When did the act of penance move to after absolution?

[Porknpie]

As I understand it, in the earlier church, an act of penance was performed before absolution from the priest. Today, we confess our sins, say an act of contrition and the priest absolves us of our sins. Then he assigns us an act of penance. When did the act of penance move from being performed prior to after the absolution and why was the change made? Hopefully I describe this correctly

Thank you.

 

[thecone137]

As I understand it, in the earlier church, an act of penance was performed before absolution from the priest. Today, we confess our sins, say an act of contrition and the priest absolves us of our sins. Then he assigns us an act of penance. When did the act of penance move from being performed prior to after the absolution and why was the change made? Hopefully I describe this correctly

Thank you.

The Act of Penance via Confession is slightly different than the act of penance we say each week.

Traditionally, penance has been viewed as a punishment (the Latin poena, the root of pen(it)ence, means “punishment”), and varying with the character and heinousness of the offences committed.

“Penance” also refers to acts that a believer imposes on him or herself outside of the sacrament. Penitential activity is particularly common during the season of Lent and Holy Week (mainly the Passion week, inspired by Christ’s suffering; hence in some cultural traditions still including flagellantism or even voluntary pseudo-crucifixion) and, to a lesser extent, Advent, when penance is often combined with acts of self-discipline, such as fasting, voluntary celibacy, or other privations.

 

[JimG]

I don’t have time to look it up, but if I recall correctly, in the early centuries of the Church, sin and reconciliation were taken very seriously (as they should be.) Serious sins, such as idolatry, murder, theft, and apostasy were confessed and the penitents were assigned to a period of penance. Perhaps they were required to make a pilgrimage or to work on church construction. It was rather like RCIA is now, I suppose. At the completion of the time of penance, the bishop gave absolution and reconciled them to the Church in a public ceremony of absolution and reconciliation. Again, this is just from memory and should be researched further.

 

[Porknpie]

I don’t have time to look it up, but if I recall correctly, in the early centuries of the Church, sin and reconciliation were taken very seriously (as they should be.) Serious sins, such as idolatry, murder, theft, and apostasy were confessed and the penitents were assigned to a period of penance. Perhaps they were required to make a pilgrimage or to work on church construction. It was rather like RCIA is now, I suppose. At the completion of the time of penance, the bishop gave absolution and reconciled them to the Church in a public ceremony of absolution and reconciliation. Again, this is just from memory and should be researched further.

Thank you Jim. I’m trying to understand why I perform a penance after absolution. I’ve already been forgiven of my sins so why do a penance at that point? The early church, say 1000 AD as I understand it, had penance done prior to absolution but I can not find when the church changed the process. Just making me a better Catholic to understand the history.

 

[JerryZ]

Thank you Jim. I’m trying to understand why I perform a penance after absolution. I’ve already been forgiven of my sins so why do a penance at that point? The early church, say 1000 AD as I understand it, had penance done prior to absolution but I can not find when the church changed the process. Just making me a better Catholic to understand the history.

Uhh! Because the Church asks me to do it?
Well if that is the perspective that since I am forgiven why bother to fulfill my obligation with the act of penance wouldn’t this very act be a grievous sin?
So who am I cheating??? GOD? really?
The priest is acting on good faith, darned I should be acting on good faith!
What is the point otherwise?

 

[bzkoss236]

Thank you Jim. I’m trying to understand why I perform a penance after absolution. I’ve already been forgiven of my sins so why do a penance at that point? The early church, say 1000 AD as I understand it, had penance done prior to absolution but I can not find when the church changed the process. Just making me a better Catholic to understand the history.

You have to remember that penance doesn’t really have to do with the forgiveness part. It may have been done in the past where they had to complete their penance before they received the absolution, and that may have just been a way to see how sorry they were for their sins (to make sure the confession is valid), but it is not necessary. Penance is a punishment, or reconciling, for temporal reasons. Like purgatory, penance is temporal “punishment”. I put punishment in quotes because of our typical view of punishment, but there is such a thing as positive reinforcement (i.e. prayers as penance, or reading your bible as an indulgence).

 

[Porknpie]

You have to remember that penance doesn’t really have to do with the forgiveness part. It may have been done in the past where they had to complete their penance before they received the absolution, and that may have just been a way to see how sorry they were for their sins (to make sure the confession is valid), but it is not necessary. Penance is a punishment, or reconciling, for temporal reasons. Like purgatory, penance is temporal “punishment”. I put punishment in quotes because of our typical view of punishment, but there is such a thing as positive reinforcement (i.e. prayers as penance, or reading your bible as an indulgence).

Thank you BZ -

I’m right with you on why we have a penance…just missing why it changed in the order of the reconciliation process. I’m sure there is a good reason, just don’t know the background as to why.

 

[Porknpie]

Uhh! Because the Church asks me to do it?

What is the point otherwise?

Uhh, Was I not clear?

Just making me a better Catholic to understand the history.

 

[Joan_M]

Thank you Jim. I’m trying to understand why I perform a penance after absolution. I’ve already been forgiven of my sins so why do a penance at that point? The early church, say 1000 AD as I understand it, had penance done prior to absolution but I can not find when the church changed the process. Just making me a better Catholic to understand the history.

You do not do an act of penance in order to receive absolution. Absolution remits the sin. It does not remit the temporal effects of sin. The act of penance given by the priest (which is told to you before you receive absolution) helps to remit the temporal effects.

The acts of penance done prior to absolution in earlier days were done to show the repentance of the sinner, to prove that he was worthy to receive absolution.

 

[Porknpie]

You do not do an act of penance in order to receive absolution. Absolution remits the sin. It does not remit the temporal effects of sin. The act of penance given by the priest (which is told to you before you receive absolution) helps to remit the temporal effects.

The acts of penance done prior to absolution in earlier days were done to show the repentance of the sinner, to prove that he was worthy to receive absolution.

Joan, to the thread question, when did the church change penance from before to after absolution and why? Help. Tx

 

[Vico]

As I understand it, in the earlier church, an act of penance was performed before absolution from the priest. Today, we confess our sins, say an act of contrition and the priest absolves us of our sins. Then he assigns us an act of penance. When did the act of penance move from being performed prior to after the absolution and why was the change made? Hopefully I describe this correctly

Thank you.

It changed at the end of the sixth century, with Irish (or Celtic) penance. Before that, **public **confession and penance was done.

 

[Porknpie]

It changed at the end of the sixth century, with Irish (or Celtic) penance. Before that, **public **confession and penance was done.

Vico -

So since the beginning of private confessoin, penance has always been performed after absolution?

Thank you

Pork (me) n Pie (my sweet wife).

 

[DarkLight]

I’d have to check my sources, but I think there were some concerns about death, particularly for longer penances? The delay between confession and absolution meant a greater chance that someone might die in the interim.

 

[JimG]

I’d have to check my sources, but I think there were some concerns about death, particularly for longer penances? The delay between confession and absolution meant a greater chance that someone might die in the interim.

Yes, you may be onto something there. While absolution and penance are related, in a way they are two different things. One’s sins are forgiven at absolution. And sin always incurs temporal punishment, for which penance must be done either in this life or in the next, or be remitted through the prayers of the faithful and the indulgences earned by the faithful.

Even if we fail to do the penance assigned, we still have some temporal punishment to accomplish to purify our souls of our attachment to the sins confessed, and we may accomplish that penance either here or in purgatory.

In a sense, the earlier method may be compared to RCIA. The non-baptized catechumens intended to become united to the Church, but that was not accomplished fully until baptism at the Easter Vigil. Should a catechumen die before baptism, one could assume that he had baptism of desire by reason of being in the RCIA.

The current method simply makes confession a lot easier and quicker.

