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By the
mercy of God, the Father who reconciles us to himself, the Word took
flesh in the spotless womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary to save "his
people from their sins" (Mt 1:21) and to open for them "the way of
eternal salvation" (Roman Missal,Advent Preface I). By
identifying Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world" (Jn 1:29), Saint John the Baptist confirms this mission. In all
his deeds and preaching, the Precursor issues a fervent and energetic
summons to repentance and conversion, the sign of which is the baptism
administered in the waters of the Jordan. Jesus himself underwent this
penitential rite (cf. Mt 3:13-17), not because he had sinned, but
because "he allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already
'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' (Jn 1:29);
already he is anticipating the 'baptism' of his bloody death" (Catechism
of the Catholic Church,536).
Salvation is therefore and above all redemption from sin, which
hinders friendship with God, a liberation from the state of slavery in
which man finds himself ever since he succumbed to the temptation of
the Evil One and lost the freedom of the children of God (cf. Rom
8:21).
Christ
entrusts to the Apostles the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God
and preaching the Gospel of conversion (cf. Mk 16:15; Mt 28:18-20). On
the evening of the day of his Resurrection, as the apostolic mission
is about to begin, Jesus grants the Apostles, through the power of the
Holy Spirit, the authority to reconcile repentant sinners with God and
the Church: "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 20:22-23) (Cf. Ecumenical Council of Trent, Session XIV, De
Sacramento Paenitentiae, can. 3: DS 1703).
Celebration of Sacrament entails action of both minister and penitent
Down
through history in the constant practice of the Church, the "ministry
of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:18), conferred through the Sacraments of
Baptism and Penance, has always been seen as an essential and highly
esteemed pastoral duty of the priestly ministry, performed in
obedience to the command of Jesus. Through the centuries, the
celebration of the Sacrament of Penance has developed in different
forms, but it has always kept the same basic structure: it necessarily
entails not only the action of the minister — only a Bishop or priest,
who judges and absolves, tends and heals in the name of Christ — but
also the actions of the penitent: contrition, confession and
satisfaction.
I wrote
in my Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte: "I am asking
for renewed pastoral courage in ensuring that the day-to-day teaching
of Christian communities persuasively and effectively presents the
practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As you will recall, in
1984 I dealt with this subject in the Post-Synodal Exhortation
Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, which synthesized the results of a
General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops devoted to this question. My
invitation then was to make every effort to face the crisis of 'the
sense of sin' apparent in today's culture. But I was even more
insistent in calling for a rediscovery of Christ as mysterium
pietatis, the one in whom God shows us his compassionate heart
and reconciles us fully with himself. It is this face of Christ that
must be rediscovered through the Sacrament of Penance, which for the
faithful is 'the ordinary way of obtaining forgiveness and the
remission of serious sins committed after Baptism'. When the Synod
addressed the problem, the crisis of the Sacrament was there for all
to see, especially in some parts of the world. The causes of the
crisis have not disappeared in the brief span of time since then. But
the Jubilee Year, which has been particularly marked by a return to
the Sacrament of Penance, has given us an encouraging message, which
should not be ignored: if many people, and among them also many young
people, have benefited from approaching this Sacrament, it is probably
necessary that Pastors should arm themselves with more confidence,
creativity and perseverance in presenting it and leading people to
appreciate it" (No. 37: AAS 93 (2001) 292).
Revitalization of Sacrament of Penance
With
these words, I intended, as I do now, to encourage my Brother Bishops
and earnestly appeal to them — and, through them, to all priests — to
undertake a vigorous revitalization of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. This is a requirement of genuine charity and true
pastoral justice (Cf. Code of Canon Law, Cans. 213 and 843 §
1), and we should remember that the faithful, when they have the
proper interior dispositions, have the right to receive personally the
sacramental gift.
