The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-02-19
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IDocfRiNaE Se aGS9s IS lfT0ReIcAI.l



guilt of his offenses only when he has
been led to hate sin, with sincere
and determined resolution never to
relapse into it.
1t is "penance" as Sacrament that
concerns us just now. We say that
the Sacrament of Penance is true
Sacrament, because it possesses the
three requisites. 1. 1t is an outward
sign. 2. 1t was instituted by Christ.
8. 1t gives grace.
The outward sign of the Sacrament
of Penance- consists of the acts of the
penitent, j. e., contrition, confession
and satisfaction, together with the alb
solution of the priest. Thus the
Catechism of the Council of Trent
calls contrition, confession and salts
faction, "as it were, the matter OF
the Sacrament of Penance."
The reason for this somewhat indeff-
mite diction is this: In the other
Sacramento the matter is something
material, as, for example, the water
in Baptism, and the chrism in Con-
firmation, whereas in Penance, the
three acts of the renitent, contrition,
confession and satisfaction, takes the
place of the matter and are called,
"as it were, the matter of this Sacra-
ment" In another sense, the sins
of the penitent are also said to be
the matter of the Sacrament, in the
same way as wood or coal is called
the matter of a fire.
! 1t is using the word, matter in
| this latter sense that we say that all
mortal sins committed after Baptism,
and not already properly confessed
and forgiven, constitute the necessary
matter of the Sacrament of Penance;
that is to say, i'll the ordinary proVi-
dence of God, they are not forgiven
in any other way. Venial sins, or
mortal sins already confessed and for
given, are sufficient matter for the
reception of this Sacrament. In other
words, it is not necessary to confess
venial sins, or to repeat the con-
! feSsion of mortal sins that have been
| forgiven, but we may confess them,
if we wish, and the confession of these
sins, accompanied by proper diSpoSl-
tions is sufficient to enable us to
receive the grace of the Sacrament.
It is for this reason that the Confessor
asks the penitent to confess a sin Of
his past life.
The Sacrament of Penance, then, is
i an outward sign" and thus fulfills
the first requirement for real and
true Sacrament. 1t was instituted by
Christ Our Blessed Lord and
Savious instituted the Sacrament of
Penance in clear and unmistakable
words, when he promised His apostles
the power of forgiving sins: Amen,
| say to you, whatsoever We shall bind
on earth shall be bound also. in
Heaven; and whatsoever ye shall
.F4ooseS upenaeafth shaIlaBe loosed also
in Heaven The fulfllment Of this
promise is recorded in words even
more expressive than those above
cited: "As the Father has sent Me,
| also send you. When He had said
this, He breathed on them, and He
said to them, Receive ye the Holy
Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive,
they are forgiven them; and whose
sins you shall retain they are retain
ed"
These texts clearly prove that the
Sacrament of Penance was instituted
by Jesus Christ. They also show that
this Sacrament possesses the third
requisite for a real and true Sacra-
ment; i. e., the giving of grace.
Surely the Sacrament that effects the
remission of sin confers one of the
greatest of all graces. The priests of
the Catholic Church enjoy the power
of absolving from sin, for the reason
that Jesus Christ, in the words We
have already quoted conferred that
power upon the apostles, But it could
not have been intended by our Lord
that such power would cease to exist
with them. The religion of Christ
is for all times and all peoples, aud
the forgiveness of sin is as necessary
for men of today as it was in the
apostolic age. The apostles handed
down this power of forgiving sins and
the Catholic priest of today receives
that power on the day of his ordina-
ton.
The three parts of Penance, which
we shall consider in detail later on,
are: contrition, confession, and
satisfaction. Without sorrow, sincere
and heartfelt, we cannot be absolved
from our sins. Without confession
one who realizes his obligation to con
TESS his sins to d priest and is not
inculpably prevented from doing SO
cannot be absolyed from his sins
Without satisfaction, we cannot
satisfy Gods offended justice or pay
the penalty of temporal punishment
that results from our sins, even after
they have been forgiven.
The Sacrament of Penance is not
only great solace aud encouragement
to men by which they are freed OF
the weight of their sins, it is also a
real and true Sacrament and gives
grace to = the one who worthiIy
receives it. We should take advan
tage of this great means of grace and
not regulate the number of our con
fessions by the false theory that con.
fession is only to be made when il
is absolutely necessary for the remis
sion of mortal sins. 1t is true that
we are obliged, under pain oil
grievous sin, to confess but once a