§ 4. On the Commutation of an Imposed Satisfaction

404. 1. For requesting or granting the commutation of a penance, a reasonable cause is required, namely, the spiritual good of the penitent. Before absolution has been received, the satisfaction can more easily be commuted for the penitent, since the sacramental judgment is not yet complete. Indeed, if the confessor were unwilling to acquiesce in the petition, the penitent could, provided that a reasonable cause exists, leave the confessional and confess again to another confessor and be absolved.

2. After absolution has already been received, the penitent can for a just cause obtain a change of the satisfaction enjoined, either from the same or from another confessor, but not from himself or from another person who does not have jurisdiction to hear confessions.

The reason is that satisfaction is the complement of sacramental absolution, and therefore it must always have a relation to it, and no one except one who is able to impart absolution can commute the satisfaction.

From this principle it follows: a) that the penitent or a lay person can never commute sacramental satisfaction, not even into an evidently better work. Thus all authors. b) That a penance imposed for reserved sins ordinarily cannot be commuted by another confessor who is unable to absolve from those reserved sins, unless, however, recourse to the superior is difficult. For then it is permissible to presume the requisite permission and to grant the commutation. Thus the more common opinion, which pleases St. Alphonsus.²⁷²

3. The same confessor certainly can make a commutation immediately after absolution, since the judgment still morally continues. Several authors, for example Lugo, Ballerini, Noldin, and others, think that the confessor can commute the satisfaction imposed even outside the sacrament, and indeed for as long as the change is morally united with the sacramental judgment, for example, for some days, or even, according to Lugo,²⁷³ after "a long time," even if the confessor no longer remembers the sins. Whatever may be the probability of that opinion, it must more truly be held with St. Alphonsus²⁷⁴ that this commutation is not permissible except immediately after absolution; and therefore, if the penitent returns after some days asking for a commutation, he must be absolved again after at least a general accusation of sins has been made beforehand.

4. Another confessor, however, cannot commute the satisfaction except by virtue of absolution to be given either now or afterward. In this case, however, it suffices that the penitent manifest the state of his soul to the confessor in a general manner, so that he may be able to receive absolution. For it is not necessary that the confessor judge concerning the individual sins which have already been duly accused and remitted. Nevertheless, some theologians teach with sufficient probability that a penance can be changed by another confessor without the sins being accused again.²⁷⁵

²⁷² L.c., n. 529, dub. 2.

²⁷³ De sacr. poenit., disp. 25, n. 112.

²⁷⁴ Theol. mor. l. 6, n. 529, dub. 3.

²⁷⁵ St. Alphonsus, l.c., n. 529, dub. 3.