Reconciliation or Confession/Penance

Confession is one of the sacraments of healing.

Confession is the voluntary disclosure of one's sins to a priest. For this, one has to prepare and remember one's sins, be sincerely repentant of the sins, make one's mind up to not sin again, and disclose the sins to a priest. The person also has to receive the penance to obtain absolution of the sins.

Valid Confession: Report of a class on Valid Confession

As Catholics, we are bound to make valid confessions at least annually. Without knowing what constitutes a valid confession, it may not be possible to receive absolution for one's sins. Although the concept of a valid confession is simple, not knowing it can lead to a false confession, denying one of God's forgiveness.

A two-hour class on "Valid Confession" was held at the St Thomas Forane Church, Dharmaram Campus, Bangalore on Sunday, 4th April, 2004. It was part of the community's preparation for the Holy Week. Fr Thomas Panackal conducted the session, which was followed by a one-hour adoration of the Holy Eucharist.

The class included the following topics: Why should one confess? Why should one make the confession to a priest? Who absolves one's sins? Why are confessions made one person at a time? When does a confession become false? How to prepare for and say a valid confession? Why should one do the penance?

Why should we confess? (The importance of confession)

Jesus promised that the sins of those who repent and sincerely promise to not sin again shall be forgiven. Therefore, through a confession, we sincerely regret and repent our wrongdoings, and ask for God's forgiveness and perform the atonement (penance) we are asked for.

What does it take to get absolution?

As said above, the only conditions to get God's forgiveness are repentance of one's sins and a strong decision to not sin again.

In this context, it is very important to dismiss some of the misconceptions about confession. Non-Christians, and sometimes even Christians, mischievously say that it is very easy or lucky for one to be a Christian or Catholic because one just has to make a confession after committing sins, and one can continue committing offences ahead of further confessions. This is an utterly mistaken conclusion, and whoever propagates this perception is misleading others.

A confession for the sake of it does not entail absolution of one's sins because it lacks in the two most important pre-requisites -- repentance of one's sins and a strong decision to abstain from all wrongdoings. According to Fr Thomas, if or not a person might sin later does not matter as much as it does as regards if or not the person sincerely repents and takes a resolve to not commit the sins again.

Thus, to conclude: To receive God's forgiveness of one's sins, while making confession, one must honestly repent one's sins and sincerely pledge to reject all evil ways in future.

Why should one confess to a priest?

The Old Testament speaks of representatives in society who were authorized to hear confessions. In the New Testament, Jesus authorizes his disciples to absolve sins (Jn 20: 23). Thus, priests are the representatives who can hear the confessions and pray for God's forgiveness.

Who absolves one's sins?

It is God Himself, not the priest, who absolves sins. The priest is a representative, and asks for God's forgiveness of one's sins.

Why are confessions made one person at a time?

The answer Fr Thomas gave was very interesting. In the early centuries, people would confess their sins openly at gatherings. This led to several problems, with some people looking down upon others, some rejecting the company of some others. Thus, it was decided later that people would confess to a representative one person at a time.

Also, Fr Thomas re-iterated the Church's strong and unyielding commitment that a priest shall always uphold the secrecy of confession, and shall never disclose it to anyone even under the worst possible influence.

When does a confession become false?

To make a valid confession, one must know when a confession becomes invalid, in which case it is called a false confession.

A confession becomes false when:

• One conceals one's sins and does not confess them.
• One understates the number of sins or lessens the gravity of sins.
• One deliberately makes the sins vague or unclear to the priest.

One must avoid all of the above mistakes to make one's confession valid. If one can recollect having committed any of the above lapses, one must immediately confess the same.

Another context:

Fr Thomas referred to another particular instance: A person, without being aware of the seriousness, commits a wrongdoing. He/she confesses it with only as much seriousness as he/she thinks it has. (remember, lessening the gravity of sins.) Later in life, the person realizes that the mistake carried more seriousness. Should the person now confess the sin again disclosing its real seriousness?

The answer Fr Thomas gave was 'No'. Because at the time of confession, the person sincerely told his/her sin without deliberately lessening its seriousness. If he/she sincerely repented the mistake and wished to not repeat it, he/she was absolved of the wrongdoing.

How to prepare for and say a valid confession?

To make a valid confession, one must:

• Pray for sometime before the confession.
• Think of all sins, even the number of times one committed those sins.
• While beside the priest: first tell when one had the last confession; then confess each sin clearly, mentioning the number of times also.
• Remain beside the priest when he prays for absolution of the sins.
• Listen to the penance that the priest says.
• Do the penance one is asked to do.

Why should one receive the penance?

The penance is required to reconcile with God after one has strayed away from God because of one's sins.

*** This report is on a class on Valid Confession by Fr Thomas Panackal. ***

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