Confession is necessary, even indispensable
In
order that the minister of the Sacrament may know the dispositions of
penitents with a view to granting or withholding absolution and
imposing a suitable penance, it is necessary that the faithful, as
well as being aware of the sins they have committed, of being sorry
for them and resolved not to fall into them again (Cf. Ecumenical
Council of Trent, Session XIV, Doctrina de Sacramento
Paenitentiae, Chap. 4: DS 1676), should also confess
their sins. In this sense, the Council of Trent declared that it is
necessary "by divine decree to confess each and every mortal sin" (Ibid.,
Can. 7: DS 1707). The Church has always seen an essential
link between the judgement entrusted to the priest in the Sacrament
and the need for penitents to name their own sins (Ibid.,
Chap. 5: DS 1679; Ecumenical Council of Florence, Decree
for the Armenians (22 November 1439): DS 1323), except
where this is not possible. Since, therefore, the integral confession
of serious sins is by divine decree a constitutive part of the
Sacrament, it is in no way subject to the discretion of pastors
(dispensation, interpretation, local customs, etc.). In the relevant
disciplinary norms, the competent ecclesiastical authority merely
indicates the criteria for distinguishing a real impossibility of
confessing one's sins from other situations in which the impossibility
is only apparent or can be surmounted.
In the
present circumstances of the care of souls and responding to the
concerned requests of many Brothers in the Episcopate, I consider it
useful to recall some of the canonical laws in force regarding the
celebration of this Sacrament and clarify certain aspects of them — in
a spirit of communion with the responsibility proper to the entire
Episcopate (Cf. Can. 392; Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, Nos. 23, 27; Decree
on the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops Christus Dominus, No. 16)
with a view to a better administration of the Sacrament. It is a
question of ensuring an ever more faithful, and thus more fruitful,
celebration of the gift entrusted to the Church by the Lord Jesus
after his Resurrection (cf. Jn 20:19-23). This seems especially
necessary, given that in some places there has been a tendency to
abandon individual confession and wrongly to resort to "general" or
"communal" absolution. In this case general absolution is no longer
seen as an extraordinary means to be used in wholly exceptional
situations. On the basis of an arbitrary extension of the conditions
required for grave necessity (Cf. Can. 961, § 1, 2), in
practice there is a lessening of fidelity to the divine configuration
of the Sacrament, and specifically regarding the need for individual
confession, with consequent serious harm to the spiritual life of the
faithful and to the holiness of the Church.
1.
Teaching on: Norms for ordinary administration of Sacrament
Thus,
after consultation with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments, and the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, and
after hearing the views of venerable Brother Cardinals in charge of
the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, and reaffirming Catholic doctrine
on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation as summarized in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Cf. Nos. 980-987; 1114-1134;
1420-1498), conscious of my pastoral responsibility and fully
aware of the need for this Sacrament and of its enduring efficacy, I
decree the following:
1.
Ordinaries are to remind all the ministers of the Sacrament of Penance
that the universal law of the Church, applying Catholic doctrine in
this area, has established that:
a) "Individual and integral
confession and absolution are the sole ordinary means by which the
faithful, conscious of grave sin, are reconciled with God and the
Church; only physical or moral impossibility excuses from such
confession, in which case reconciliation can be obtained in other
ways" (Can. 960).
b) Therefore, "all those of
whom it is required by virtue of their ministry in the care of souls
are obliged to ensure that the confessions of the faithful entrusted
to them are heard when they reasonably ask, and that they are given
the opportunity to approach individual confession, on days and at
times set down for their convenience" (Can. 986, § 1).
Moreover, all priests with faculties to administer the Sacrament of
Penance are always to show themselves wholeheartedly disposed to
administer it whenever the faithful make a reasonable request (Cf.
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of
Priests Presbyterorum Ordinis, 13; Ordo Paenitentiae,
editio typica, 1974, Praenotanda, No. 10, b). An
unwillingness to welcome the wounded sheep, and even to go out to them
in order to bring them back into the fold, would be a sad sign of a
lack of pastoral sensibility in those who, by priestly Ordination,
must reflect the image of the Good Shepherd.
