Priest's Penance

[MaryRita85]

I heard something awhile back and I wanted to know if it is true. I heard that for every person who participates in the Sacrament of Reconcilliation that the Priest must do a penance for each one of them, after that Confessional “session” so to speak. Is this true, what type of penances would they give them to themselves?

 

[Boulder257]

Never heard of such a thing. I don’t think this is a prescribed or required practice.

 

[BcuzISaidSo]

Gosh, if that were the case these poor guys would never have time to do anything else!

 

[babochka]

I don’t know that it is a requirement, but it is a common practice. I think it can be something as simple as praying for the penitent.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

Maybe more that they say a prayer for all the penitents?

 

[Edward_H]

It’s true…they act as victim, in persona Christi. More people should know this, but it’s their private way of loving us. Some fast, some work longer, some mortify themselves, or do other acts of penance, denial.

 

[EricFilmer]

I heard something awhile back and I wanted to know if it is true. I heard that for every person who participates in the Sacrament of Reconcilliation that the Priest must do a penance for each one of them, after that Confessional “session” so to speak. Is this true, what type of penances would they give them to themselves?

The rite for the Sacrament of Reconciliation does not require a priest to do penance for those who go to him for confession, so what you’ve described is something that certain priests elect to do voluntarily. If a priest decides to do penance on behalf of others (regardless of the context), it would be by the same methods that laypeople have recourse to, such as prayer, fasting, works of charity, etc.

Gratia vobis et pax multiplicetur,
Fr. Eric
Diocese of Savannah

 

[Edward_H]

The rite for the Sacrament of Reconciliation does not require a priest to do penance for those who go to him for confession, so what you’ve described is something that certain priests elect to do voluntarily. If a priest decides to do penance on behalf of others (regardless of the context), it would be by the same methods that laypeople have recourse to, such as prayer, fasting, works of charity, etc.

Gratia vobis et pax multiplicetur,
Fr. Eric
Diocese of Savannah

I get, from this priest below, a different sense.

lifeteen.com/my-side-of-the-confessional-what-is-it-like-for-a-priest/

 

[babochka]

I get, from this priest below, a different sense.

lifeteen.com/my-side-of-the-confessional-what-is-it-like-for-a-priest/

I don’t see how this differs from what Fr. Eric said. In this story, a particular priest tells a particular penitent that he will be fasting for him for 30 days. Perhaps the priest in the story is referring to this section of the catechism:

1448 Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God’s action through the intervention of the Church. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion.

Penance is, at its heart, turning away from sin and turning toward God. A good priest will be doing this anyway.

 

[Edward_H]

I don’t see how this differs from what Fr. Eric said. In this story, a particular priest tells a particular penitent that he will be fasting for him for 30 days. Perhaps the priest in the story is referring to this section of the catechism:

Penance is, at its heart, turning away from sin and turning toward God. A good priest will be doing this anyway.

Maybe I didn’t read this right.

“I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. He told me that the Catechism teaches that the priest must do penance for all those who come to him for Confession. And here he was, embracing a severe penance for all of my severe sins.”

 

[babochka]

Maybe I didn’t read this right.

“I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. He told me that the Catechism teaches that the priest must do penance for all those who come to him for Confession. And here he was, embracing a severe penance for all of my severe sins.”

I read this as well, then I read the catechism entry on the Sacrament of Penance. But I missed this part:

**

1466

The confessor is not the master of God’s forgiveness, but its servant. The minister of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of Christ.71 He should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity.** He must pray and do penance for his penitent, entrusting him to the Lord’s mercy**. **

Still, this can be taken in a generic sense. It doesn’t say that he must do penance for each penitent individually. A priest who prays regularly for those whose confessions he hears would be fulfilling this mandate. Even though it says “pray and do penance”, prayer is penance, and the ordinary difficulties of life are penance when we use them to turn toward God. If a priest offers up his daily difficulties for his penitents, he would also be fulfilling the mandate.

 

[MaryRita85]

Ok, so at least there is a reason I may have heard that.

 

[EricFilmer]

I read this as well, then I read the catechism entry on the Sacrament of Penance. But I missed this part:

1466

Thanks for digging this up, babochka. Yes, this section of the Catechism is describing the sort of general behavior a priest should exhibit in order to be a good confessor, but there are no details or official directions beyond this brief statement (at least none that I’m aware of off the top of my head). How a priest specifically goes about doing this is voluntary. As I mentioned before, there is no instruction in the rite of the Sacrament of Reconciliation concerning this (one would expect to see it in #10 of the section on Penance under the heading, “Pastoral Exercise of this Ministry”, but there is no mention here of the practice of a priest doing penance for his penitents).

Because the priest mentioned by Edward H said that he was referring to the Catechism, I think you’re correct in proposing CCC #1466 as the specific paragraph he had in mind.

Gratia vobis et pax multiplicetur,
Fr. Eric
Diocese of Savannah

 

[TimothyH]

Their pennance is to put up with complaining parishoners.

***I don’t like the music. I don’t like the lighting. Can we have chant? I don’t like chant. The incense make me sneeze. Father, I can’t hear you, can you speak louder? Father, the microphone is too loud. Say the black, do the red. It’s not in the rubrics to hold hands. The altar servers surplice are stained. The toilet paper in the bathroom used to be better, blah, blah, blah… ***

Their pennance is to bite their tounge and smile…

-Tim-

 

[Cojuanco]

I heard something awhile back and I wanted to know if it is true. I heard that for every person who participates in the Sacrament of Reconcilliation that the Priest must do a penance for each one of them, after that Confessional “session” so to speak. Is this true, what type of penances would they give them to themselves?

Not a requirement, but it is a reasonably common penitential practice among priests.