CHAPTER TWO - THE SACRAMENTS OF
HEALING
1420 Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, man receives the new life of Christ.
Now we carry this life "in earthen vessels," and it remains "hidden with Christ in
God."[1] We are still in our "earthly tent," subject to suffering, illness, and death.[2] This
new life as a child of God can be weakened and even lost by sin.
1421 The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of
the paralytic and restored him to bodily health,[3] has willed that his Church continue, in
the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own
members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of
Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
ARTICLE 4 - THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
AND RECONCILIATION
1422 "Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy
for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the
Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by
prayer labors for their conversion."[4]
I. WHAT IS THIS SACRAMENT CALLED?
1423 It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present
Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father[5] from whom one has
strayed by sin.
It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal
and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.
1424 It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins
to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a
"confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy
toward sinful man.
It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution
God grants the penitent "pardon and peace."[6]
It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the live of
God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God."[7] He who lives by God's merciful love is
ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother."[8]
II. WHY A SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
AFTER BAPTISM?
1425 "YOU were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."[9] One must appreciate the magnitude
of the gift God has given us in the sacraments of Christian initiation in order to grasp
the degree to which sin is excluded for him who has "put on Christ."[10] But the apostle
John also says: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us."[11] And the Lord himself taught us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses,"[12] linking
our forgiveness of one another's offenses to the forgiveness of our sins that God will
grant us.
1426 Conversion to Christ, the new birth of Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the
Body and Blood of Christ received as food have made us "holy and without blemish,"
just as the Church herself, the Bride of Christ, is "holy and without blemish."[13]
Nevertheless the new life received in Christian initiation has not abolished the frailty and
weakness of human nature, nor the inclination to sin that tradition calls concupiscence,
which remains in the baptized such that with the help of the grace of Christ they may
prove themselves in the struggle of Christian life.[14] This is the struggle of conversion
directed toward holiness and eternal life to which the Lord never ceases to call us.[15]
III. THE CONVERSION OF THE BAPTIZED
1427 Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the
kingdom: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe
in the gospel."[16] In the Church's preaching this call is addressed first to those who do
not yet know Christ and his Gospel. Also, Baptism is the principal place for the first and
fundamental conversion. It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism[17] that one
renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new
life.
1428 Christ's call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This
second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, "clasping sinners
to her bosom, [is] at once holy and always in need of purification, [and] follows
constantly the path of penance and renewal."[18] This endeavor of conversion is not just
a human work. It is the movement of a "contrite heart," drawn and moved by grace to
respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first.[19]
1429 St. Peter's conversion after he had denied his master three times bears witness to
this. Jesus' look of infinite mercy drew tears of repentance from Peter and, after the
Lord's resurrection, a threefold affirmation of love for him.[20] The second conversion
also has a communitarian dimension, as is clear in the Lord's call to a whole Church:
"Repent!"[21]
St. Ambrose says of the two conversions that, in the Church, "there are water and tears:
the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance."[22]
IV. INTERIOR PENANCE
1430 Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does
not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at
the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain
sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures
and works of penance.[23]
1431 Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a
conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with
repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the
desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help
of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness
which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis
(repentance of heart).[24]
1432 The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart.[25]
Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to
him: "Restore us to thyself, O LORD, that we may be restored!"[26] God gives us the
strength to begin anew. It is in discovering the greatness of God's love that our heart is
shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and
being separated from him. The human heart is converted by looking upon him whom
our sins have pierced:[27]
Let us fix our eyes on Christ's blood and understand how precious it is to his Father,
for, poured out for our salvation it has brought to the whole world the grace of
repentance.
1433 Since Easter, the Holy Spirit has proved "the world wrong about sin,"[29] i.e.,
proved that the world has not believed in him whom the Father has sent. But this same
Spirit who brings sin to light is also the Consoler who gives the human heart grace for
repentance and conversion.[30]
V. THE MANY FORMS OF PENANCE IN
CHRISTIAN LIFE
1434 The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways.
Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and
almsgiving,[31] which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others.
Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as
means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears
of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints,
and the practice of charity "which covers a multitude of sins."[32]
1435 Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for
the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right,[33] by the admission of faults to
one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual
direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of
righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of
penance.[34]
1436 Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their source and
nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the sacrifice of Christ which has
reconciled us with God. Through the Eucharist those who live from the life of Christ
are fed and strengthened. "It is a remedy to free us from our daily faults and to preserve
us from mortal sins."[35]
1437 Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father -
every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance
within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.
1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each
Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's
penitential practice.[36] These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises,
penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting
and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).
1439 The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of
the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father:[37] the fascination of illusory
freedom, the abandonment of the father's house; the extreme misery in which the son
finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself
obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his
reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before
his father; the journey back; the father's generous welcome; the father's joy - all these are
characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive
banquet are symbols of that new life - pure worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns
to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart Of Christ
Who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in
so simple and beautiful a way.
VI. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND
RECONCILIATION
1440 Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At
the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion
entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed
and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.[38]
Only God forgives sin
1441 Only God forgives sins.[39] Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, "The
Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" and exercises this divine power:
"Your sins are forgiven."[40] Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this
power to men to exercise in his name.[41]
1442 Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be
the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at
the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the
apostolic ministry which he charged with the "ministry of reconciliation."[42] The
apostle is sent out "on behalf of Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and
pleading: "Be reconciled to God."[43]
Reconciliation with the Church
1443 During his public life Jesus not only forgave sins, but also made plain the effect of
this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community of the People of
God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A remarkable sign of this is
the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a gesture that expresses in an astonishing
way both God's forgiveness and the return to the bosom of the People of God.[44]
1444 In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them
the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial dimension of their task
is expressed most notably in Christ's solemn words to Simon Peter: "I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."[45] "The office of
binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the
apostles united to its head."[46]
1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion,
will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your
communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is
inseparable from reconciliation with God.
The sacrament of forgiveness
1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church:
above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost
their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the
sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of
justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of
salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace."[47]
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.
1448 Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has
undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It
comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who
undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition,
confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action through the intervention of the
Church. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name
of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and
does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial
communion.
1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential
elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He
effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his
Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church:
God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of his Son has
reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness
of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I
absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.[48]
VII. THE ACTS OF THE PENITENT
1450 "Penance requires . . . the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart,
confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction."[49]
Contrition
1451 Among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of
the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin
again."[50]
1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called
"perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains
forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to
sacramental confession as soon as possible.[51]
1453 The contrition called "imperfect" (or "attrition") is also a gift of God, a prompting
of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal
damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a
stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of
grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however,
imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to
obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.[52]
1454 The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in
the light of the Word of God. The passages best suited to this can be found in the Ten Commandments,
the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the
apostolic teachings.[53]
The confession of sins
1455 The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view,
frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man
looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens
himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new
future possible.
1456 Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal
sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted
by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the
last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more
grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."[54]
When Christ's faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they
undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to
do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for
remission through the mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too ashamed to
show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know."[55]
1457 According to the Church's command, "after having attained the age of discretion,
each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least
once a year."[56] Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not
receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first
received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion
and there is no possibility of going to confession.[57] Children must go to the sacrament
of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.[58]
1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is
nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.[59] Indeed the regular confession of
our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves
be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently
through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he
is merciful:[60]
Whoever confesses his sins . . . is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if
you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two
realities: when you hear "man" - this is what God has made; when you hear "sinner" -
this is what man himself has made. Destroy what you have made, so that God may save
what he has made .... When you begin to abhor what you have made, it is then that your
good works are beginning, since you are accusing yourself of your evil works. The
beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to
the light.[61]
Satisfaction
1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the
harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay
compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and
weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor.
Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused.[62]
Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing
something more to make amends for the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or
"expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."
