Article I: On Penance As It Is A Virtue

1644. DEFINITION. Penance is "a virtue tending to the destruction of sin, insofar as it is an offense of God, by means of sorrow and satisfaction."¹⁴

It is called a virtue, namely one which is referred to justice as a potential part, and is supernatural, as is clear from Trent, which teaches (sess. 6, can. 3) that without the grace of God man cannot repent as he ought; - tending to the destruction of sin, by which words the MATERIAL Object of penance is expressed, namely every sin, both mortal and venial, as to be destroyed or avoided; insofar as it is an offense of God, by which its FORMAL Object is shown, which is the reparation of the injured right of the divine Majesty; wherefore, he does not rightly repent who indeed sorrows for his sin, but without respect to the offense of God; by means of sorrow and satisfaction, which are the acts by which penance obtains its end, that is, peace with God. Moreover, sorrow for sin and detestation of it, with the desire of making satisfaction and the purpose of not sinning thereafter, pertains to the very essence of penance. - Nor therefore does a simple purpose of beginning a better life suffice; in this Luther erred, who affirmed that penance is contained in novelty of life alone, or reconsideration.¹⁵

DIVISION. Penance can tend to the destruction of sin in a twofold way: 1. through an act of perfect sorrow, which is also called contrition, and is detestation of sin from the motive of perfect charity, by which God is loved above all things; 2. through an act of imperfect sorrow, which is also called attrition, and is detestation of sin from motives of an inferior order, for example from fear of eternal punishment.

1645. Principles. I. Through true penance ALL SINS can be destroyed. - This is of faith from Trent, sess. VI, cap. 14, and sess. XIV, cap. 1. But true penance, through which sins, whether mortal or venial, ARE REMITTED, is either perfect contrition, even outside the Sacrament, yet with the desire, at least implicit, of receiving it; or attrition, with real reception of the Sacrament. These things will be expounded more fully below (n. 1673). - Concerning the other effects of penance it will be said more conveniently where the effects of the Sacrament are treated (n. 1653).¹⁶

1646. II. Penance is altogether NECESSARY for all men who have defiled themselves with some mortal sin, in order to obtain grace and justice. This is of faith, from Trent (loc. cit.). But it is necessary: 1. BY NECESSITY OF MEANS: for since the offense of mortal sin proceeds from this, that the will of man is turned away from God through a turning toward some changeable good, it cannot be that the offense be remitted unless the will, through a true change, turns itself again to God, with detestation of the turning it had toward a changeable good, and with the purpose of amendment; both of which pertain to the notion of penance. - 2. BY NECESSITY OF PRECEPT, both natural, by which each one is bound to make satisfaction for an injury inflicted and to seek again the divine friendship, and positive, often mentioned in the sacred writings. St. Thomas suitably says to the point:¹⁷ "By natural reason man is moved to repent concerning the evils which he has done; but that man do penance in this or that way is from divine institution."

Nor yet is penance so necessary that it is always required explicitly; for accidentally implicit and virtual penance can suffice, such as is contained in an act of perfect love of God, for example if someone, forgetful of his sin, elicits an act of perfect charity.¹

1647. Questions. Q. 1. WHEN does the aforesaid precept of penance oblige?

Resp. The precept of reconciling oneself with God through penance obliges: 1. of itself in the article, or in probable danger, of death or of perpetual insanity, because then no other time is available for doing penance; 2. accidentally, when one who has fallen into mortal sin must administer a Sacrament, or receive some Sacrament of the living; likewise, when he suffers grave temptations which he judges himself unable to resist unless he elicits an act of contrition; - finally, when he is bound to elicit an act of charity toward God; for then, if the memory of sin occurs, he is bound to detest it. - But the precept of sanctifying Feasts does not import an obligation of contrition.²

Q. 2. Whether the precept of penance, outside danger of death or insanity, ever obliges OF ITSELF, so that its delay involves a special sin?

Resp. Many authors indeed affirm; but the denying opinion is probable, because, apart from a positive precept, for example annual confession, the time of penance is not determined, although it ought to be determined of itself by reason of an affirmative precept. - Hence St. Thomas teaches³ that final impenitence is not a special sin.

