Question I: Concerning Penitents Who Are to Be Directed in the Examination of Conscience

I. Obligation of the penitent. - The penitent is bound regularly, and indeed of itself under grave obligation, to premise to confession a diligent examination of all mortal sins which he has committed.

It is said: a) of itself and regularly. For exception is made 1) if time is lacking, as can occur in the dying; 2) if the examination is not necessary, the dispositions of the penitent being considered;

b) mortal sins: for one who is morally certain that he has not sinned mortally since his last confession is not strictly bound to a diligent examination, but only to discovering sufficient matter for the validity of the sacrament; although he is also to be exhorted to a diligent examination concerning venial sins, that he may receive more abundant fruits from the sacrament.

It is proved: 1) from the Council of Trent, sess. 14, c. 5: "From these things it is gathered that penitents must recount in confession all mortal sins of which, after diligent examination, they have consciousness." And surely, without such an examination they could not explore all the recesses of their soul, as the same Council says;

2. by reason: He who is bound to the end is, by that very fact, bound to the means of itself necessary for attaining the end. But a diligent examination, regularly speaking, is a necessary means for procuring the integrity of confession for those who have sinned gravely; for if they have committed several mortal sins, generally they cannot remember them all, because of the weakness of human memory, unless for some time they have diligently explored their conscience. Therefore one who has sinned gravely is regularly bound to a diligent examination of conscience.¹

¹ Cf. Reuter, Neo-Conf., p. I, c. 3, n. 4; St. Alphonsus, Th. M., l. VI, n. 471; Marc, Th. M., II, nn. 1703-1704; Theol. Mech. (4), de Poen., nn. 47 and 48; Lehmkuhl, Th. M., II, nn. 446-450; Tanquerey, de Poen., nn. 312-316; Genicot, Th. M., II, nn. 301-303; Noldin, Th. M., III, nn. 277-278; Prummer, Th. M., III, nn. 383-385.

II. The diligence required is not the highest, than which no greater can be given, and which is used by the most cautious men in matters of the greatest moment: for this would be too burdensome and would render the sacrament odious; but ordinary or moderate diligence, which prudent men are accustomed to use in a grave matter. "For this," we read in St. Alphonsus, Th. M., l. VI, n. 471, 1°, "moderate diligence suffices, such as a prudent man uses in arduous business; or such as, morally speaking, the learned and God-fearing are accustomed to use, even if someone should think that, with greater diligence, he would find more."

This, however, must be estimated according to the capacity and condition (or diversity of state) of the penitent and other circumstances. Greater diligence is required a) the longer the penitent has abstained from confession; b) the more numerous and diverse the mortal sins he has committed; c) the less account he has kept of things committed; d) the more learned and instructed he is: for the rude, unlearned, and uncultivated are incapable of an accurate examination.

Hence 1) ordinarily it suffices successively to run through the precepts of God and of the Church, the capital sins, and the obligations of one's proper state (on which one must insist, since there are many who scarcely think of the duties of their proper state); but if someone has confessed a short time before, it also suffices to examine himself concerning duties toward God, neighbor, and himself.

2. Those who confess frequently, rarely commit mortal sins, and daily examine their conscience, can be content with a shorter examination, because grave sins, if they have committed them, will easily occur to memory. Although they are to be led to a diligent examination, that they may discover venial sins, and also their causes and occasions, so that they may more easily extirpate defects.

3. The scrupulous ought not spend a long time in examination, because they are not accustomed to sin gravely, and moreover a minute examination can increase scruples and doubts; but if they had sinned gravely, this surely would be before their eyes.

4. The sick are not bound to an examination as accurate as those in good health; indeed sometimes they are excused from every examination, because of excessive weakness. In that case they are to be questioned briefly by the confessor himself concerning substantial matters. When they have survived, afterward they can complete their confession, if it is necessary.

III. Office of the confessor. - The confessor can, indeed sometimes must, direct penitents in the examination of conscience or supply for it, and also himself procure the integrity of confession.

He can act thus from charity; although, that they may examine their conscience more accurately, he can kindly dismiss those who are sufficiently instructed, especially if it is a question of a long confession, since it is almost impossible that they respond accurately to a questioning confessor without a previous examination. Besides, penitents of themselves are bound to the examination of conscience; to the confessor belongs only the judgment concerning the sufficiency of the examination. But from charity he must act thus toward those who otherwise are foreseen not to be going to return, especially toward the rude and ignorant, who cannot examine themselves otherwise.

IV. Catalogue of questions concerning sins to be accused. - Since certain moralists construct a long catalogue of sins and series of questions, useless and inept, lest the sacrament of Penance be rendered odious, it is pleasing here to add a schema of questions which can be proposed to penitents for supplying for the examination of their conscience and which, in ordinary circumstances, are abundantly sufficient.²

² Not only is the strict manner of questioning to be disapproved, such as was in use among certain Rigorists and can be found in Dens, in the appendix to the treatise on Penance; but even among recent authors, longer questions or inopportune questions are sometimes handed down: thus several, in Noldin and in Gury, as to the theological virtues or religion, and, for the latter, as to homicide and duel (!); indeed in Aertnijs, in Th. Past., questions concerning the sixth seem to descend into excessively minute circumstances.

They are to be questioned opportunely according to the circumstances:

A. Concerning the sacraments previously received: concerning the penance fulfilled; and, if they rarely receive the sacraments, concerning sacrileges on account of concealment, concerning their number, concerning the time during which they adverted to the sacrilege, and concerning the paschal communion not performed. But it is better to ask in this way: Have you any anguish of conscience concerning your past life? Now make a good confession; say everything ingenuously; do not fear; unload your conscience.