1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent's personal
situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the
gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of
mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient
acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who
alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen
Christ, "provided we suffer with him."[63]
The satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it
were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by
ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of "him who strengthens" us. Thus
man has nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ . . . in whom we
make satisfaction by bringing forth "fruits that befit repentance." These fruits have
their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the Father, and through him they are
accepted by the Father.[64]
VIII. THE MINISTER OF THIS SACRAMENT
1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,[65] bishops
who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators, continue to exercise this
ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have
the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit."
1462 Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church. Since
ancient times the bishop, visible head of a particular Church, has thus rightfully been
considered to be the one who principally has the power and ministry of reconciliation:
he is the moderator of the penitential discipline.[66] Priests, his collaborators, exercise it
to the extent that they have received the commission either from their bishop (or
religious superior) or the Pope, according to the law of the Church.[67]
1463 Certain particularly grave sins incur excommunication, the most severe
ecclesiastical penalty, which impedes the reception of the sacraments and the exercise of
certain ecclesiastical acts, and for which absolution consequently cannot be granted,
according to canon law, except by the Pope, the bishop of the place or priests authorized
by them. In danger of death any priest, even if deprived of faculties for hearing
confessions, can absolve from every sin and excommunication.[69]
1464 Priests must encourage the faithful to come to the sacrament of Penance and must
make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians reasonably
ask for it.[70]
1465 When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of
the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up
wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and
of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The priest is
the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner.
1466 The confessor is not the master of God's forgiveness, but its servant. The minister
of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of Christ.[71] He
should have a proven knowledge of Christian behavior, experience of human affairs,
respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he must love the truth, be faithful
to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the penitent with patience toward healing
and full maturity. He must pray and do penance for his penitent, entrusting him to the
Lord's mercy.
1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons,
the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe
penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to
him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents'
lives.[72] This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal,"
because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the
sacrament.
IX. THE EFFECTS OF THIS SACRAMENT
1468 "The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's
grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship."[73] Reconciliation with God is
thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of
Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation "is usually followed
by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation."[74] Indeed the
sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection,"
restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the
most precious is friendship with God.[75]
1469 This sacrament reconciles us with the Church. Sin damages or even breaks
fraternal communion. The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores it. In this sense it
does not simply heal the one restored to ecclesial communion, but has also a revitalizing
effect on the life of the Church which suffered from the sin of one of her members.[76]
Re-established or strengthened in the communion of saints, the sinner is made stronger
by the exchange of spiritual goods among all the living members of the Body of Christ,
whether still on pilgrimage or already in the heavenly homeland:[77]
It must be recalled that . . . this reconciliation with God leads, as it were, to other
reconciliations, which repair the other breaches caused by sin. The forgiven penitent is
reconciled with himself in his inmost being, where he regains his innermost truth. He is
reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way offended and wounded. He is
reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation.[78]
1470 In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God,
anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his
earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and
death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom, from
which one is excluded by grave sin.[79] In converting to Christ through penance and
faith, the sinner passes from death to life and "does not come into judgment."[80]
X. INDULGENCES
1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the
effects of the sacrament of Penance.
What is an indulgence?
"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins
whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed
gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the
minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the
satisfactions of Christ and the saints."[81]
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the
temporal punishment due to sin."[82] The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves
or apply them to the dead. [NT]
The punishments of sin
1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to
understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion
with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is
called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails
an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or
after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called
the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as
a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very
nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the
complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.[83]
1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the
remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains.
While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes,
serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of
sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and
the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the
"new man."[84]
In the Communion of Saints
1474 The Christian who seeks to purify himself of his sin and to become holy with the
help of God's grace is not alone. "The life of each of God's children is joined in Christ
and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in
the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical person."[85]
1475 In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful
who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in
purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an
abundant exchange of all good things."[86] In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of
one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus
recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and
efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.