2.
Local Ordinaries, and parish priests and rectors of churches and
shrines, should periodically verify that the greatest possible
provision is in fact being made for the faithful to confess their
sins. It is particularly recommended that in places of worship
confessors be visibly present at the advertized times, that these
times be adapted to the real circumstances of penitents, and that
confessions be especially available before Masses, and even during
Mass if there are other priests available, in order to meet the needs
of the faithful (Cf. Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments, Responsa ad dubia proposita:
Notitiae, 37 (2001) 259-260).
3.
Since "the faithful are obliged to confess, according to kind and
number, all grave sins committed after Baptism of which they are
conscious after careful examination and which have not yet been
directly remitted by the Church's power of the keys, nor acknowledged
in individual confession" (Can. 988, § 1), any practice which
restricts confession to a generic accusation of sin or of only one or
two sins judged to be more important is to be reproved. Indeed, in
view of the fact that all the faithful are called to holiness, it is
recommended that they confess venial sins also (Cf. Can. 988, § 2:
John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et
Paenitentia (2 December 1984), 32: AAS 77 (1985) 267;
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1458).
2.
Teaching on: two norms for extraordinary administration of Sacrament
(general absolution)
4. In
the light of and within the framework of the above norms, the
absolution of a number of penitents at once without previous
confession, as envisaged by Can. 961 of the Code of Canon Law, is to
be correctly understood and administered. Such absolution is in fact
"exceptional in character" (John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (2 December 1984),
32: AAS 77 (1985) 267) and "cannot be imparted in a general
manner unless:
1.
the danger of death is imminent and there is not time for the
priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents;
2. a
grave necessity exists, that is, when in light of the number of
penitents a supply of confessors is not readily available to hear the
confessions of individuals in an appropriate way within an appropriate
time, so that the penitents would be deprived of sacramental grace or
Holy Communion for a long time through no fault of their own; it is
not considered sufficient necessity if confessors cannot be readily
available only because of the great number of penitents, as can occur
on the occasion of some great feast or pilgrimage" (Can. 961, § 1).
3.
Grave necessity
With
reference to the case of grave necessity, the following
clarification is made:
Objective necessity
a) It refers to situations
which are objectively exceptional, such as can occur in mission
territories or in isolated communities of the faithful, where the
priest can visit only once or very few times a year, or when war or
weather conditions or similar factors permit.
Reasonable and appropriate way, "for a long time"
b) The two conditions set
down in the Canon to determine grave necessity are inseparable.
Therefore, it is never just a question of whether individuals can have
their confession heard "in an appropriate way" and "within an
appropriate time" because of the shortage of priests; this must be
combined with the fact that penitents would otherwise be forced to
remain deprived of sacramental grace "for a long time", through no
fault of their own. Therefore, account must be taken of the overall
circumstances of the penitents and of the Diocese, in what refers to
its pastoral organization and the possibility of the faithful having
access to the Sacrament of Penance.
Appropriate way and time
c) The first condition, the
impossibility of hearing confessions "in an appropriate way" "within
an appropriate time", refers only to the time reasonably required for
the elements of a valid and worthy celebration of the Sacrament. It is
not a question here of a more extended pastoral conversation, which
can be left to more favourable circumstances. The reasonable and
appropriate time within which confessions can be heard will depend
upon the real possibilities of the confessor or confessors, and of the
penitents themselves.
"Long time" has to be long
d) The second condition
calls for a prudential judgement in order to assess how long penitents
can be deprived of sacramental grace for there to be a true
impossibility as described in Can. 960, presuming that there is no
imminent danger of death. Such a judgement is not prudential if it
distorts the sense of physical or moral impossibility, as would be the
case, for example, if it was thought that a period of less than a
month means remaining "for a long time" in such a state of privation.
