Case 4. No Sorrow for What She Has Done

Anna, who recently contracted marriage with Titius, a Protestant, in a Protestant church because she could not obtain from the Bishop a dispensation for a mixed marriage, comes to confession to Caius, a missionary priest in England. Concerning her other sins Anna declares that she is sorry from her heart; concerning the clandestine marriage, however, she is in no way sorry, nor can she be, because she loves her husband so ardently and rejoices in the union. Caius proposes various motives for sorrow, namely that so good a God was offended by marriage with a heretic, grave ecclesiastical laws were despised, and scandal was given to the faithful. At last, with tears, Anna professes that she is sorry for the manner in which the marriage was celebrated; for the marriage itself she neither can nor wills to be sorry, and indeed in the same circumstances she would do the same again. Caius, however, although he has faculties received from the Bishop for validating the marriage, doubts whether Anna is sufficiently disposed to receive absolution. Hence it is asked:

1. What kind of sorrow is required in the sacrament of Penance?

2. What kind of purpose of future amendment is required?

3. What is to be done by Caius?

1. What sort of sorrow is required in the sacrament of Penance?

The sorrow must be true and sincere, supernatural or rooted in faith, universal or it must embrace all the mortal sins that are to be forgiven, and it must be supreme, or the sinner must detest sin more than any other evil, and he must be prepared to do and suffer anything rather than sin again.¹

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, 156.

2. What sort of purpose of amendment is required?

The purpose of amendment must be sincere, efficacious, or the sinner must be prepared to take the means necessary to avoid sin in the future, and it must be universal, or extend to all mortal sins at least.²

2 Ibid., 161.

3. The case. Ann had married a Protestant in the Protestant Church and when she came to confession to Caius, she said she could not be sorry for what she had done; indeed she said she would do the same again in the same circumstances. Caius got her to see the malice of her action, and then she said she was sorry for the way in which she had married, but could not feel sorry for the marriage. It is not necessary that she should be sorry that she has the man she loves for her reputed husband, and as far as the past is concerned, it is enough that she is sorry for the way in which she was married against the Church’s laws. But she is still ill disposed for absolution, inasmuch as she says she would do the same again under the same circumstances. Caius must try to put her in better dispositions. In order to do this he may tell her that it will be better not to think of what she would do under the same circumstances, as she will never again be placed in the same circumstances. If she can be got to be really sorry for what was wrong in her action, and to hope that God would give her grace never to yield again, and that she would do all on her side to co-operate with the grace of God, she might be absolved, and then the marriage could be put right. For this it will now be requisite that the parties should contract marriage in the ordinary way before the parish priest or his delegate and two witnesses.