§ 2. On The Obligation Of The Confessor Toward Diverse Penitents From External Condition

Penitents who, on account of external condition, demand a special care proper to themselves, are especially: 1. children and adolescents; - 2. the betrothed and spouses; - 3. persons of distinguished condition; - and 4. finally, the sick and the dying. As regards Nuns, see what was said at nn. 1764, 1765, 1736.¹

1848. I. It is an excellent custom, and St. Charles Borromeo held it, to call CHILDREN, even six-year-olds, to confession, so that, by anticipating the obligation soon necessarily to be fulfilled, they may gradually become accustomed to the reception of the Sacrament. - Seven-year-olds are subject to the common law concerning annual confession, not otherwise than those greater by birth (cf. n. 194); and it is to be wished that, from this time onward, they be refreshed by the benefit of confession at least three or four times in each year.

But so that the confessor may truly consult their spiritual utility, let him attend to the following ADMONITIONS:²

1. Before confession, let him diligently teach them both the things necessary to be known for salvation, and all those things which regard receiving this Sacrament worthily, namely the necessity and mode of examining conscience, the necessity and motives of contrition, sincerity in confessing with opportune examples, and also the most grave obligation of the sacramental seal, incumbent not only upon the confessor, but also upon all to whom, by accident, something from confession should become known.

2. To this instruction let him join a practical exercise of all those things which must be done before confession, in confession itself, and after it. Let little children be admitted publicly in the church to confession, but on individual days, or parts of a day, only that number of them which can conveniently be heard; namely, so that neither they themselves, by waiting, be exposed to weariness, nor the confessor, by hearing, to the danger of haste.

3. In the confession itself of little children, let the confessor³ use all charity and kindness which he can, lest namely, from fear, they hold back something. Let him permit them, indeed exhort them, that they themselves first explain their sins; in which, if they fail, especially if they seem to be distressed by fear or shame, let him help them by brief questions, for example whether they prayed morning and evening, whether they heard Mass on feast days; whether they were obedient to parents and superiors, etc. Then, whether they kept silent about some sin? whether they did anything base? But in this matter the confessor must be especially cautious. - Let him then only turn away from general questions when necessity truly demands it. In which case he will be able to ask the little child, for example, whether he heard bad words? whether he said such things? whether he played badly with other children? If he admits it, he can be asked what he did. He can also be asked whether he is fearful at night, so that thus it may be discovered whether he sleeps alone or with others, and whether some question about this matter is to be added. - It is also useful, now and then, to proceed by suggestive questions, for example, And now tell me how many times you did this? five times, ten times? And from the responses let him proceed to further things, but always with the greatest prudence, according to what was said at n. 1806. Let the confessor also beware lest he be excessive in examining, lest children conceive a horror of confession.

4. Pious instructions and admonitions are to be instilled into little children; for they are seeds which, if not immediately, nevertheless afterward will bear fruit. - Hence, just as they are to be praised if they have conducted themselves laudably, so that they may be confirmed in a right manner of living; so, on the contrary, if they have conducted themselves badly, the confessor must sweetly deter them from sin: for example by saying that sin renders the soul foul after the manner of the devil, but things rightly done effect that little children become like Angels; that God is present everywhere and beholds all things; that the same God wishes to crown the good with eternal reward, but will punish the bad with eternal torments; that God commands that we dread sins worse than a serpent, that obedience be shown to parents, that evil companions be avoided, etc. But if the child's conscience has been found erroneous, let it be corrected, lest he himself sin in the future from such a conscience.

5. Little children must be helped much in eliciting an act of sorrow. To this end the confessor will be able to use the following words: "Do you love God, who is your Lord, so great and good, who created you, died for you, etc.? This God you have offended. He wishes to give you pardon, and you hope that, on account of the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, He will forgive you. But it is necessary to repent. What do you say? Does it now repent you that you have offended Him, etc.? By these injuries which you have inflicted on God, do you know that you have deserved hell? Does it displease you that you committed them?... My God, I do not wish to offend Thee any more, etc."⁴

6. Let him impose on little children only a light penance. - Let him greatly commend to them devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God, and the most holy and most useful custom of reciting three Hail Marys morning and evening, with that or a similar invocation: My Mother, free me from mortal sin.⁵ - Whether absolution is to be conceded to children or not; whether absolutely or conditionally, see n. 1663, qu. 5, Reg. 2a.

