Article I: On The Necessity Of Confession

Confession is prescribed both by divine law and by ecclesiastical law. Wherefore the following things are established:

1683. Principles. I. Sacramental confession, by DIVINE law, is NECESSARY for salvation for all who have fallen into mortal sin after Baptism. For it is of faith that confession is of divine institution (n. 1650).

Hence: 1. No baptized person can be saved after a grave fall unless he has at least the implicit desire of confessing; for no one can be saved unless he wishes to fulfill all the commands of God (cf. n. 1652).

2. Only the baptized who are guilty of mortal sin are bound, of themselves, to confession; for only mortal sins committed after Baptism are the necessary matter of the Sacrament of Penance. We say of themselves, because accidentally it can happen that those guilty only of venials are bound to confession, for example by reason of scandal which could arise in the time of precept; or by reason of danger of falling into presumption or into graver sins, especially as the danger of death approaches.

1684. This precept: 1. Obligates of itself in danger, and so much more in the article, of death; likewise, in foresight of some probable case which can afterwards take away the faculty of confessing, lest it happen that this precept is never fulfilled, and lest those things which by divine precept are necessary for salvation be neglected, among which sacramental confession is numbered. Thus he is bound to confess who is "entering a dangerous voyage or conflict; a delicate woman about to give birth for the first time, or one who is accustomed to have difficult births; one condemned to death; a sick person who has signs of natural death"; likewise a sinner, if he probably believes that he will no longer have the availability of a confessor through his whole life. But otherwise, if he fears only forgetfulness of sin.¹⁴

It is doubtful whether it obligates, of itself, more often in life. - St. Thomas, Scotus, and others deny it, because the sinner can be reconciled to God through contrition. - But the Salmanticenses, Croix, and others more commonly affirm it. And this seems more probable, because according to what was said concerning the similar precept, namely of Communion, since the precept is divine, Christ left it to be determined by the Church, which determined that it obliges at least once a year.¹⁵

2. It obligates accidentally: 1. if one about to receive the Eucharist is in mortal sin (cf. n. 1548); - 2. if it is necessary for overcoming a grave temptation, or for extirpating an evil habit; 3. if someone must be in the state of grace, for example for receiving or administering some Sacrament, and cannot elicit perfect contrition, or is not morally certain concerning it; - 4. if within a year one defiled by mortal sin does not become contrite; for he is bound to confess by reason of charity toward himself, lest he remain long in mortal sin; yet it is common that he is not bound immediately after sin.¹⁶ (cf. n. 1647.)

1685. II. The ECCLESIASTICAL precept, issued by the Fourth Lateran Council, sounds thus: "Every faithful person of either sex, after he has come to the years of discretion, shall faithfully confess all his sins at least once a year to his own priest, and shall strive according to his own strength to fulfill the penance enjoined on him." This precept was afterward confirmed by Trent in sess. 14, cap. 5.

It is said, 1. Every faithful person; it is understood, every baptized person, even a heretic or apostate, unless inability excuses them.¹⁷

It is said, 2. after he has come to the years, etc.; it is understood, one who has come to the knowledge of God, at least in a crude way, and has deserved eternal punishment for himself through mortal sin. Wherefore: 1. Children are bound by this precept, even before the seventh year, if, having already attained the use of reason, they have sinned gravely. In doubt, let them be absolved under condition, lest perhaps they remain in mortal sin and be deprived of sacramental grace. 2. Confessors err gravely who never absolve children committed to them before the age of first Communion; for one discretion suffices for sin and for confession, and another is required for Communion.¹⁸ Pope Pius IX openly reprobated this dangerous use prevailing in some places.¹⁹ (cf. n. 1663, q. 5, Rule II.)

