Article — Merkelbach, Summa Theologiae Moralis
Article I: On the Necessity of Vocal Confession
St. Th., Suppl., q. 9, a. 3.
518. Principle I. Confession must be vocal, i.e., expressed by words, but not by nod, signs, or writings. - It is proved:
- From the common usage of the Church.
- From the bull of Benedict XI, Inter cunctas, § 1: "Unless an article of necessity occurs, confession by mouth must be made to the priest."
- St. Thomas assigns the reason in a. 3:
"Confession... insofar as it is a part of the sacrament, has a determinate act, just as the other sacraments have determinate matter; and just as in Baptism, for signifying interior washing, that element is assumed whose use is greatest in washing, so in the act of the sacrament, for manifesting, ordinarily that act is assumed by which we are most accustomed to manifest, namely one's own word. But other modes are in supplement to this."
519. Principle II. Vocal confession is not required from the very essence of the sacrament or by divine precept, but from custom, which has obtained the force of ecclesiastical law, so that he would sin gravely who, without any cause, would wish to confess only by sign or writing, while he can easily use his voice. But when a just cause exists, confession can licitly be made by signs or in writing, e.g., 1) if the penitent is mute; or, on account of sickness, an impeded tongue, or disturbance, can speak only with great difficulty; or, on account of excessive shame, anxiety, or scruples, cannot declare his sins integrally; likewise 2) if the confessor is somewhat deaf and cannot hear the penitent without those standing nearby also hearing him.
In these cases a) the penitent, if he is not mute, should at least say: "of the sins which are written on this paper, I accuse myself"; or should indicate by nods that this writing is ordered to confession and absolution; yet this is not absolutely required for validity; b) also the penitent ought to confess in this way if the precept of confession urges, because the inconvenience of writing is not so great that it excuses from the grave precept, even divine, of confession. Nor is it an obstacle that a man is not held to write sins lest they fall from memory, for no precept is given of retaining sins in memory; and, moreover, the necessity of confession of itself is much greater than the necessity of material integrity.
520. Observation. - Let the words of St. Thomas, ad 2, be noted: "In one who does not have the use of the tongue it suffices that he confess by writing or by nod or by an interpreter, because more is not required from a man than he can do; although a man cannot or ought not receive Baptism except in water, which is altogether from without and is furnished to us by another. But the act of confession is from within and from us; and therefore when we cannot confess in one way, we ought to confess according as we can."