7. Finally, after confession care must be taken that they spend some brief time in giving thanks to God and pay the penance, yet separated from companions who have not yet completed confession.

NB. As regards FIRST COMMUNION, see what was said at nn. 1573-1574.

1849. II. ADOLESCENTS of either sex, who have already been admitted to Holy Communion, likewise demand a special care proper to themselves. Over these the confessor must watch with most open eyes, so that they may be preserved immune from the corruption of the age and the enticements of the flesh. - But for this end nothing more efficacious can be devised than frequent reception of the Sacraments.

1. In hearing their confessions, let him see: - whether and to what dangers their faith and morals are exposed; - with what companions they foster familiarity; by what enticements, as it were, they are exposed to sin or have been exposed, whether by thoughts, by conversations, by little songs, by looks, by bad books, or by familiarity with others; - what their first mortal sins were like, whether of malice or of infirmity.

2. Let him exhort them to sincerity, and induce them faithfully to open temptations, lest, deprived of opportune means, they succumb. - Let him especially teach them the necessity of praying and of fleeing the dangers of sin. - Generally, let him be more ready in teaching and admonishing than in questioning. But let him abstain from any little word whatever which he would not wish to be heard by others.⁶

3. "Concerning the STATE to be chosen by some adolescent, let the confessor not dare to determine it for him; but only from indications let him take care to persuade that state to which he can prudently judge the adolescent himself to be called by God"⁷ (cf. n. 2142, q. 2). "But as regards girls who desire to consecrate their virginity to Jesus Christ, let him not permit them to vow chastity perpetually, unless he knows them to be well founded in virtues, and taught in the rules of the spiritual life, and especially exercised in prayer. In the beginning he can permit them only to vow chastity for some definite time, namely from the solemnity of one feast to another of another feast."⁸ As regards the state of matrimony, see nn. 1851, 1951.

4. Concerning the RELIGIOUS STATE in particular, let the director conduct himself cautiously: 1) lest he easily induce anyone to embrace it, unless indications of true vocation manifest themselves; for the danger of inconstancy would be feared (and especially in girls), if more vivid exhortations or flatteries had induced them to take up such a kind of life; 2) lest he introduce a long delay and impediments for those adolescents who desire to embrace the religious state with a right end; for less probation is required for a vocation to Religion than for a vocation to exercise the priestly office in the world, as St. Alphonsus warns.⁹ - See what is to be said at n. 2142, concerning vocation.

1850. I. The BETROTHED are generally to be admonished that they celebrate matrimony as quickly as possible; for thus very many sins are impeded. Recall what was said at n. 826 and following, to which add the following:¹⁰

1. Let the confessor first see whether any impediment is present, whether prohibiting or diriment, ecclesiastical or civil, so that it may be removed opportunely. See n. 1984 sqq. and n. 2041 sqq.

2. Let him use every zeal and industry, so that the betrothed, purified by holy confession, may receive this great Sacrament fruitfully. - The matter having been accomplished in vain, let him dismiss the indisposed without absolution, without, however, denying to those asking, if they have truly confessed, a certificate of confession made. Let him absolve the doubtfully disposed under condition, as was said above at n. 1663, q. 4 and 5. - Moreover in either case, let him gravely admonish them to prepare themselves, through perfect contrition, for entering matrimony worthily, and to return shortly to confessing, with all mention of the sacrilege by which those contracting unworthily defile themselves omitted, in order to forestall a greater sin, unless perhaps a certain fruit could be hoped for from an admonition of this kind.¹¹

3. Let him admonish them concerning the most grave end of matrimony, and concerning the obligations of spouses and parents (cf. n. 699 sqq. and n. 703). - But speaking of those things which regard the use of matrimony, let him use the greatest prudence. "For innocent betrothed women, who perhaps are ignorant of copula, are not to be instructed by a priest before matrimony; but if they ask anything, they are first to be sent back to their mothers. This especially holds for betrothed women of a more honorable condition, who are wont to be taught by their mothers on the day before matrimony. If they do not have a mother, let the pastor or confessor point out to them some prudent and pious matron, from whom they may learn all those things which it is fitting for spouses to know."¹² But if the betrothed have already been corrupted, or are by no means ignorant of the base matter, let the confessor teach them, yet briefly and with the most chaste words, as is set forth in the following rule.