It is said, 3. all his sins. Here the question is raised whether those who have not sinned mortally in that year are bound to confess within the year. Sylvester and others with St. Bonaventure affirm; but the common and truer opinion

denies it with St. Antoninus, Suarez, etc., because the Church, in prescribing confession, prescribes that confession which is to be made according to the institution of Jesus Christ. But the Lord prescribes only the confession of mortals, as Trent declared (sess. 14, cap. 5). And this very thing is deduced from the cited text Omnis utriusque; for by prescribing confession of all sins, it certainly understands the confession of mortals only, because it is certain among all that there is no obligation of confessing all venials.¹

It is said, 4. once a year. "This year properly ought to begin from January and end in December; but, according to common custom, it is taken from Easter to Easter."² Hence: 1. He who, when the time of Easter has already begun, foresees that he will not in the future have the convenience of confessing through the whole year, must anticipate confession, if he has sinned mortally, because he has already contracted the obligation. - 2. But he who has not satisfied the precept within the year, even involuntarily, is bound, from the more probable and more common opinion, to satisfy it as soon as possible in the following year; because the term is not set to end the obligation, but to urge it; and therefore, as often as he neglects an offered occasion, so often does he sin mortally, as Suarez, Lugo, etc., probably say; and the reason is that "that sin does not persevere in some effect, but only in an evil purpose, because of which sins are now multiplied when it endures for a long time."³ Yet the opposite opinion, which says there is one sin, is not to be contemned (cf. n. 328, Rule 2).

It is said, 5. shall faithfully confess; and therefore satisfaction is not made through an invalid confession, and much less through a sacrilegious one. For this reason, the 14th proposition, which said: "He who makes a voluntarily null confession satisfies the precept of the Church," was deservedly condemned by Alexander VII.⁴ Nor is satisfaction made, as Gousset rightly notes, by a confession in which absolution is not given; because reconciliation with God is prescribed, not a new accusation of sins.⁵

It is said, 6. to his own priest, namely to any approved priest.⁶ "One's own priest," says the Angelic Doctor,⁷ "is not only the parochial priest, but also the Bishop or Pope; hence he who has confessed to his Bishop, or to someone holding his place, has confessed to his own priest." And the S. C. of Bishops declared in the year 1584 that if a Bishop ordered that no Confessor at Easter hear the confessions of penitents without license of the Curate, no account was to be taken of such a decree.⁸

1686. Questions. Q. 1. Who are EXCUSED from the precept of confession?

Resp. The following are excused: 1. those who are in physical inability; for example, those who do not have the availability of a confessor, or those who are absolutely ignorant of the confessor's language; 2. those who are in moral inability, for example those who prudently fear revelation of the seal, or who cannot confess without notable inconvenience of life, fortune, etc. But once the cause has been removed, they are bound as soon as possible to fulfill the precept. - The sick, to whom a confessor can be called, are not excused.⁹

Q. 2. Whether a penitent who in the following year confesses the sins of the past year satisfies the precept of both years?

Resp. Some affirm, but others deny. Yet the truer opinion thus distinguishes: 1. If he confesses the mortal sins both of the past and of the present year, he satisfies both obligations; because he fulfills the whole end of the precept, which is reconciliation with God. 2. If he confesses only the grave sins of the past year, for example because in the current year he has only venials, he satisfies only for the past year. - Hence, if after the confession has been made he falls into mortal sins, he is bound to confess again, so that he may satisfy the precept of the present year.¹⁰

Q. 3. What are the PENALTIES imposed upon transgressors?

Resp. In the chapter Omnis utriusque it is thus sanctioned: "Otherwise, while living, let him be barred from entrance into the church, and, dying, let him lack Christian burial." But those penalties are not incurred except after the sentence of the judge. The prepubescent are universally excused, from the common interpretation of the Doctors.¹¹

Note. Several Doctors say that Religious and Nuns are bound under grave obligation to make confession EVERY MONTH, even if they are not subject to grave sins, from the Clementine Ne in agro, § Sane. De statu monach. - But more commonly it is taught that this is not grave, unless it is clear that the constitutions of the Religion oblige under grave obligation. Indeed Suarez says that the aforesaid decree does not import a precept, but only counsel. And Trent, sess. 25, cap. 10, intimates the same thing both for confession and also for Communion.¹²