No contrived situations of "grave necessity"
e) It is not acceptable to
contrive or to allow the contrivance of situations of apparent
grave necessity, resulting from not administering the Sacrament
in the ordinary way through a failure to implement the above mentioned
norms (Cf. above Nos. 1 and 2), and still less because of penitents'
preference for general absolution, as if this were a normal option
equivalent to the two ordinary forms set out in the Ritual.
f) The large number of
penitents gathered on the occasion of a great feast or pilgrimage, or
for reasons of tourism or because of today's increased mobility of
people, does not in itself constitute sufficient necessity.
Local
Bishop judges but uses criteria agreed upon by Bishops' Conference
5.
Judgement as to whether there exist the conditions required by Can.
961 §1, 2 is not a matter for the confessor but for "the diocesan
Bishop who can determine cases of such necessity in the light of
criteria agreed upon with other members of the Episcopal Conference"
(Can. 961, § 2). These pastoral criteria must embody the pursuit of
total fidelity, in the circumstances of their respective territories,
to the fundamental criteria found in the universal discipline of the
Church, which are themselves based upon the requirements deriving from
the Sacrament of Penance itself as a divine institution.
6.
Given the fundamental importance of full harmony among the Bishops'
Conferences of the world in a matter so essential to the life of the
Church, the various Conferences, observing Can. 455 § 2 of the Code
of Canon Law, shall send as soon as possible to the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments the text of the
norms which they intend to issue or update in the light of this
Motu Proprio on the application of Can. 961. This will help to
foster an ever greater communion among the Bishops of the Church as
they encourage the faithful everywhere to draw abundantly from the
foun tains of divine mercy which flow unceasingly in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
In this
perspective of communion it will also be appropriate for Diocesan
Bishops to inform their respective Bishops' Conferences whether or not
cases of grave necessity have occurred in their
jurisdictions. It will then be the task of each Conference to inform
the above-mentioned Congregation about the real situation in their
regions and about any changes subsequently taking place.
Personal dispositions of penitent
7. As
regards the personal disposition of penitents, it should be reiterated
that:
a) "For the faithful to
avail themselves
validly
of sacramental absolution given to many at one time, it is required
that they not only be suitably disposed but also at the same time
intend to confess individually the serious sins which at present
cannot be so confessed" (Can. 962, § 1).
b) As far as possible,
including cases of imminent danger of death, there should be a
preliminary exhortation to the faithful "that each person take care to
make an act of contrition" (Can. 962, § 2).
c) It is clear that
penitents living in a habitual state of serious sin and who do not
intend to change their situation cannot validly receive absolution.
8. The
obligation "to confess serious sins at least once a year" (Can. 989)
remains, and therefore "a person who has had serious sins remitted by
general absolution is to approach individual confession as soon as
there is an opportunity to do so before receiving another general
absolution, unless a just cause intervenes" (Can. 963).
9.
Concerning the place and confessional for the
celebration of the Sacrament, it should be remembered that:
a) "the proper place to
hear sacramental confessions is a church or an oratory" (Can 964, §
1), though it remains clear that pastoral reasons can justify
celebrating the Sacrament in other places (Cf. Can. 964 § 3).
b) confessionals are
regulated by the norms issued by the respective Episcopal Conferences,
who shall ensure that confessionals are located "in an open area" and
have "a fixed grille", so as to permit the faithful and confessors
themselves who may wish to make use of them to do so freely
(Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts,
Responsa ad propositum dubium: de loco excipiendi sacramentales
confessiones (7 July 1998): AAS 90 (1998) 711).
I decree that everything I have set down in this Apostolic Letter
issued Motu Proprio shall have full and lasting force and be
observed from this day forth, notwithstanding any provisions to the
contrary. All that I have decreed in this Letter is, by its nature,
valid for the venerable Oriental Catholic Churches in conformity with
the respective Canons of their own Code.
Given
in Rome, at Saint Peter's, on 7 April, the Second Sunday of Easter,
the Feast of Divine Mercy, in the year of our Lord 2002, the
twenty-fourth of my Pontificate.
John Paul II
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