1851. II. "SPOUSES are to be taught that not all things are licit for the married, but that the sanctity of matrimony can be defiled by grave sins. Wherefore the following general RULES are to be handed down to each: 1. All those things are licit to spouses which are ordered to the generation of offspring, or to the legitimate use of marriage. - 2. They are immune from mortal fault if deliberately they do nothing by which they expose themselves to great danger either of losing semen on the part of either one, or of harming a fetus conceived. - 3. For the rest, if afterward they doubt concerning some matter, counsel must be sought from the confessor.

"Moreover, each is to be taught: 1. The HUSBAND, that he not ask the debt at those times in which copula can be gravely harmful to the wife, for example at the time of purgation, or of grave disease. - 2. The WIFE, that she is bound under grave sin to obey the husband in rendering the debt, unless she is excused from a just cause, for example because of infirmity."¹³

1852. Let it be noted: "1. The instruction premised, which of itself is incumbent on the pastor, is to be handed down either on the day before matrimony is to be contracted, or a little after it has been contracted, according as it shall have seemed expedient; or as often as younger spouses ask to be taught by the confessor concerning this matter, or are noticed to need instruction of this kind.

2. "Instruction of spouses concerning things to be observed in the case of abortion, as regards Baptism of the aborted fetus, wholly pertains to the pastor; nevertheless, when an occasion has been given, namely when the confessor notices that spouses are ignorant of these things, or have failed in their office in this matter, let him himself not neglect to teach them. The same must be said concerning those things which spouses must avoid, that they may beware of abortion.

3. "Let the confessor not omit to admonish younger wives, for whom it is fitting, that they not take with themselves into bed an infant not yet one year old, nor boys or girls already six years old; and much more, that they not permit children of this kind of either sex to sleep together in the same bed."¹⁴

IT IS ASKED. How must one proceed with spouses who are placed in a PROXIMATE OCCASION of sin because of abuse of matrimony against nature, for example if one directly pollutes the other, if one is accustomed to consent to onanism, sodomy, one's own pollution, etc.?

Resp. They are to be treated as habituated persons or recidivists in a necessary occasion. But if, remedies having been applied, they always relapse in the same way, without probable hope of amendment, they are in no way to be absolved unless they have removed the occasion, according to what was said at n. 1825, q. 2. - Indeed, in this case, a spouse who is placed in proximate danger of sinning because of the solicitation of the consort is bound to make separation if no other remedy remains,¹⁵ as will be seen in the Treatise on Matrimony (n. 2124, 2).

1853. St. Alphonsus admonishes:¹⁶ "With persons of this kind (i.e., with princes, magistrates, prelates, pastors, priests, etc.), although corrections must be applied in milder and more discreet words, nevertheless let it be done with greater fortitude and warmth of soul, since from the sins of these persons, on account of the graver harm which can be brought to others by their evil example, a more pernicious consequent license of crimes is wont to exist." (cf. n. 1810, Reg. 3a).

See the Praxis Confessarii n. 48 and following, as regards the questions to be asked of those who are of a conscience little meticulous. See also the things set forth in Part 4, On Particular States.¹⁷

1854. "No work of charity is present which is more acceptable to God and more conducive to the salvation of souls than to help those placed in the extreme danger of life to die holily; for at the time of death, on which the eternal life of each one depends, the powers of hell are stronger, but those of the sick are weaker."¹⁸

Moreover, the sick lying dangerously ill are of a twofold kind: some enjoy the use of reason and the senses; others are destitute of the senses. As regards guilty persons condemned to capital punishment, see in St. Alphonsus¹⁹ (cf. n. 2300 and 2311, 2).

I. As regards the sick USING REASON AND THE SENSES, the Ritual admonishes: "Let the confessor approach the sick man so prepared that he have ready arguments apt for persuading, and especially examples of the Saints, which avail very much; by which he may console, excite, and refresh him in the Lord."

Moreover, to many other things which the Ritual hands down concerning the visitation and care of the sick, and which are to be observed faithfully, it is helpful to add some things excerpted from the writings of St. Alphonsus,²⁰ namely the following:

1. Having entered the room of the sick person, let the confessor speak to the one lying ill in a friendly manner, by inquiring how he is; and having exhorted him to conform himself to the will of God, let him gradually transfer the conversation to instituting confession. Yet in the first visit, unless necessity urges, let him generally be silent concerning it; but after, on the second or third visit, he has begun to speak about it and has assigned the day and hour for instituting it, let him skillfully take care that the sick man make it without procrastination, especially if the disease is of such a nature that delirium could easily supervene. See also n. 2332.

