ARTICLE I: ON THE NECESSITY OF CONFESSION

1356. Principles. - I. Sacramental Confession by divine law is necessary for all who after Baptism have fallen into mortal sin. See the arguments among the Dogmaticians.

II. It is necessary also by ecclesiastical law, at least once in the year, according to custom to be computed from Easter to Easter. See n. 547. 548. L. VI. 662.

1357. Questions. - Query 1° When does the divine precept of Confession urge?

Resp. 1° It certainly obliges per se in danger, and still more in the article, of death, and often in life. - The reason of the first is that all positive precepts oblige at least in the time of necessity; otherwise they would never oblige, and would be imposed in vain. The reason of the second is that affirmative precepts do not oblige only in extreme necessity, but also when their fulfillment is judged reasonably necessary.

Resp. 2° It often obliges per accidens, namely 1° when the Eucharist is to be received (n. 1306. II.); 2° when the precept of reconciling oneself with God urges, or the state of grace is required, e.g. for administering Sacraments, or for receiving those which are called of the living, and an act of perfect contrition is not elicited (n. 1223. q. 7°; n. 1241. I.; n. 1347. II.); 3° when a grave temptation or depraved habit cannot otherwise be overcome.

Query 2° Does the divine precept of Confession oblige immediately once sin has been committed; or at what time does it urge?

Resp. 1° It does not oblige immediately after sin. The reason is that such an obligation rests on no certain foundation.

Resp. 2° It cannot easily be determined how often in life and at what precise time the divine precept urges. Whatever be the case, without doubt he satisfies who confesses even only once in the year; because it is not established that the divine precept urges more often, and, according to the more common opinion and, as it seems, the more probable one, Christ left the time of the obligation to be determined by the Church.¹