the validity of the sacrament despite the possibility of an unlawful indiscretion of a priest.

In this way, we see the Code of Canon Law protecting one of the faithful, by declaring the validity of a possibly illicit (by incompletion in this case) sacrament, and the opinion of the Church that because of the honest contrition of the individual, they received absolution and the graces offered by the sacrament, and left reconciled with God, no longer in the state of mortal sin.

Peace and all Good!

The priest at Confession must impose a penance. It is not optional.

Can. 981 The confessor is to impose salutary and appropriate penances, in proportion to the kind and number of sins confessed, taking into account, however, the condition of the penitent. The penitent is bound personally to fulfil these penances.Can.

 

[tlenseigne]

I had priest tell me, Jesus did not give penance so why should they.

 

[Bookcat]

I had priest tell me, Jesus did not give penance so why should they.

Sorry to here that. Sometimes well meaning Priests received some wrong ideas or later had them…(at times a seminary Professor could have taught the wrong thing …say in the 1970’s and was later corrected when such was discovered).

Why? Cause Jesus was not celebrating the Sacrament of Confession when he walked the earth before his Paschal Mystery. He though founded a Church and gave his Church the Sacraments —Sacraments that are to be celebrated only the way the Church (by the Authority of Jesus) states they are to be celebrated.

A penance is to be given. It is part of the Sacrament.

 

[EIF5A]

How does one know what penance is appropriate if not given by a priest?