Question Three: On the Endowments of Confession

517. Matter to be treated. - There are many qualities or endowments required or useful for confession; indeed, besides the fact that confession must be made by mouth, sixteen are enumerated by the theologians with St. Thomas (Suppl., q. 9, a. 4), expressed in these verses:

Let confession be simple, humble, pure, faithful,
And frequent, bare, discreet, willing, shamefaced,
Integral, secret, tearful, hastened,
Strong and accusing, and let it be prepared to obey.

Of these only three require elucidation, namely those which are required by the proper nature of confession insofar as it is confession, namely from the fact that it is a manifestation. For manifestation can be impeded more or less by imperfect expression, by subtraction, and by falsity. To avert this, confession must be vocal, integral, and faithful.