Chapter III — On the virtue of penance

I. QUESTION I. What is penance taken generally? ANSWER. The word penance extends widely. First, it signifies grief for anything whatsoever, whether good or evil, which a man would wish otherwise. Second, it is a grief conceived for a crime perpetrated, not for God's sake but for one's own, such as was the grief of Esau. Third, it is grief for sin, for this reason, that it is an offence of God.

II. Three things among theologians penance includes. First, a repentance of and a change from the former life. Second, a grief for and detestation of the same life. Third, a punishment which the sinner imposes upon himself, or willingly bears when imposed upon him, that he may satisfy God.

III. One penance is true, which is an inward grief of soul for a sin perpetrated, conceived for God's sake, with a detestation of the past and a purpose of a better life, joined with a deliberation of satisfying. The other is false, by which a man is afflicted not for God's sake but for his own — suppose because sins generate infamy or temporal loss. Again, one true penance is interior, which is the virtue of penance already described; the other exterior, which is the sacrament itself of the new law instituted by Christ.

IV. Penance is a true virtue. Since those things which are commanded by God pertain to virtue. But penance is frequently commanded by God, Matthew 3: Do penance. … Bring forth fruit worthy of penance. Again, Luke 6: Do penance. See St. Thomas, III, q. 85, art. 1.

V. This virtue of penance is infused, as is gathered from the holy Scriptures, and Trent defined, session 6, canon 3: If anyone shall say that without the preventing inspiration of the Holy Ghost and his help a man can believe, hope, love, or repent as he ought, that the grace of justification may be conferred upon him, let him be anathema. This virtue of penance was at every time necessary to those who had sinned, with the necessity of means and of divine precept, as Trent defined, session 14, chapter 1.

VI. QUESTION II. By how many degrees is one to arrive at the virtue of penance? ANSWER. Six are numbered by theologians. First, God's operation converting us. Second, the motion of faith. Third, the motion of servile fear. Fourth, the motion of hope. Fifth, the motion of charity. Sixth, the motion of filial fear. Which doctrine St. Thomas explains, III, q. 85, art. 5, and Trent, session 6, chapter 6.

VII. QUESTION III. What are the effects of penance? ANSWER. First, it is the remission of all sins. Second, it is the remission of eternal punishment. The temporal punishment nevertheless is not always wholly remitted. Venial sins also are remitted. Sins once remitted by penance do not absolutely and simply revive through a subsequent sin perpetrated after penance. They return nevertheless in a certain respect, says St. Thomas, III, q. 88, art. 1, inasmuch as they are contained virtually in the subsequent sin. Wherefore the malice of the subsequent sin is so much the graver, the more and the more heinous were the sins remitted by penance. Through penance we also recover the virtues lost, not nevertheless always in an equal degree, but according to the greater or lesser fervour of the penitent.