Article I: On the Duties before the Act of Confession, or on the Endowments of the Confessor

603. Before confession the confessor must acquire the required endowments. - Besides the power of order and of jurisdiction, which are necessary for the value of the sacrament, several qualities or endowments are required in the minister, without which he could not licitly and fruitfully execute his office for the spiritual salvation of those confessing. Therefore the confessor must prepare himself for receiving confessions, by acquiring the qualities which are necessary for duly fulfilling this office: on the part of the speculative intellect, knowledge; on the part of the practical intellect, prudence; on the part of the will, goodness of life. Thus the Roman Ritual, t. 3, c. 1, n. 1.

604. On the knowledge of the confessor. - The confessor is bound under grave obligation, outside the case of extreme necessity, to have that knowledge which is required and competent for duly undertaking his office: not eminent knowledge, namely, but mediocre knowledge, by which he can solve cases which commonly occur in the place where he is accustomed to hear confessions, and at least prudently doubt concerning more difficult matters, so that he can consult books or others more learned.

For when this knowledge is lacking, he exposes himself to a proximate and morally certain danger of badly fulfilling his office, with injury to the sacrament and harm to penitents. For, as minister, he must procure the validity and integrity of the sacrament; as teacher, he is bound to instruct the ignorant concerning duties; as judge, he must judge concerning the sins, dispositions, and obligations to be urged upon penitents; as physician, he must investigate the spiritual cause of illnesses and propose opportune remedies. All these things certainly require no small knowledge.

Therefore:

1. It is necessary that the confessor be able to solve cases commonly occurring. Hence he is bound to know those things which pertain to the essence and effects of the sacrament of Penance, to its valid and licit administration and reception; - the principles of discerning between mortal and venial sins both in general and in individual precepts; - those things which regard the species, number, and circumstances of sins necessarily to be declared; - those things which regard restitution of reputation and goods; - reserved cases and the censures which occur more frequently; - impediments of marriage and obligations of states; - the roots and occasions of sins and opportune remedies. Yet it is impossible to know or rightly understand these things unless he knows the general principles of moral science concerning human acts, conscience, sins, and laws.

But as to more difficult cases, which otherwise rarely occur, it is not expedient to solve them immediately; rather, it must be said to the penitent that he should give time for considering the matter more maturely and for consulting books and more learned men. Yet meanwhile he can be absolved, provided he is prepared to obey the decision to be given.

2. The required knowledge must be measured according to the place where confessions are customarily heard; for the same knowledge is not required in all confessors, but greater or lesser according to the diversity of places, times, and penitents. Thus, for example, greater knowledge is required in a city than in a remote village, for hearing any faithful whatever of diverse condition than for hearing faithful of the same state or condition.

3. The aforesaid knowledge is required outside the case of necessity. For if necessity presses, not only extreme but also grave necessity, a less learned confessor licitly receives confessions, since for the most part the ignorance of the confessor does not stand in the way of the validity of the sacrament, but only of its integrity or of its fruitful administration; indeed, in a case of necessity it is not always illicit to administer a sacrament with danger lest it remain defective or invalid. But a priest who fears that the sacrament may be null can absolve only conditionally.

4. A priest sins gravely who, while he certainly knows that he lacks competent knowledge, accepts the office of confessor even from charity alone or obedience, even if formerly he well underwent the danger of examination and has the approval of the Bishop, since this supposes but does not supply knowledge; although nevertheless, in doubt whether this knowledge is lacking or not, he can follow the judgment of the bishop, if the bishop knows the priest well. Likewise he easily sins gravely who for a long time neglects the study of moral theology, if thus he exposes himself to the danger of committing grave errors and harming penitents.

5. A bishop also would sin gravely who approved a confessor whom he knew to be ignorant, because thus he would cooperate with his sin; - although nevertheless he can be excused if he approves one less suitable in a case of necessity, e.g., for small and remote places, when he cannot find one more learned: for it is better for the faithful to have an unlearned confessor than none. In this case the bishop is bound to warn him of the obligation of acquiring competent knowledge as soon as possible.

6. Likewise a penitent would sin gravely who deliberately chose an inept confessor, if thus he exposed himself to grave spiritual harm, since, besides the harm which he would suffer, he would be the cause that the sacrament was ministered in an undue way.

605. On the prudence of the confessor. - To knowledge there must be added prudence, i.e., practical wisdom which orders the best means to the end. For it is especially necessary to the confessor, that he may know how to lead principles into practice and to apply general precepts according to the condition of persons and circumstances; so that he may sin neither by excess nor by defect, nor run into laxity or into rigor, but safely lead to an upright Christian life, and to perfection and eternal life.