1476 We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church's
treasury, which is "not the sum total of the material goods which have accumulated
during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the 'treasury of the Church' is the
infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ's merits have before God.
They were offered so that the whole of mankind could be set free from sin and attain
communion with the Father. In Christ, the Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and
merits of his Redemption exist and find their effficacy."[87]
1477 "This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before
God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who
have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives
holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained
their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity
of the Mystical Body."[88]
Obtaining indulgence from God through the Church
1478 An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of
binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual
Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to
obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for
their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians,
but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.[89]
1479 Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same
communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so
that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.
XI. THE CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT
OF PENANCE
1480 Like all the sacraments, Penance is a liturgical action. The elements of the
celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blessing from the priest, reading the word
of God to illuminate the conscience and elicit contrition, and an exhortation to
repentance; the confession, which acknowledges sins and makes them known to the
priest; the imposition and acceptance of a penance; the priest's absolution; a prayer of
thanksgiving and praise and dismissal with the blessing of the priest.
1481 The Byzantine Liturgy recognizes several formulas of absolution, in the form of
invocation, which admirably express the mystery of forgiveness: "May the same God,
who through the Prophet Nathan forgave David when he confessed his sins, who
forgave Peter when he wept bitterly, the prostitute when she washed his feet with her
tears, the publican, and the prodigal son, through me, a sinner, forgive you both in this
life and in the next and enable you to appear before his awe-inspiring tribunal without
condemnation, he who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen."
1482 The sacrament of Penance can also take place in the framework of a communal
celebration in which we prepare ourselves together for confession and give thanks
together for the forgiveness received. Here, the personal confession of sins and
individual absolution are inserted into a liturgy of the word of God with readings and a
homily, an examination of conscience conducted in common, a communal request for
forgiveness, the Our Father and a thanksgiving in common. This communal celebration
expresses more clearly the ecclesial character of penance. However, regardless of its
manner of celebration the sacrament of Penance is always, by its very nature, a liturgical
action, and therefore an ecclesial and public action.[90]
1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of
reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this
sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the
priest or priests to hear each penitent's confession. Grave necessity can also exist when,
given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual
confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their
own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In
this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of
individually confessing their grave sins in the time required.[91] The diocesan bishop is
the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist.[92] A
large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not
constitute a case of grave necessity.[93]
1484 "Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for
the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral
impossibility excuses from this kind of confession."[94] There are profound reasons for
this. Christ is at work in each of the sacraments. He personally addresses every sinner:
"My son, your sins are forgiven."[95] He is the physician tending each one of the sick
who need him to cure them.[96] He raises them up and reintegrates them into fraternal
communion. Personal confession is thus the form most expressive of reconciliation with
God and with the Church.
IN BRIEF
1485 "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week," Jesus showed himself to his
apostles. "He breathed on them, and said to them: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you
forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained"'
(Jn 20:19, 22-23).
1486 The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is conferred by a particular
sacrament called the sacrament of conversion, confession, penance, or reconciliation.
1487 The sinner wounds God's honor and love, his own human dignity as a man called
to be a son of God, and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian
ought to be a living stone.
1488 To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences
for sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world.
1489 To return to communion with God after having lost it through sin is a process
born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men.
One must ask for this precious gift for oneself and for others.
1490 The movement of return to God, called conversion and repentance, entails sorrow
for and abhorrence of sins committed, and the firm purpose of sinning no more in the
future. Conversion touches the past and the future and is nourished by hope in God's
mercy.
1491 The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent
and the priest's absolution. The penitent's acts are repentance, confession or disclosure
of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation.
1492 Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from
faith. If repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called "perfect" contrition; if
it is founded on other motives, it is called "imperfect."
1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must
confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully
examined his conscience. The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in
itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.
1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of "satisfaction" or
"penance" to be performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm caused by sin and
to re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.
1495 Only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of the
Church can forgive sins in the name of Christ.
1496 The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:
- reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
- reconciliation with the Church;
- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.
1497 Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the
only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church.
1498 Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment
resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory.
CHAPTER TWO - THE
SACRAMENTS OF HEALING -
Continued ...
ARTICLE 5 - THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK
1499 "By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church
commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them
up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People
of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ."[97]
I. ITS FOUNDATIONS IN THE ECONOMY OF
SALVATION
Illness in human life
1500 Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in
human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his
finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death.
1501 Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt
against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what
is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often illness provokes a
search for God and a return to him.
The sick person before God
1502 The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is
before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he
implores healing.[98] Illness becomes a way to conversion; God's forgiveness initiates
the healing.[99] It is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and
evil, and that faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: "For I am the Lord,
your healer."[100] The prophet intuits that suffering can also have a redemptive meaning
for the sins of others.[101] Finally Isaiah announces that God will usher in a time for
Zion when he will pardon every offense and heal every illness.[102]
Christ the physician
1503 Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of
infirmity are a resplendent sign that "God has visited his people"[103] and that the
Kingdom of God is close at hand. Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to
forgive sins;[104] he has come to heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician
the sick have need of.[105] His compassion toward all who suffer goes so far that he
identifies himself with them: "I was sick and you visited me."[106] His preferential love
for the sick has not ceased through the centuries to draw the very special attention of
Christians toward all those who suffer in body and soul. It is the source of tireless efforts
to comfort them.
1504 Often Jesus asks the sick to believe.[107] He makes use of signs to heal: spittle and
the laying on of hands,[108] mud and washing.[109] The sick try to touch him, "for
power came forth from him and healed them all."[110] And so in the sacraments Christ
continues to "touch" us in order to heal us.
1505 Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the
sick, but he makes their miseries his own: "He took our infirmities and bore our
diseases."[111] But he did not heal all the sick. His healings were signs of the coming of
the Kingdom of God. They announced a more radical healing: the victory over sin and
death through his Passover. On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of
evil and took away the "sin of the world,"[112] of which illness is only a consequence. By
his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can
henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion.
"Heal the sick . . ."
1506 Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn.[113]
By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the sick. Jesus associates
them with his own life of poverty and service. He makes them share in his ministry of
compassion and healing: "So they went out and preached that men should repent. And
they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed
them."[114]
1507 The risen Lord renews this mission ("In my name . . . they will lay their hands on
the sick, and they will recover."[115]) and confirms it through the signs that the Church
performs by invoking his name.[116] These signs demonstrate in a special way that Jesus
is truly "God who saves."[117]
1508 The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing[118] so as to make
manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord. But even the most intense prayers do
not always obtain the healing of all illnesses. Thus St. Paul must learn from the Lord that
"my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness," and that the
sufferings to be endured can mean that "in my flesh I complete what is lacking in
Christ's afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church."[119]
1509 "Heal the sick!"[120] The Church has received this charge from the Lord and
strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them with her
prayer of intercession. She believes in the life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of
souls and bodies. This presence is particularly active through the sacraments, and in an
altogether special way through the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life and that St.
Paul suggests is connected with bodily health.[121]
1510 However, the apostolic Church has its own rite for the sick, attested to by St.
James: "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders [presbyters] of the Church
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the
prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has
committed sins, he will be forgiven."[122] Tradition has recognized in this rite one of
the seven sacraments.[123]
A sacrament of the sick
1511 The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one
especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of
the Sick:
This sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper
sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is recommended
to the faithful and promulgated by James the apostle and brother of the Lord.[124]
1512 From ancient times in the liturgical traditions of both East and West, we have
testimonies to the practice of anointings of the sick with blessed oil. Over the centuries
the Anointing of the Sick was conferred more and more exclusively on those at the point
of death. Because of this it received the name "Extreme Unction." Notwithstanding this
evolution the liturgy has never failed to beg the Lord that the sick person may recover
his health if it would be conducive to his salvation.[125]
1513 The Apostolic Constitution Sacram unctionem infirmorum,[126] following upon
the Second Vatican Council,[127] established that henceforth, in the Roman Rite, the
following be observed:
The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given to those who are seriously ill by
anointing them on the forehead and hands with duly blessed oil - pressed from olives
or from other plants - saying, only once: "Through this holy anointing may the Lord in
his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees
you from sin save you and raise you up."[128]
II. WHO RECEIVES AND WHO ADMINISTERS
THIS SACRAMENT?
