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Different
forms for receiving the sacrament of penance
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
The revised ritual for the administration of the sacrament of penance
has been on the books since 1975. It has suffered a fate similar to the
Communion directives published in the General Instruction of the Roman
Missal in 2002. Not all have embraced it.
As long as there is contrition, confession, acceptance of a penance, and
absolution, the elements of the sacrament are fulfilled. Those who use
the traditional “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned” with an immediate
statement of sins are not to be chastised. Formulas take second place to
the four key elements. But, the ordained have a responsibility to
instruct people in the rituals of the Church. My column this week
provides a review of the ritual for the sacrament of penance.
The sacrament of penance may be celebrated in two ways: during a
communal penance service or outside the communal penance service format.
A communal penance service presumes the presence of a congregation and
begins with many of the same elements as a Sunday liturgy. There is an
opening hymn. Its purpose is to unite hearts and voices and to set the
tone for the celebration. Following a greeting and an opening prayer,
Scriptures are read. The Word of God reminds us of God’s constant love
and forgiveness. The same message is proclaimed in the homily, which is
based on the Scripture readings.
In a communal penance service, an optional examination of conscience is
led by a priest and is followed by a prayer of sorrow for sins such as,
“I confess to Almighty God …” (from the Penitential Rite of Mass). The
“Our Father” is then prayed.
A daily examination of conscience, of course, helps a person prepare for
the sacrament of penance. Without it, repression and denial can become
serious impediments to coming face to face with the Lord. The communal
examination utilizes, at least in summary, the longer form shared with
my readers in previous columns.
Several priest confessors are on hand to receive the individual
confession of sins. To receive the sacrament, a person must confess to a
priest and receive absolution.
A communal celebration of penance is not time for a protracted
conversation with the priest confessor or counseling. Any mortal sins
must be confessed. Apart from possible mortal sins, the penitent is
urged to focus on the more troubling faults in their life rather than an
exhaustive list.
After penitents have confessed, they are to return to their place in the
assembly, remaining until the end of the ceremony. It is important for a
person to stay until the end of the penance service to pray for those
who are still going to confession and to experience praise, blessing and
dismissal with the community; at least, this is the way the ritual
envisions it. The ceremony concludes with a proclamation of praise and a
formal dismissal.
In an individual confession (versus a communal penance service), the
priest and the penitent begin with the sign of the cross. Then the
priest offers a short prayer, inviting the penitent to have trust in
God. Six different formulas are provided. At this point, a passage of
Scripture is read. Multiple selections are recommended.
Following the reading of Scripture, the penitent confesses. Remember
that sin is a broken relationship with God and others. In confessing, I
open my heart to the priest who represents the community of faith to
which I am bonded by baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist. Serious
sins are to be mentioned. Other faults, especially those most troubling,
are also a matter of confession. If it seems appropriate, the priest
responds with loving counsel, but always with the compassion of Christ.
In each of these forms (communal as well as individual), a person is
free to choose between confession behind a screen or face to face.
Parish reconciliation rooms are designed to accommodate either method
while allowing the penitent to make the choice. A surprise to many is
that face to face often is much easier than confession behind a screen,
but it’s optional.
While many do not want the priest to whom they confess to know them, it
is most helpful to establish a relationship with one confessor who can
guide you on your spiritual journey. That’s one of the goals the
sacrament of reconciliation is designed to accomplish.
The priest gives an act of penance. The act of penance may be a prayer
or series of prayers, a reparation for a particular offense, such as
paying back stolen money, seeking forgiveness from another person or
apologizing to someone for a racial slur. Ideally it will be an action
that helps the penitent develop good habits in life, such as a young
person helping the family with extra house or yard work, a husband being
more attentive to his wife’s need for more of his time and help with
household chores, or a priest spending additional time preparing
homilies.
The priest then asks the penitent to make an act of contrition. Ten
formulas are found in the ritual. While these formulas are helpful, an
act of contrition can be as simple as: “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have
mercy on me, a sinner.”
After the act of contrition, the priest extends his hands over the head
of the penitent or lays his hand on the penitent’s head and offers the
prayer of absolution, to which the penitent responds: “Amen.”
A proclamation of praise and a dismissal conclude the celebration of the
sacrament. The priest says: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”
To which the penitent responds: “His mercy endures forever.” A
concluding prayer follows. Four different formulas are suggested.
There is a third form of the sacrament of penance. Similar to communal
penance services, there is no individual confession of sins. Rather, the
priest celebrant grants general absolution. This form demands unusual
circumstances, such as in time of natural disasters or the battlefield,
when it isn’t possible to utilize the individual celebration of the
sacrament or the communal form within a reasonable period of time. When
there is general absolution, penitents are required to confess any
serious sin as soon as possible.
It is my responsibility as bishop to determine if conditions exist that
warrant the use of general absolution in this Local Church. It is my
judgment that general absolution is not warranted.
The rituals for the administration of the sacrament of penance represent
the wisdom of the Church and can be most meaningful. Hopefully,
catechesis will lead people to utilize them. |