One of the reasons for the earlier method had to do, I think, with sins of apostasy, which were more common when the Church was being persecuted. Part of sorrow for sin is the thought that, if I had it to do over again, I would not commit apostasy–I would be killed by the lions instead. A rather hard thought.

But it’s an attitude that we might do well to retain in our current culture. It’s not just a matter of confessing sin and being absolved. It’s the idea that if I could have a do over, I would not commit that sin. And that’s much more difficult to think about than simply to be sorry for sin.

 

[Vico]

Vico -

So since the beginning of private confessoin, penance has always been performed after absolution?

Thank you

Pork (me) n Pie (my sweet wife).

Well, no. It is complex. Sins publicly confessed were those that excluded from communion or public prayer for from the church and required a long penance, and only one chance at penance. (This was for example, for idolatry, murder, or adultery. See CCC 1447 below.) I did read that the eastern Church gave absolution (seven prayers) immediately after confession, and this was centuries before it was in the west. (See: A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, edited by Sir William Smith, Samuel Cheetham, p. 648).

There were a few forms that occurred: Private confession with no absolution and no penance.
Private confession followed by penitence, followed by public confession.
6th century
Private confession with private penitence.
The Celtic form began in monasteries and later was used outside of the monasteries.
The Catechism has:**1447 **Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this “order of penitents” (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the “private” practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest. This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our day.
Catholic Encyclopedia (1911) has:St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) teaches “the affliction of penance is efficacious in blotting out sins when it is enjoined by the sentence of the priest when the burden of it is decided by him in proportion to the offence after weighing the deeds of those who confess” (In I Reg., III, v, n. 13 in P.L., LXXIX, 207); Pope Leo the Great (440-61), who is often credited with the institution of confession, refers to it as an “Apostolic rule”. Writing to the bishops of Campania he forbids as an abuse “contrary to the Apostolic rule” (contra apostolicam regulam) the reading out in public of a written statement of their sins drawn up by the faithful, because, he declares, “it suffices that the guilt of conscience be manifested to priests alone in secret confession” (Ep. clxviii in P.L., LIV, 1210). In another letter (Epistle 108), after declaring that by Divine ordinance the mercy of God can be obtained only through the supplications of the priests, he adds: "the mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus, gave the rulers of the Church this power that they should impose penance on those who confess and admit them when purified by salutary satisfaction to the communion of the sacraments through the gateway of reconciliation.

…

St. Leo had good reason for appealing to the “Apostolic rule” which made secret confession to the priest sufficient without the necessity of a public declaration. Nor is it surprising that Lactantius (d. c. 330) should have pointed to the practice of confession as a characteristic of the true Church: “That is the true Church in which there is confession and penance, which applies a wholesome remedy to the sins and wounds whereunto the weakness of the flesh is subject” (Divine Institutes IV.30).
Hanna, E. (1911). The Sacrament of Penance. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved October 11, 2012 from New Advent: newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm

 

[babochka]

The Act of Penance via Confession is slightly different than the act of penance we say each week.

Traditionally, penance has been viewed as a punishment (the Latin poena, the root of pen(it)ence, means “punishment”), and varying with the character and heinousness of the offences committed.

“Penance” also refers to acts that a believer imposes on him or herself outside of the sacrament. Penitential activity is particularly common during the season of Lent and Holy Week (mainly the Passion week, inspired by Christ’s suffering; hence in some cultural traditions still including flagellantism or even voluntary pseudo-crucifixion) and, to a lesser extent, Advent, when penance is often combined with acts of self-discipline, such as fasting, voluntary celibacy, or other privations.

Penance is essentially a turning away from sin and toward God. This can be accomplished in many ways; the most common are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We are all called to lead a life of penance, that is, turning away from sin and toward God. The penance given in Confession is not a different type of penance, it is simply a concrete and specific step given to aid a person in turning from sin and toward God.

 

[Porknpie]

Vico and Jim, thank you for your feedback. The Catholic Encyclopedia has a good historical background and was a good read on the subject.

Pork