In case of grave illness . . .
1514 The Anointing of the Sick "is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point
of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from
sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly
already arrived."[129]
1515 If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case
of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the
person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to
receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for
the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.
" . . . let him call for the presbyters of the Church"
1516 Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the
Sick.[130] It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this
sacrament. The faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this
sacrament. The sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions,
assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround
the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention.
III. HOW IS THIS SACRAMENT CELEBRATED?
1517 Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal
celebration,[131] whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a
single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within
the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the
celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed
by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist
should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for "passing
over" to eternal life.
1518 Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. The Liturgy of the Word, preceded
by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. The words of Christ, the witness of the
apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the community to ask the Lord for
the strength of his Spirit.
1519 The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the
"priests of the Church"[132] - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in
the faith of the Church[133] - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then
anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop.
These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.
IV. THE EFFECTS OF THE CELEBRATION OF
THIS SACRAMENT
1520 A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. The first grace of this sacrament is one of
strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition
of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who
renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one,
the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death.[134] This assistance
from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of
the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will.[135] Furthermore, "if he has
committed sins, he will be forgiven."[136]
1521 Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person
receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion: in a
certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive
Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a
participation in the saving work of Jesus.
1522 An ecclesial grace. The sick who receive this sacrament, "by freely uniting
themselves to the passion and death of Christ," "contribute to the good of the People of
God."[137] By celebrating this sacrament the Church, in the communion of saints,
intercedes for the benefit of the sick person, and he, for his part, though the grace of this
sacrament, contributes to the sanctification of the Church and to the good of all men for
whom the Church suffers and offers herself through Christ to God the Father.
1523 A preparation for the final journey. If the sacrament of anointing of the sick is
given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity, even more rightly is it given to
those at the point of departing this life; so it is also called sacramentum exeuntium (the
sacrament of those departing).[138] The Anointing of the Sick completes our
conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It
completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: that of Baptism which
sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation which strengthened us for the combat
of this life. This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for
the final struggles before entering the Father's house.[139]
V. VIATICUM, THE LAST SACRAMENT OF THE
CHRISTIAN
1524 In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to
leave this life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood of Christ,
received at this moment of "passing over" to the Father, has a particular significance and
importance. It is the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection, according to the
words of the Lord: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I
will raise him up at the last day."[140] The sacrament of Christ once dead and now risen,
the Eucharist is here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to
the Father.[141]
1525 Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a
unity called "the sacraments of Christian initiation," so too it can be said that Penance,
the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of
Christian life "the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland" or the
sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage.
IN BRIEF
1526 "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith
will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he
will be forgiven" (Jas 5:14-15).
1527 The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special
grace on the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave
illness or old age.
1528 The proper time for receiving this holy anointing has certainly arrived when the
believer begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age.
1529 Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick,
and also when, after he has received it, the illness worsens.
1530 Only priests (presbyters and bishops) can give the sacrament of the Anointing of
the Sick, using oil blessed by the bishop, or if necessary by the celebrating presbyter
himself.
1531 The celebration of the Anointing of the Sick consists essentially in the anointing of
the forehead and hands of the sick person (in the Roman Rite) or of other parts of the
body (in the Eastern rite), the anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayer of
the celebrant asking for the special grace of this sacrament.
1532 The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:
- the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of
the whole Church;
- the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings
of illness or old age;
- the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the
sacrament of Penance;
- the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
- the preparation for passing over to eternal life.
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