The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-14
FATHER CONWAY ON
THEME Of CONFESSION
Describes Interestingly tho Doctrine
of Pcnance as Practiccd BY
Catholic Church.
SAYS NOT MODERN INNOVATION
Quotes Origcn and Other WORTHLESS OF
the First Centuries Of Christian
Era as Authority-Many Hear
Series of Lectures.

The lecture by Rev. Bertrand L.
Conway on Confession" at the Sacred
Heart Cathedral last evening was
largely attended.
Father Conway in his dicussion OF
the sacrament of pennace, or con-
fessIon, said in part:
1T has frequently been stated in
controversial discussion on the con-
fession of sins, that this practice orig
mated in the thirteenth century, and
was unknown in the early days of
night to call your attention to few
testimonies of the early fathers on
this point, none of which is older
than the fifth century.
St. Leo the Great. famous even
in secular history because of his we'll
known meeting with Attila, the bar
harlan, was great lover of tradi-
ton, and a Pope who spoke continual
ly against doctrinal novelties of his
time. He writes: tEpistle 1889
Two Remedies Provided.
I will tell you that the ecclesi-
astical law prescribes concerning the
condition Of pentients. God in His
abundant mercy has provided two
remedies for the sins of men. They
may gain eternal life, not only by the
grace Of baptism, but also by the rem
edy of penance. Those who have vio-
lated the vows of their baptism may
obtain the remission Of their sins by
condemning themselves: the divine
goodness has so decreed that the par
don Of God can only be obtained by
sinners through the prayers OF the
priests. Jesus Christ, the Mediator
between God and man. has conferred
upon the rulers OF the church the
power of imposing canonical penance
upon sinners who eonfess their sins.
and of allowing them to receive the
sacraments of Christ, after they have
purified their souls by a salutars salts
faction. IT is dangerous for a
weak and ignorant man to defer his
conversion to the last uncertain hours
of life. when he may be unable TO
confess and obtain priestly pardon; he
ought, when he can, TO merit pardon
by full satisfaction for his sins.
st Augustine f354-430) in one of
his sermons, CCxSN. declared that in
dependentiy of the church. no sins
We're forgiven, for she has received
from Jesus Christ the power Of the
keys 10 retain or remit sin.
"A Milan, st. Ambrose 340-397)
in his treatise on Penance Cook IL,
Chap. 9. No. -. declared that priests
alone have the right to pardon sins.
and biographer Soeakes of the great
care he always manifested in guard
ing the secret of the confessional. like
the clergy of our own day.
Many outside the Catholic Church
who are acquainted with the fact Of
our early penitential discipline, main
tain that the pardon granted by the
church was a mere external reconcile
alton of penitents with the visible
body Of the faithful m no sense. they
tell as did il mean pardon OF ones
sins by Almighty God. This Is simply
not the fact The men who held that
doetrine ia the early days of the early
church were heretics, known as Nova
tiaiiS, Like the modern Protestant,
or the old time Pharisee in the time
of Jesus. they declare that God alone
could pardon sins. and restore again
the divine life to the soul. Listen to
st. Pacian t3ei) who in answering
this very objection with regard to the
Novatians God alone, you tell me,
can pardon sins. Granted But His
divine power is exercised by means of
His priests.
Quotes Origcn.
"Origen IS5-254) OF the great
school of Alexandria, says to the sim
ners of his day: When you have eat
en- some indigestibIe food, and your
stomach Is filled with an excessive
quantity Of humor. you will suffer
until you have gotten rid OF it. So
in like manner sinners. who hide and
retain their sins within their breasts