B. Concerning the precepts of the Decalogue. Regarding the 1st: whether the penitent knows the four principal mysteries of faith; whether he knows those things which are of necessity of precept; whether he has for a long time omitted all prayer; whether he has not exposed the faith to danger (by reading, association, conversations, occasion), or cooperated in works against the faith.

Concerning superstitions (e.g., Spiritism), one must not ask unless in regions where they are common, or unless there is a special reason for estimating that the penitent is guilty of them.

Regarding the 2nd: whether he has blasphemed; whether with the intention of blaspheming, and whether he has thus given scandal; what formula he used; but if he has erred concerning the sense of the formula, he is to be instructed; likewise whether he has murmured against God and the dispositions of Providence.

Likewise, whether he has sworn vainly or falsely, and whether he has thereby brought harm to his neighbor.

They are not to be questioned concerning vows unless they are pious penitents, who still more often confuse these with resolutions.

Regarding the 3rd: whether he has omitted hearing Mass deliberately, or because of some necessity; whether he has not been negligent in coming late to Mass; whether he has done or commanded servile works without necessity, and for how long, whether also publicly.

Regarding the 4th: children concerning love, reverence, and obedience toward parents, and whether they have not gravely failed against them, treated parents harshly, or saddened them; parents concerning the education of children, religious instruction, correction and vigilance, and good example, etc.

Regarding the 5th: whether the penitent has held anyone in hatred; whether he has wished or imprecated evils upon him, and whether seriously, and what things he wished to inflict upon him. Whether he has not given bad example, induced another to sin, used another for executing sin, cooperated in another's sin. Whether he has been angry with his neighbor, and if he says yes, whether he committed anything by deed (quarrel, striking, wounding). Whether he has given himself to drunkenness.

Regarding the 6th and 9th: whether he has a tranquil conscience as to modesty and purity; whether he has taken delight in impure thoughts, and voluntarily; whether he has had desires, and to do what sort of act; whether he has had or willingly heard obscene conversations, or read obscene books; whether he has been indecently dressed; whether he has had looks or touches, lascivious kisses or embraces, and whether they were mutual; whether he experienced an effect, e.g., more or less vehement motions of the flesh, seminal emission in a man, full satisfaction in a woman; whether he has committed a shameful act, alone, with another, of the opposite sex or of the same sex (a free or bound person), e.g.: whether he sinned with a boy or with a girl; whether he did the conjugal act ("have you committed the sin?"); whether the act has had consequences or will have fruit ("has that had consequences?") and why not?

Concerning sodomy and bestiality, questions are not to be made, lest penitents learn them or be scandalized; unless there is altogether a grave reason for estimating that the penitent has committed such things (e.g., if the presence of an animal was an occasion of sin; or, for those who have accused themselves of seminal emission had with another: whether they did something worse).

Concerning onanism, however, spouses are to be questioned: whether they have rightly fulfilled the duties of matrimony, and if they hesitate or deny, whether they have conformed themselves to the laws of nature; whether they have done nothing against the end of matrimony, the fruitfulness and sanctity of matrimony; whether they do not abuse matrimony; whether they have committed themselves totally to divine providence concerning the generation of children, conformed themselves to the will of God as to the number of children, and did not intend to limit the number of infants; whether they have not distrusted divine providence from fear of increasing offspring (how many children do you have?), etc., where precise and well-determined questions are to be preferred to indeterminate and excessively vague ones.

Regarding the 7th and 10th: whether the penitent has committed injustice, retains anything unjustly; whether he has unjustly brought about harm; whether he has deceived; whether he has neglected to pay debts (restitution).

Regarding the 8th: whether he has spoken evil of his neighbor, whether great or small, false or true, hidden or widely known (reparation); whether he has thought evils concerning his neighbor; whether he has affected him with injurious words, whether with grave injuries; whether he has lied.

C. Concerning the precepts of the Church: concerning the observance of feasts, abstinence from meats, annual confession and communion.

D. Concerning duties of state: parents concerning children, as has been said; spouses concerning mutual fidelity, love, peaceful life, and duties (e.g., whether perhaps they have anything which gnaws the conscience concerning marriage, whether they are of one mind between themselves, whether the husband keeps faith with his wife, whether the wife obeys her husband in all honest things, whether she does not render life troublesome to her husband, whether she has care of the domestic matter, whether the husband does not squander goods); masters concerning vigilance exercised over servants and concerning negligence in removing scandals from them, and concerning the just wage paid; servants and workers concerning work performed or neglected, harm brought about, petty thefts, labor on Sunday; children, whether they have concealed anything out of shame, and have had dishonorable games, e.g., things which they would not dare to do under the eyes of others; likewise adolescents and girls, especially if they love adornment: then they are to be questioned whether they have associated familiarly, too freely, etc., with persons of the other sex; tavern-keepers, whether they have tolerated sins (blasphemies, foul speech, detractions), whether in some way they have cooperated in the sins of others (by giving drink, obscene pictures, a room); merchants concerning exaggerated price, deceit and fraud in commerce, with grave harm of neighbor; soldiers concerning blasphemies, omission of the duties of religion, quarrels, sins of lust and thefts; tailors concerning little pieces of cloth retained, etc.

These questions are not always all to be made, but according to the state, condition, and capacity of the penitent, and the answers which he has given.

V. Observation. - It is best to institute an examination of conscience every day.