People knew long before Vatican II that someone in a state of mortal sin who was unable to receive the sacrament of Penance would be saved if he was repentant. The Penny Catechism asked (question 294) “What special value has perfect contrition?” and the answer was:
“Perfect contrition has this special value: that by it our sins are forgiven immediately, even before we confess them; but nevertheless, if they are serious, we are strictly bound to confess them afterwards.”If the reason for a person’s being unable to celebrate the sacrament of Penance properly is that the priest did not feel obliged to use the essential form given by the Church, it is he who will answer to God for it, not the penitent.
We do not have to be immaculate to make an act of perfect contrition; the word “perfect” refers to the motive not to the sanctity of the person praying. “Perfect contrition” simply means that in our repentance we are motivated by the love of God rather than fear or disgust for sin. In modern terms it means that we are sorry because we have let God down, not simply because we have let ourselves down.
If we use one of the popular acts of contrition and say the words sincerely, or if we use our own words to express our love for God and sorrow for having offended Him, then we may be sure that He forgives our sins. With serious sins, we must resolve to make a sacramental confession so that we are reconciled with God and the Church, and can return to Holy Communion with a clear conscience. The celebration of the sacrament also brings us many graces and assists us in our daily conversion of life; its frequent use is a powerful means of growing in the love of God.
Catholic Dilemmas column published in the Catholic Herald
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6 comments:
Can you clarify this for me: if I make a perfect act of contrition and resolve to go to Confession (and am therefore forgiven), may I receive the Eucharist or do I have to wait until I go to confession to receive?
I am so grateful that when I was a schoolboy we actually learned the answers found in the "penny" catechism.
We learned an act of "perfect" contrition. From memory it goes:-
"O my God, because you are so good, I am very sorry that I have ever sinned against you and by the help of your grace, I will not sin again"
Brian - in the case of a mortal sin, absolution, seen as a juridical sentence, re-admits a person to Holy Communion. In normal circumstances, after mortal sin, we should wait until receiving sacramental absolution before receiving Holy Communion.
The exception is where a person's reputation may suffer in the external forum, in which case they may make a perfect act of contrition and receive Holy Communion. In such a case, the person should make a sacramental confession as soon as reasonably possible.
I thought it was almost impossible for an average person to make an act of perfect contrition because you have to be free of all attachment to sin. Which seems only a saint could be so holy.
Or am I confusing a plenary indulgence?
You have to be free of all attachment to sin to gain a plenary indulgence. I have written about this before: Plenary indulgences not impossible.
For an act of perfect contrition, it is required that the motive be out of the love of God. You do not have to be a saint or to "be perfect." Again I think that it is not impossible for the average person to make such a prayer.
Thank you Fr. I am beginning to sort it out.
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