2. If the sick man is a scandalous man, for example living in concubinage or in a merely civil marriage, an author of bad books, notoriously excommunicated, etc., commonly he must not be heard unless first he has promised amendment and due satisfaction; for it is to be feared lest, confession already having been begun, he refuse to obey; from which it could easily happen that the confessor, bound by the sacramental seal, would be forced to administer the last Sacraments to one unworthy. - Nevertheless circumstances can persuade otherwise, for example if death is imminent, and immediate confession already signifies reparation of scandal.

3. As regards confession itself, let him take care that it be made so diligently that nothing of those things which are required for integrity and contrition be omitted, and so moderately that the penitent is neither affected by annoyance nor wearied by too much application of mind. - But if imminent danger of death, or the gravity of the disease itself, or other grave reasons persuade this, let the confessor urge material integrity less, but, with the admonition premised that the penitent complete his confession afterward if he recovers, let him watch much and almost solely over the dispositions of his soul.²¹

4. If those serving the sick man cannot withdraw, let the confessor admonish him to declare at least one sin, and this a light one; when this has been declared, let him incite him in a few words to sorrow concerning all sins which he has committed, and then impart absolution to him. - Finally, if someone could confess no special sin, for example because he is deprived of speech, but gives signs of penance, and shows that he wishes absolution, he is also to be absolved; absolutely, if no prudent doubt concerning his disposition underlies; otherwise, conditionally (cf. n. 1663, q. 5).

5. Let him impose a light penance, indeed sometimes a very light one, such as invocation of the Most Holy Names of Jesus and the Virgin Mary; but let him add, as the Ritual wills, to this penance another more proportioned one for the time in which the sick man will have recovered. But it will be enough, says St. Alphonsus, to enjoin on him that he return in time of health; or, that he satisfy by alms, if he can (cf. n. 1720, 2).

6. If a convenient occasion seems present, "let him exhort the sick man to dispose opportunely concerning his domestic affairs: for this is expedient for the peace of the family, and the more so if it is necessary for the relief of his conscience. - Yet in this the priest should carefully beware lest he himself fall into any note of gain (or into the hatred of relatives)."²²

7. The sick man must be forearmed against temptations.²³ If he is tempted against FAITH, he is to be exhorted to elicit acts of faith without any examination; that, as soon as the temptation rushes in, he have recourse to prayers and turn thought aside to other things; also, if the temptation persists in urging much, let the confessor explain to him in few words the motives of credibility, and take care that the one tempted, by his own prayers and those of others, obtain the grace of resisting and persevering. - If he is tempted against HOPE (and this temptation indeed is very frequent), let the confessor set forth to him the reasons why we must hope; let him pray for him, and rarely, while he is hearing, have conversation about matters which inject terror. - Let him also watch that temptations of vainglory, impatience, excessive aversion from death, excessive love toward relatives and temporal goods, as well as temptations of hatred and vengeance, be kept away from him.

8. Let the confessor suggest to the sick man, but with few words and only at intervals, acts of virtues by which Christians ought to dispose themselves for a holy death, namely acts of faith, hope, charity, contrition, conformity with the divine will, and acceptance of death. Nor should he omit now and then to offer him an image of the Crucified, and other holy images, that he may kiss them.

9. Finally let the priest take care that the sick man gain all the Indulgences which he can; but especially the plenary Indulgence in the article of death, which the Apostolic blessing has annexed to itself. - Hence let him admonish him, contrite, to implore the Most Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, once or more often (by mouth, if he can; but if not, by heart)²⁴ (cf. n. 1741).

10. When the sick man is already in his last moments, care must be taken that persons whose presence could bring some danger to the dying man be removed from his room.²⁵ But let the priest frequently sprinkle him with blessed water, frequently fortify him with the sign of the cross, and frequently offer him sacred things to be kissed. - Let him pour forth many prayers together with those standing by, nor omit to recite the accustomed prayers of the Church.

11. Let him hand him a blessed candle, so that, holding it, he may profess that he dies in the Faith. - But let him disturb him by no touch of the body, nor do anything by which death could be accelerated. - As long as the struggle with death endures, let him repeat the holy acts, and multiply them and pronounce them in a loud voice, so that thus they can be heard by the dying man.²⁶

12. The SIGNS of imminent death, see in St. Alphonsus.²⁷

1855. II. With dying persons DESTITUTE OF SENSE the following things are to be observed:

1. All dying persons destitute of senses who, before the privation of the senses, expressly showed a desire of confession, for example by ordering a priest to be called, are to be absolved, more safely however under condition. The reason is that confession, in the case, becomes known to the confessor sufficiently sensibly through the testimony of another, and is as it were confession by an interpreter. This is established from the Roman Ritual on the Sacrament of Penance.

2. All dying persons wholly destitute of senses who have lived as Christians are to be absolved under condition, even if they have manifested by no sign either sorrow concerning their sins or desire of confession. The reason is that in such persons sorrow and desire of absolution can be presumed through sensible signs, for example through sighs, movements of the body, anxious breathing manifested, although these are not perceived by the confessor.²⁸

3. For the same reason, other dying persons destitute of senses who have lived little as Christians are to be absolved under condition. Indeed, it is sufficiently probable that a dying Catholic who, in the very act of sin, has been deprived of senses, for example in a duel, adultery, theft; likewise free-thinkers, Freemasons, apostates, etc., is to be absolved conditionally. - Nor does it stand in the way that attrition and confession in these persons are very doubtful; because, in the case of extreme necessity, even in the administration of the Sacraments it is licit to use a slight and little-founded probability.²⁹

4. Under condition, similarly, those can be absolved who, although they have never professed the Catholic faith, nevertheless have shown a will inclined toward it; provided that they had already been baptized in their sects (but in doubt concerning the value of this Baptism, after Baptism has been repeated under condition); for there is a certain reason for conjecturing that they wish to depart life in the communion of the Church.³⁰ But if heretics have given no indication of this will, they are not to be absolved even if they give signs of sorrow; because such persons can never prudently be presumed to furnish those signs in order to confession, from which they shrink exceedingly.³¹

You will resolve for practice: 1. A dying Catholic, or one not certainly a heretic (even if perhaps unknown), in every case in which it is not evidently established that he is already dead, or actually altogether indisposed, or refusing the Sacraments, is to be absolved either absolutely or conditionally (according to his condition).

2. Nevertheless an act of contrition is to be suggested to him briefly and in a loud voice, if he has given no signs or doubtful signs of penance. For physicians testify that "hearing generally persists even to the last time, and not rarely, when the other senses have already plainly been extinguished, it still remains."³²

IT IS ASKED. How often must ABSOLUTION be renewed for a dying person?

Resp. 1. If, having already confessed duly, he still flourishes in the senses, absolution must be renewed for him several times; yet in such a way that, before it is imparted anew, a new sign of sorrow and confession, at least some sort of sign, is manifested. For thus the sick man is rendered more secure concerning the state of grace, or certainly sanctifying grace is increased, and the punishments of Purgatory are diminished.

Resp. 2. If the dying man (likewise having confessed) is already destitute of senses, and manifests no sign of sorrow, it is not expedient to impart absolution to him frequently within the same day, i.e., not more often than every three or four hours; for a grave and urgent cause (on account of which alone the Sacrament can be administered under condition) is not present here of itself, so that the words of absolution should be repeated more frequently. We have said of itself; for, upon a dying man accustomed to bad thoughts, or entangled by some passion of hatred or impure love, or very impatient with the troubles of disease, or also now about to die, they can be repeated more often. "It will not be out of place," adds St. Alphonsus, "to admonish the sick man, while he is capable in mind, that if he cannot speak, he give some determined sign when he seeks absolution, or when the priest wishes to confer it upon him, for example that he close or open his eyes, lift his hand, incline his head, and similar things."³³

Resp. 3. Finally, if the dying man has been so destitute of senses that he could never either confess or express contrition, he is to be absolved much more often, at least under condition; because it can happen that he succumbs to hidden temptations, and especially because it can happen that the infinite mercy of God mercifully grants him the grace of compunction, which he previously lacked, in a lucid interval.³⁴

NB. Recall what was said at n. 929, II, 1282 and 1777.