Question — Merkelbach, Summa Theologiae Moralis
Question Three: On the Institution, Necessity, and Iteration of the Sacrament of Penance
S. Th. III, q. 84, a. 5-10.
It is proved: Christ principally instituted the sacrament of Penance when He conferred the judicial power of absolving and retaining: for the sacrament of Penance was instituted by way of judgment. But Christ did this after the resurrection, as is clear from John XX, 21-23. Therefore.
It is said: principally, because previously the power had been promised implicitly (Matt. XVI and XVIII), although not granted explicitly.
The other part, the fittingness, is proved thus by St. Thomas, a. 7:
"In this sacrament the act of the penitent is related as matter; but that which is on the part of the priest, who works as minister of Christ, is related as the formal and completive element of the sacrament.
"Now a) matter, even in the other sacraments, preexists from nature, as water, or from art, as bread; but that such matter be assumed for a sacrament needs institution determining this. But b) the form of the sacrament and c) its power are wholly from the institution of Christ, from whose Passion the power of the sacraments proceeds.
"Thus therefore 1) the matter of this sacrament preexists from nature: for by natural reason man is moved to repent of the evils which he has done; but that man do penance in this or that way is from divine institution. Whence also the Lord at the beginning of His preaching enjoined men not only to repent, but also to do penance, signifying the determinate modes of acts which are required for the sacrament.
"2) But that which is formal and pertains to the office of ministers, He determined when He said to Peter (Matt. XVI, 19): To thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven...
"3) But the efficacy of this sacrament and the origin of its power He manifested after the resurrection (Luke XXIV, 47), where He said that penance and remission of sins ought to be preached in His name unto all nations, after mention had first been made of His Passion and resurrection. For from the power of the name of Jesus Christ suffering and rising again this sacrament has efficacy unto the remission of sins.
"And thus it is plain that this sacrament was fittingly instituted in this New Law."
449. Thesis II. The sacrament of Penance is not absolutely necessary unto salvation for all, because without it the baptized can be saved, whether children or adults, who have not sinned; but for some, on the supposition of sin, namely for sinners fallen after Baptism, it is necessary, and indeed in reality, or at least in desire, at least implicit. - It is of faith from the Council of Trent, sess. 6, can. 29, and sess. 14, c. 2, can. 1, against the Protestants, who all deny this necessity, even if they admit the sacrament or acknowledge its usefulness.
It is said: a) in reality or in desire, because perfect contrition outside the sacrament, since it is the final disposition to grace, always brings justification before the sacrament is received in reality, yet not without the desire of the sacrament included in it, as the Council of Trent says, sess. 14, c. 4. And therefore, although the sin has been remitted, there remains the obligation of receiving absolution;
b) in desire at least implicit, insofar as it is in some way included in every perfect contrition, even if someone does not think about the reception of the sacrament, whether from inadvertence, or from forgetfulness, or from invincible ignorance: for he who loves God above all things and sincerely grieves over sin implicitly wills to use the means instituted by God as necessary for obtaining remission. But the sacrament of Penance is a necessary means. Therefore the will of receiving it is in some way included in perfect contrition.
It is proved: It is necessary for the salvation of the sinner that sin be removed from him. But this is impossible without the means instituted by Christ in which the power of His Passion operates unto the remission of sin; but Christ applies the power of the Passion through the sacraments, and among the sacraments no other is found for the remission of sins committed after Baptism except Penance. Therefore the sacrament of Penance is necessary for the salvation of the sinner.
It is confirmed: To the ministers of the Church there has been given the power of the keys as regards the kingdom of heaven, i.e., not only of opening the kingdom but also of closing it, not only of loosing sins but also of binding them, not only of remitting but also of retaining sins. But this power would be vain if remission of sin could be obtained otherwise. Therefore (Council of Trent, sess. 14, c. 5).
Hence in tradition Penance is accustomed to be called the second plank after shipwreck1 (Council of Trent, can. 2).
450. Thesis III. The sacrament of Penance is repeatable many times. It is of faith from the universal preaching of the Church, against those who in the first times of the Church affirmed that penance could be done only once after Baptism, at least for graver sins; likewise against the Montanists and Novatians, who denied all pardon to those who had relapsed after Baptism into graver crimes. It is also clear from Lateran IV, and from Trent, sess. 14, c. 2, can. 1.
It is proved: 1° From the words of Christ: a) directly from the words of institution (John XX, 23), by which Christ gave priests the power of remitting sins without any restriction or limitation, and therefore as often as rightly disposed sinners should approach them;
b) indirectly from the precept of mercifully pardoning (Matt. XVIII, 21); from which St. Thomas argues thus, a. 10:
"Man is induced to mercy by the example of divine mercy, according to that saying of Luke VI, 36: Be ye merciful, as also your Father is merciful. But the Lord imposes this mercy upon His disciples, that they should often remit to their brethren sinning against them; whence, as is said, Matt. XVIII, 21, when Peter asked: How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?, Jesus answered: I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven (i.e., always). Therefore God also often gives pardon through penance to sinners, especially since He teaches us to ask, Matt. VI, 12: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive."
2° From the practice of the Church, which now for many centuries has been constant and universal, of absolving even those relapsed into the same sins as often as they truly come as penitents.
3° By reason: Some denied that penance can be repeated, because they "thought that the sin which someone commits after pardon has been obtained is so grave that it is not possible for it to be remitted; in which indeed they erred, both on the part of sin, which even after remission has been obtained can be either graver or lighter than the first sin remitted had been; and much more against the infinity of divine mercy, which surpasses every number and magnitude of sins, according to Ps. L, 1... And therefore the mercy of God gives pardon without any limit to those sinning after penance. Whence it is manifest that penance is repeatable many times" (a. 10).
451. Corollaries. - 1. There is a manifold reason why Penance, while Baptism cannot be repeated, can nevertheless itself be repeated. For a) Penance does not imprint, as Baptism does, an indelible character; b) Baptism is principally against original sin, which is not repeatable; Penance against actual sin, which is repeated; c) Baptism has its whole efficacy from the Passion of Christ without our act, and therefore, just as the Passion is one, so also is Baptism; Penance also requires our act and therefore admits repetition; d) Baptism is regeneration, Penance a certain healing; but someone is generated once, while he can be healed many times, as long as he will be in this life.
- Interior penance, by which someone grieves over the sin committed, ought to endure until the end of life: for it ought always to displease a man that he has sinned, which displeasure causes sorrow in him who is receptive of sorrow, such as man is in this life; - but exterior penance, by which someone shows exterior signs of sorrow and verbally confesses his sins to the priest absolving and satisfies according to his judgment, ought not always to endure, but until a determinate time according to the measure of the sin (a. 8).
- Nevertheless penance ought not to be continuous according to act, which is impossible, because it is necessary that the act of any virtue be interrupted at least by sleep and by other things which pertain to the necessity of the body; - but according to habit, insofar as man never does anything contrary to penance, and has the purpose that past sins should always displease him (a. 9).