§ 4. On The Obligation Of Rightly Disposing The Penitent

1811. Principles. I. The confessor is bound, as much as he can, RIGHTLY TO DISPOSE the penitent who approaches indisposed. - Thus commonly.

To the point St. Alphonsus says thus: "I do not know," he says, "how those slothful confessors can be excused from fault, who, as soon as they know that the penitent is not sufficiently disposed, dismiss him, with no diligence or very slight diligence first used for healing him. For I say that the confessor is bound, from a rigorous obligation of charity, to dispose him as much as he can, by exposing to him the deformity of sin, the value of divine grace, the danger of damnation, and similar things, even if he ought to spend much time in this. Nor ought it to be a care to him that other penitents are waiting: for then the confessor is not bound to attend to the good of others, but only of his penitent, for whom alone he will then have to render an account to God, not for the others."

But if the penitent approaches conveniently disposed, it is sufficient that the confessor exhort him to renew the act of sorrow and firm purpose.

1812. II. The confessor, in exhorting the penitent, ought chiefly to attend to THREE things: namely, TO CORRECT him, to move him to CONTRITION, and to INDICATE TO HIM THE MEANS by which holy perseverance is obtained. On this matter St. Alphonsus says thus:³⁰

1. "The origin and gravity of the sickness being known," he says, "let the confessor proceed to making the due observations. - And although he, as father, ought to listen to penitents in charity, nevertheless as physician he is bound, as much as there is need, to admonish and correct them, especially those who, burdened with many mortal sins, rarely approach the Sacrament of Penance. And he ought also to fulfill this office if the penitent shines with some illustrious quality (namely if he were a magistrate, Prince, priest, pastor, or Prelate), if, without too much feeling of soul, he accused himself of some omission of his duty." Indeed, even the fervent themselves are to be rebuked when they fall into negligence, so that they may carry away more abundant fruit from the Sacrament. "Benedict XIV says³¹ that the admonitions of the confessor are more efficacious than sermons themselves; and deservedly by right, because the particular circumstances are hidden from the preacher, but openly become known to the confessor, and therefore he will be better able to use due observations and to apply remedies which are suited to the sicknesses."³²

2. "After due corrections, or admonitions, it is better that labor be applied to disposing the penitent for absolution by acts of true sorrow and purpose. - Wherefore I wish confessors to be warned that there are very few penitents, especially rude ones, who approach to confess with the act of sorrow placed beforehand. Some confessors think that they have done enough for their office if they only question penitents of this sort in the following manner: Come, do you ask pardon from God for all these things? (Which in reality is not a true act of sorrow.) Are you sorry from the heart for all your sins? And with no other word inserted, they bestow absolution upon them. The manner of good confessors is wholly other than this; for these first of all labor so that penitents (the speech is about those who are held by mortal sins) conceive true sorrow and detestation of sins."³³ - To this end, let the confessor first of all set forth the motives of attrition: such as the deformity of sin, the value of divine grace, the danger of damnation to be incurred through unexpected death, etc.; then the motives of contrition, namely the infinite goodness of God offended by sin, the Holy Spirit saddened, the lovable heart of Jesus afflicted with grief, and similar things.

But if the penitent is stained only by venial sins, recall what was said at n. 1648, qq. 2 and 3.

3. For consulting the perseverance of the penitent and guarding it, the confessor, as physician, ought to assign to him REMEDIES, both general and particular, which drive away the danger of relapse and confirm him in holy purposes.

A) "The GENERAL remedies to be insinuated to all are: 1. Love toward God, since He created us for this end alone. And let care likewise be taken that the penitent know the interior peace with which those who enjoy the friendship of God are endowed, and the hell which those who are alien from God experience before the time; with added temporal ruin, which sin frequently drags along with itself. - 2. Prayer, i.e. often commending oneself to the Blessed Virgin by reciting the rosary; commending oneself to the guardian Angel, and to some Saint as particular protector. - 3. Frequency of the Sacraments, and if ever he falls into some mortal sin, that he confess immediately. - 4. Consideration of the eternal truths, and before the rest consideration of death: and to fathers of families daily mental prayer (or pious reading) in common with the family is to be insinuated, or at least the rosary with the children. - 5. The presence of God, when temptation presses, by saying: God sees me. - 6. Every evening to examine conscience, with sorrow of soul and purpose. - 7. To seculars, that they enroll themselves in some Congregation; and to priests, mental prayer and thanksgiving after Mass, and that they read through at least some little spiritual book before and after Mass."³⁴

B) "But PARTICULAR remedies will be assigned according to the diversity of vices: e.g. to him who is held by some hatred, let it be insinuated that daily he commend to God the one whom he hates, reciting for him the Lord's Prayer and the Angelic Salutation; and when he feels himself disturbed by the memory of the injury inflicted upon him, let him remember the insults with which he himself has affected God. To him who has fallen into base sins, let it be enjoined that he avoid idleness, flee evil companions and wicked occasions. To him who for a long time has contracted a wicked habit in this vice, let it be prescribed that he avoid not only proximate occasions, but also certain remote ones, which for one so weak in resisting have become as proximate for him." But especially let the confessor take care that he frequently communicate; because the Eucharist is called "wine bringing forth virgins."³⁵ And so concerning the others (cf. n. 1831, q. 3).