01.12. Penance (128-141)
128. What does Rome teach concerning Penance?
129. What does Rome teach about the necessity of Penance?
130. By whom must Penance be administered?
131. How often must the Sacrament be administered?
132. What are the component parts of Penance?
133. When was Penance first considered a Sacrament by the Church of Rome?
134. Is there any Scriptural authority for the Sacrament?
135. Does the Confessional give undue power to priests?
136. Where is Confession made?
137. What course is adopted in the Confessional?
138. What is the nature of the conversation at the Confessional?
139. Do you regard this system as immoral?
140. Why do you opposes oracular confession?
141. What did Vatican II teach about Penance and the Confessional?
128. What does Rome teach concerning Penance?
Rome teaches it is a Sacrament "by which the benefit of the death of Christ is applied to those who have fallen after Baptism".
129. What does Rome teach about the necessity of Penance?
Rome teaches it is "as necessary to salvation for those who have sinned after Baptism, as Baptism itself is for the unregenerate".
130. By whom must Penance be administered? By a priest. Baptism is validly administered by a layman, even a heretic, but Penance can only be administered by a priest. The priest may be a man of immoral character, but Rome affirms that that does not interfere with the efficacy of the Sacrament.
131. How often must the Sacrament be administered? At least once a year, the most acceptable time being Lent.
132. What are the component parts of Penance?
They are three: Contrition, Confession and Satisfaction. The priest is satisfied then confers absolution.
133. When was Penance first considered a Sacrament by the Church of Rome? Not until the 13th Century.
134. Is there any Scriptural authority for the Sacrament?
Absolutely none. It is in some parts of it a perversion of repentance, and in other parts it is a perversion of the ordinance of discipline.
135. Does the Confessional give undue power to priests?
Yes. They acquire therein a knowledge of all family and even state secrets. Servants communicate the affairs of their masters; wives tell of those of their husbands; and ministers, governors and kings tell of those of the State. The priestly Confessor of the King of France used to say: "With my God in my hand [referring to the wafer] and my King at my knee" [referring to the Confessional] who can greater be?"
136. Where is Confession made? This depends upon circumstances, it is usually made at the Confessional Box which is erected in Churches but frequently in private rooms, those of the priest or the penitent.
137. What course is adopted in the Confessional? The priest sits while the penitent kneels and whispers into his ear.
138. What is the nature of the conversation at the Confessional?
It is necessarily of the most polluted kind, because sin is the subject matter of Confession.
139. Do you regard this system as immoral?
Yes. The priest’s mind is polluted by becoming the receptacle of the impurity of his flock, while again he may take advantage of the knowledge he has acquired for his own wicked purposes.
140. Why do you opposes oracular confession?
(1) Because it is without authority.
(2) It is an infringement upon the prerogative of God. We should confess to Him and Him alone.
(3) It gives power to the priest. When he knows all secrets his power over his penitents is complete.
(4) It is immoral in its tendency. The priest speaks and is specially trained and instructed to speak upon the most improper subjects to both sexes. Some of the questions asked by the priest to his female penitents are so obscene that they cannot be printed in the common language of the people.
141. What did Vatican II teach about Penance and the Confessional?
Vatican II - the Pastoral Office in the Church (28th October, 1965) The matter of Penance is a central issue to the spiritual life according to the documents of Vatican II. One of the Directives to the Bishops is in the matter of Penance. If he desires to be a proper spiritual overseer to those in his Diocese he must see that the faithful take part in the Eucharist often, and this participation must be preceded by Penance. "Pastors should also be mindful of how much the Sacrament of Penance contributes to developing Christian life, and therefore should make themselves available to hear the confessions of the faithful." (Chap. 2, para. 30) Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1995: