Article II: On The Conditions Of Confession

1687. There are four conditions of confession, namely: it must be VOCAL, SECRET, TRUE, and INTEGRAL.¹³ A few things must be said about the first three conditions; but more about the fourth.

I. Confession must be VOCAL, that is, it must not be made in writing or by sign, but by the voice of the penitent himself, as is clear both from the common use of the Church and from the Bull of Benedict XI Inter cunctas, in which (§ 1) it is said: "Unless an article of necessity occurs, confession of the mouth must be made to the priest." - Except if there is a grave cause, for example excessive and extraordinary shame, or an impeded tongue, and things of this sort; because in such a case it suffices, after the confessor has read the confession, that the penitent say: "I accuse myself of all these sins." Thus commonly.¹⁴

Let it be noted: 1. He who cannot confess by voice, for example a mute, is bound at least to confess by signs or writing as often as he can do so conveniently and without danger. The reason is that he who is bound to an end is also bound to means that are not difficult.¹⁵ And thus teaches the more probable and common opinion with St. Thomas.¹⁶ - 2. He who without grave cause makes the whole confession by nod or in writing sins mortally, and consequently is not absolved, unless good faith excuses him.¹⁷

1688. II. Confession must be SECRET, or auricular, that is, made to the priest alone; not indeed from necessity of the Sacrament, but from the use of the Church. - Public confession through an interpreter is indeed licit if it is done from a reasonable cause and abuse is guarded against; but it does not seem ever to oblige of itself, by force of divine or ecclesiastical precept; hence it must never be imposed.¹⁸ - Except if a sinner placed in the article of death and not able to confess secretly doubted whether he was perfectly contrite; in this case he would be bound, from charity owed to himself, to choose what is safer; but with universal attrition it would suffice to confess one or another less infamous sin, or even only venial fault.¹⁹

Let it be noted: 1. Public confession, which once flourished in the Church, was not sacramental except insofar as it was imposed as satisfaction and reparation for sins previously confessed to a priest. 2. If someone wishes to confess integrally through an interpreter, care must be taken that responses be given by signs rather than by words, namely so that the interpreter does not understand them. The interpreter must also be warned of the obligation of observing secrecy.

1689. III. Confession must be TRUE, or faithful, that is, stained by no hypocrisy or falsity, so that the penitent does not fall short in rightly declaring sins committed, nor exceed in exaggerating them or in adding fictitious faults. This sincerity is required absolutely in grave and necessary matter; otherwise in free matter, or matter not necessarily pertaining to the present judgment of the confessor.

Hence: 1. It is a GRAVE sin containing the malice of pernicious lying and sacrilege to deny in confession a mortal sin not yet confessed, or to cover it in such a way that it cannot be understood by the confessor; or to confess what is certainly mortal as doubtful; or to increase the number of mortal sins, unless perhaps this is done from scruple, from disturbance of soul, or from simplicity, as often happens.

2. It is of itself VENIAL falsely to accuse oneself of a light sin which was not committed, or to deny a venial sin which was committed; likewise, to deny a mortal sin which has already been accused; or to narrate a false story which is extraneous to confession. But accidentally such lies would be mortal sins and would render the Sacrament void, if the penitent denied things which he is bound to confess for the confessor's judgment to be rightly formed, for example with respect to an evil habit, proximate occasion, if he brought fictitious matter of absolution, etc.²⁰

3. There is no sin, nor is sincerity harmed, speaking of itself, "if someone, after having fallen more gravely, first confesses this to another, and then only venials to his ordinary confessor; unless, however, on that occasion he remains in a moral occasion of sinning, or goes around for this reason, that he may sin more freely; for then he will sin gravely, and on account of the defect of attrition, the confession will be null."²¹

It is asked: Whether sins ALREADY CONFESSED must necessarily be distinguished from sins NOT CONFESSED?

Resp. No, of itself. But otherwise, if this were necessary "on account of a proximate occasion to be removed, or on account of a reserved case, or on account of another circumstance," for example so that the confessor can render a just judgment and impose a congruous penance (cf. n. 1716). "Yet it is safer to separate new sins from old ones."²²

1690. IV. Confession must be INTEGRAL, that is, it must comprehend all things which, from the will of Christ, are to be declared in sacramental confession (cf. n. 1656).

A twofold integrity is distinguished, namely material and formal. Confession is materially integral when in it are set forth all and each of the mortal sins committed after Baptism and not yet directly remitted by the power of the keys. It is formally integral when the penitent sincerely declares all things which, here and now, in view of the circumstances, he can and is bound to accuse, although some sins are omitted from forgetfulness, or invincible ignorance, or on account of another just cause.

But since this question is of great moment, it must be carefully weighed. And therefore we must treat: 1. of material integrity; 2. of formal integrity; 3. of the manner of procuring integrity.