Question Two: On the Essence of Confession

St. Th., Suppl., q. 7.

514. Definition of confession. - Sacramental confession is the voluntary accusation of one's own sins committed after Baptism, made by the penitent to a legitimate priest in order to obtain pardon by the power of the keys. There is indicated:

1. the genus: accusation, not a simple narration performed in a historical manner, or a fortiori made for excuse or ostentation, but a manifestation by which someone declares his sins as a guilty person, and which is made after the manner of reprehension and vindication upon himself;

2. the quality: voluntary or spontaneous, not coerced, so that it may be distinguished from that which is made in the external forum;

3. the object or matter: one's own sins, namely actual sins committed after Baptism; for the matter is not original sin, nor the sins of another, nor mere imperfections;

4. the subject: by the penitent, i.e., with sorrow and contrition, without which it would not be an act of penance;

5. the end to which: made to a legitimate priest, as to the proper judge of this tribunal, namely to a priest legitimately designated and who legitimately has the power of order and jurisdiction; hence confession made to a layman or to a priest not having jurisdiction is not truly sacramental but only thought to be so;

6. the end which, or the effect: in order to obtain pardon. Hence if it is made only for the sake of counsel or consolation, or with the intention of mocking or of drawing the confessor into sin, it is not truly sacramental confession;

7. the cause by which the effect is obtained: by the power of the keys, i.e., of sacramental absolution; so that the general sacramental confession which is recited in the divine office or before Holy Communion is not sacramental confession (art. 1).

515. Confession is an act of virtue. - The reason is both because it is commanded, and because in its own nature it implies a condition which pertains to virtue, namely that the one confessing brings forth by mouth what he holds in mind; otherwise it would not be true confession but fiction. Therefore of itself it is an act of virtue, although it can become evil if it is not clothed with due circumstances (art. 2).

It is an act of the virtue of penance. For although confession of truth absolutely and of itself pertains to the virtue of truth, confession of truth to which there is added a special notion of good and which imports a special difficulty pertains to a special virtue; e.g., confession of faith pertains to faith, confession of God's benefits to religion, confession made in judgment to justice. But confession of sins imports a special notion of good, because it is for the recognition and amendment of fault, and a special difficulty. Therefore it is an act of a special virtue. But this is penance, to which pertains the recognition of one's own sin, which is the way to confession itself and the very shame of confession. Therefore (art. 3).

516. Observation. - Because an act of natural virtue is of natural right, confession considered in general is of natural right insofar as the penitent is naturally inclined to confession. Yet the determination of the circumstances is of divine right. Hence natural right inclines to confession, through divine right by which the circumstances are determined (art. 2, ad 1).