But accidentally, certainly he sins gravely who, existing in mortal sin, delays and procrastinates his conversion for a notable time; because he violates at least the precept of charity both toward God and toward himself, since St. Thomas teaches⁴ that it cannot be that a man without justifying grace keeps himself immune from new sin for a long time. - Hence, a delay of one month seems grave to St. Alphonsus, who adds: "Yet it is true that the rude with difficulty notice that obligation."⁵ (cf. 472, q. 2).

1648. Things to be noted beforehand. 1. Venial sin is never remitted in those contaminated by mortal sin; for the remission of any fault is founded in the friendship of God and in sanctifying grace. Hence the guilt of those venial sins will inhere in the damned eternally.

2. The remission of mortal sin can occur without the remission of venials; for venial sin does not conflict with sanctifying grace.

3. One venial sin can be remitted without other venials, namely if a man truly sorrows for one, and not for the rest. The contrary must be said of mortal sins, all of which conflict with habitual grace.

Questions. - Q. 1. Whether penance is required for the remission of venial sin?

Resp. Venial sin is never remitted without penance, whether formal, that is, express and explicit, or virtual and implicit, namely one which is contained in some supernatural act. - This is clear both from Sacred Scripture, which universally requires penance for the abolition of any sin; and from the Doctors expressly affirming this;⁶ and finally from reason itself, which sanctions that he who sinned by his own will should not obtain pardon unless by his own will through penance he withdraws from sin.

Q. 2. What penance is required for the remission of venial sin EX OPERE OPERANTIS, or outside the Sacrament?

Resp. Several things must be distinguished: 1. If someone is guilty of mortal and venial sin at the same time, perfect contrition is required, which takes away both, as is gathered from the things noted beforehand. Yet not every act of contrition or charity takes away all venials, but only those to which it is opposed formally, or at least virtually. Hence the full remission of all venials is obtained only when the act of charity generally excludes affection for all venials, or when someone is so disposed that he wishes never to admit any venial sin, and sorrows, or would sorrow if it occurred to memory, for any one admitted. Thus commonly (cf. n. 471, 2).

2. If someone is guilty only of venials, an act of charity or of perfect contrition does not seem to be required; but more probably a motion of imperfect contrition suffices, for example prayer, by which pardon is humbly implored, or an act of some virtue which is repugnant to venial fault, or detestation of venials proceeding from consideration of their supernatural turpitude, for example because they are against the obedience owed to God, or elicited from the motive of hope. The reason is that, since venial sin conflicts neither with charity nor with habitual grace, it suffices that the disordered adhesion to a creature be removed from some supernatural motive and from a motion of actual grace.⁷

Q. 3. What penance is required for the remission of venial sin EX OPERE OPERATO, or through a Sacrament?

Resp. Distinguish. Remission can be obtained either in the Sacrament of Penance, or in other Sacraments. Now:

1. In the Sacrament of Penance, formal sorrow is required,⁸ so that the matter of the Sacrament be present (cf. n. 1659). But through this Sacrament are also remitted, more probably, venials involuntarily omitted,⁹ concerning which there is no formal or virtual complacency; for by the force of absolution, to which no obstacle is placed, there is conferred an increase of grace which of itself is remissive of sin; and besides, either in part or wholly, the punishment due to venials is remitted, if any remains.

2. In other Sacraments the matter proceeds otherwise. For: - 1. Baptism remits venials joined with original sin or with actual mortal sins, provided no obstacle is placed to this remission, that is, provided there is not a will actually or habitually adhering to venial sin. Thus commonly with St. Thomas.¹⁰ - 2. Extreme Unction likewise remits, according to a probable opinion, all venials, if they have in some way been retracted; for this Sacrament also was instituted to take away sins, as we shall see below (n. 1873). - 3. The Eucharist gives, ex opere operato, actual grace for exciting fervor, by which the just man obtains remission of venials (cf. n. 1513, 1). And the Sacrifice of the Mass produces this same effect, but only by way of impetration (n. 1591, 1). - 4. Whether other Sacraments also have a special power for the remission of venials is indeed uncertain, but the affirming opinion is more probable.

How venial sins are remitted through SACRAMENTALS, see what was said at n. 1441.