For it belongs to a judge and physician rightly to adapt those things which are required for judging cases or curing illnesses; but the confessor is judge and physician of souls. Therefore for this it is required that he know the character of the penitent and that he treat diverse penitents not in the same way, but according to their diverse character and condition. - Moreover, difficult cases not rarely occur, whose circumstances can vary to infinity, and in which the confessor cannot proceed rightly unless prudence directs him.

But he must be prudent both toward the penitent and toward himself, so that he may harm neither; and toward the Christian commonwealth, lest, with detriment to religion, he give scandal, but according to his powers procure the public good.

A. Toward the penitent he must be prudent:

1. As to contrition, so that he proposes motives of contrition according to the talent, character, and sins of each one; and is not too easy in judging that the penitent is contrite, nor too rigid, but from indications and circumstances forms an equitable judgment.

2. In confession: a) In forming judgment concerning the morality of actions, so that he regards not only the object, but also the subjective circumstances, the dispositions of each one, and conscience, which more often change the species or gravity.

b) In interrogations, which in no way should be immoderate, indiscreet, or untimely or inopportune, but adapted to the character, age, and condition of each one, namely, to take care lest he teach simple and innocent persons sins unknown to them and lead them into temptation, or offend penitents; and nevertheless that they be sufficient for detecting hidden wounds and the causes, occasions, and gravity of spiritual illnesses.

c) In giving counsels, by selecting opinions and warnings according as the spiritual good of penitents requires, and in instructions, by warning the ignorant or leaving them in good faith, generally as he knows to be more expedient for their good.

d) In leaving perfect liberty of approaching another confessor.

3. In absolution, so that he rightly discerns the disposition or indisposition of the penitent, and grants, denies, or defers absolution according as it is expedient for his salvation, especially with occasionarii and recidivists.

4. In satisfactions, so that he imposes salutary and fitting ones, accommodated to the quality of the sins, but more to the good of the penitent; likewise that he suggest opportune remedies accommodated to the sins, above all by removing the causes of sins.

5. In the attendant consequences of confession: a) in correcting his own errors; and b) in keeping the seal, so that he avoids every danger that anything be revealed directly or indirectly, and indeed so strictly that in doubt he does that which is safer (II, n. 90-91); indeed c) in abstaining from every word concerning the defects of other confessors.

B. Toward himself: a) In searching out the circumstances of sins, especially against chastity, lest by these very minute ways he excite temptation in himself.

b) In avoiding the sight of women, especially younger women.

c) In acting cautiously with women, even those devoted to spirituality or tending to perfection, namely by avoiding superfluous conversations or familiarity, by not receiving little gifts, by not visiting them at home without necessity, by showing himself rigid and austere rather than pleasing, etc.

C. Toward the Christian commonwealth. For although the confessor, by reason of his office, is bound principally to devote himself to the good of the penitent, nevertheless, since the sacraments are for the Church and he himself is constituted as minister for the good of the Church, not only the private good but also the public good is to be procured by him as far as possible, which is not to be harmed and to which the private good of the penitent is to be subordinated, as St. Alphonsus warns, Th. M., l. VI, n. 615.

But in order that he acquire prudence, attention must be given to the nature, qualities, and conditions of prudence according to the doctrine of St. Thomas.¹

¹ Cf. II, n. 11-12 and 23-25; and our little work On the Minister of Penance, c. 4, q. 1, a. 2.

606. On goodness of life required in the confessor. - Besides knowledge and prudence there is also required goodness or honesty of life. This consists not only in the state of grace, which is necessary for avoiding sacrilegious ministration of the sacrament, and therefore is ordinarily required in one who is accustomed to hear confessions and is not to be exposed to a proximate occasion (n. 78, 3); - but also in the complex of virtues which are desired for duly fulfilling the office of confessor, both so that he himself may not be contaminated by handling the ulcers of sins, and so that he can direct others in the way of sanctity.

The principal virtues necessary for a confessor are customarily enumerated: supernatural zeal of souls, by which from sincere charity toward God and neighbor he consults solely and only the honor of God and the salvation of the neighbor, spends himself entirely, and loves penitents with a special paternal love as spiritual children of God; for this there are required great meekness of mercy and paternal gravity, which demands reverence with every too sensible affection excluded; - patience, - fortitude, - eminent purity, - and great humility.²

² Concerning these, cf. St. Alphonsus, Homo Ap., tr. 21, n. 1 ff.; and Praxis Confessarii; Aertnijs, Th. P., n. 18 ff.; Lehmkuhl, Th. M., II, n. 560-565; and our little work On the Minister of Penance, c. 4, q. 1, a. 3.