Fifth Part: On the Subject of Penance

647. The subject of Penance is every and only wayfaring man, baptized, a sinner, truly contrite, and confessing in some way. He must be:

1. a wayfaring man, because for him alone were the sacraments instituted;

2. baptized, because Baptism renders men capable of receiving the other sacraments, which otherwise would be received invalidly;

3. a sinner, i.e., one who after Baptism has committed at least a venial sin, because the virtue of penance is only concerning actual personal sin, and the sacrament of penance was instituted for the remission of sins committed after Baptism; but if he were not a sinner, the words of absolution would not be verified and the absolution would be invalid;

4. contrite, at least with imperfect contrition; otherwise he would not be truly penitent, since contrition is the principal and essential act of penance, without which it is impossible to obtain remission of actual sin (n. 412 and 483);

5. confessing in some way, or externally accusing himself of being a sinner. For without external accusation the sins and dispositions of the penitent would be unknown to the minister, who would not be able to exercise judgment; but any external accusation whatever, even the smallest, suffices for this, in circumstances in which greater integrity of confession is impossible (n. 525).

All the aforesaid things are necessary for the validity of the sacrament, as is sufficiently clear from what has been said before; and yet among them certain things are directly required for the capacity of validly receiving the sacrament, while others are rather required for the disposition of good and fruitful reception, although nevertheless they can also be required for validity because of the special character of the sacrament of Penance.1