Tough / Tricky Questions on Penance (I think this is interesting!)

[Ziggamafu]

Does the penance assigned in Confession remit all temporal punishment / debt due to the sins absolved in that Confession? Does the penance assigned by the priest therefore satisfy all *necessary *reparation / restitution or can there exist further satisfaction of **grave **obligation? Based on the answers to the first two questions, is the penance assigned strictly related to Purgation and therefore not a determinant of mortal sin?

Any references or citations to back up your answers would be greatly appreciated.

 

[LilyM]

I can’t quite see exactly what you’re getting at with this question.

All confessed sins, mortal, grave and venial, are forgiven upon absolution by the priest. The penance assigned is applied to any temporal punishment that may accrue to the sins.

It may not satisfy all the necessary reparation required (hence further punishment in purgatory and Our Lady’s constant exhortations to voluntary penance).

But all the sins are nonetheless forgiven and all danger of eternal punishment (hell) is removed as long as one faithfully performs the assigned penance. Of course one who wilfully neglects to perform it incurs further sin - which may in itself be possibly grave or mortal and which must be confessed.

 

[martino]

based on my understanding you are confusing the penance given in confession with an indulgence.

and indulgence remits the punishment do for sins that have already been forgiven in confession. one of the requirements for a valid confession is that you do some penance prescribed by the priest. the penance is part of the confession and the confession is not valid until the penance is completed. once the penance is completed then the guilt of the sins confessed are forgiven.

unless we have perfect contrition during confession our temporal punishment remains even after the guilt is forgiven. this is where indulgences come in.

i like to say it like this…confession saves us from hell and indulgences save us from purgatory…but dont get them confused because they are different things.

 

[martino]

to answer your question more directly…the penance done as part of a confession does not remit the temporal punishment for sins forgiven in confession.

otherwise indulgences would be pointless.

 

[Todd_Easton]

From the Baltimore Catechism 2:219. Q. Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all punishment due to sin?A. The Sacrament of Penance remits the eternal punishment due to sin, but it does not always remit the temporal punishment which God requires as satisfaction for our sins. From the above answer, it would seem that performing the assigned penance may in some instances remit all the temporal punishment due to sin but in other instances it may remit only part.

 

[Elzee]

From the Baltimore Catechism 2:219. Q. Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all punishment due to sin?A. The Sacrament of Penance remits the eternal punishment due to sin, but it does not always remit the temporal punishment which God requires as satisfaction for our sins. From the above answer, it would seem that performing the assigned penance may in some instances remit all the temporal punishment due to sin but in other instances it may remit only part.

And that’s why I still love the Baltimore Catechism - straight questions, strraight answers.

 

[martino]

From the Baltimore Catechism 2:219. Q. Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all punishment due to sin?A. The Sacrament of Penance remits the eternal punishment due to sin, but it does not always remit the temporal punishment which God requires as satisfaction for our sins. From the above answer, it would seem that performing the assigned penance may in some instances remit all the temporal punishment due to sin but in other instances it may remit only part.

Todd, i think what they mean when they say “does not always”, is that if you make a good confession with “perfect” contrition, then you would have all temporal punishment forgiven. They even go as far as to say that in an emergency when there is not chance for making a confession a person with “perfect” contrition for their sins can actually have all eternal and temporal punishment forgiven without the Sacrament of Penance even!!!