What happens with confession if our state is quarantined?

[HomeschoolDad]

If you change the words of the Act of Contrition, is it, still, the Act of Contrition? I’m too tired to start hunting, but I thought the words to that prayer were just about set in concrete. If we bobbled it in the confessional, the priest corrected us—sternly! Of course, that was many years ago and many things aren’t as important as they once were, but surely the words of the Act of Contrition can’t be free-lanced? I’m asking; I truly don’t know with any certainty.

So far as I am aware, there is no one, “official” Act of Contrition. The essential elements of an Act of Perfect Contrition are:

• sorrow for all of one’s sins, and certainly all mortal sins
• sorrow because these sins offend God who should never be offended
• resolve to confess one’s sins
• resolve to do penance
• resolve not to sin in the future

It is very, very important to cast one’s mindset in stone, regardless of how much you have to “work on yourself” to do it, to make your sorrow for sin because it offends God, not because of how you will be punished. Any of us could fall into mortal sin and have no way to confess to a priest, possibly for a long time.

As a side note, the “drive-through” confession scenario is excellent. I drove by our Catholic school (closed) today and observed that the “school run” or “carpool” lane would be an absolutely outstanding way to do this — you already have the precise layout you need to make something like that work.

 

[mythbuster1]

Meditate on Christ’s Passion, for who could love Him at all and not be moved to sorrow over what our sins did to Him?

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Meditate on Christ’s Passion, for who could love Him at all and not be moved to sorrow over what our sins did to Him?

Couldn’t think of a better way. Or watch the last 45 minutes (or thereabouts) of The Passion of the Christ. That will burn into your brain (and soul) for life, if you will only let it.

If I were teaching classes for converts, and if it were my call to make, I would make TPOTC, viewed together, in its entirety, in one session, a mandatory part of the curriculum.

 

[angell1]

right on point, not to mention other pandemics, it really surprises me to see so many people acting like the church has never had to do this before

 

[acanonlawyer]

What is required for the Sacrament is an act of contrition.

Well, getting down to brass tacks, what is required here is, simply, contrition. Whether or not the penitent says something directly expressing contrition is another thing. It’s part of the ritual so there should be some such expression. But if, for example, the penitent and priest forget to say any such act, the confession is not thereby rendered invalid.

Dan

 

[porthos11]

That’s the point I’m trying to make, I don’t think the Act of Contrition is required, only an act of contrition. (pay attention to my capitalization)

And even then, this does not even have to be one of the set prayers. It can be as simple as this:

Priest: Are you truly sorry for all these sins?
You: Yes, Father.

Once Father gets that answer, he is to believe you (unless there is some kind of evidence otherwise), accept that as your contrition and absolve you.

 

[SPQR1]

Make a perfect Act of Contrition. My state went into quarantine a few days ago. I am kicking myself for not having gone to confession, when it was available the day before. If I had known what was about to happen, I definitely would have gone. Now I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to make me Easter duty.

 

[Minks]

@rf9661

That’s the point I’m trying to make, I don’t think the Act of Contrition is required, only an act of contrition. (pay attention to my capitalization)

Please quote the words I used when I was rude to you.