Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume II › Book III. On the Aids of the Christian Life, or on the Sacraments › Treatise V. On Penance › Dissertation II. On the Sacrament of Penance › Part II. On the Ministration of the Sacrament of Penance › Section II. On the Ministration of the Sacrament of Penance to Certain Persons in Particular

Chapter — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Chapter II. On the Confession of the Rude, the Slow, and the Semi-Feeble

447.

I. The confession of the rude and the slow. Insofar as and in what manner they are to be instructed if perhaps they are ignorant of the things to be known by necessity of means and of precept, this has been said in n. 396. For the rest, in accusation and in eliciting contrition they must often be helped by the confessor. If they have omitted a diligent examination of conscience, they should not be dismissed so that they may search their conscience better.

Note. The things that have been said about the rude and the slow are also to be applied to deaf-mutes who are little instructed; for the rest, compare the things said in n. 396.

Penance and ConfessionConfessionThe Confession of the Rude, Slow and Semi-Feeble

448.

II. The confession of the semi-feeble.

  1. If with sufficient certainty they are only semi-feeble, and therefore capable of moral acts, they can rather often be admitted to the sacraments, for instance every month, provided however that here and now they are judged to have posited the acts required for penance. If it is somewhat probable that they are capable of mortal sin and guilty of it, the necessity of absolving them is to be urged still more.

  2. If it is doubted whether they are capable of moral acts, they are to be absolved under condition: 1. in danger of death; 2. at Easter; 3. several times in the year, especially if there is some fear that perhaps they have sinned gravely (St. Alphonsus, VI, 432).

The Confession of the Rude, Slow and Semi-Feeble