Part II. On the Ministration of the Sacrament of Penance

360.

The minister of the sacrament of Penance is the priest alone; this is clear both from the Council of Trent and from canon 871. The Council of Trent declared: "If anyone shall say ... that priests alone are not the ministers of absolution ... let him be anathema."¹

Having set these things down, we shall treat first of the ministration of the sacrament of Penance generally, then of its ministration to some persons specifically.

¹ Session 14, canon 10.

The Ministration of the Sacrament of Penance

Within this part

Section I. On the Ministration of the Sacrament of Penance Generallynn. 361–443
- Chapter I. On the Required Powernn. 361–388
  - Article I. On Sacramental Jurisdiction Generallynn. 361–367
  - Article II. On Sacramental Jurisdiction Over Some Classes of Persons Specificallynn. 368–378
    Scholion. On Confessors to Be Deputed for Religiousnn. 374–378
    I. Clerical Religion of Menn. 374
    II. Lay Religion of Menn. 375
    III. Religion of Womennn. 376–378
    IV. A Society, Whether of Men or Women, Living in Community without Vows
  - Article III. On the Limitation of Jurisdiction with Respect to Sins, or on the Reservation of Sinsnn. 379–388
    Scholion. On Supplied Sacramental Jurisdictionn. 388
- Chapter II. On the Right Use of the Powernn. 389–443
  - Article I. On the Things to Be Observed in Confessionnn. 390–407
    § I. On the Office of Questioningnn. 390–395
    § II. On the Office of Instructingn. 396
    § III. On the Office of Judging Sinsn. 397
    § IV. On the Office of Judging and Promoting Dispositionnn. 398–401
    § V. On the Office of Consulting for Amendment of Lifen. 402
    § VI. On the Office of Rendering Sentencenn. 403–407
  - Article II. On Things to Be Avoided in Confessionnn. 408–427
    § I. On Inquiry into the Name of an Accomplicen. 408
    § II. On Absolution of an Accomplicenn. 409–415
    § III. On Solicitation to Shameful Thingsnn. 416–427
    Point I. On Those who Must Be Denouncednn. 417–419
    Point II. On Those who Must Denouncenn. 420–421
    Point III. On the Manner of Denouncingn. 422
    Point IV. On the Obligation of the Confessor with Respect to a Penitent who Is Bound to Denouncenn. 423–427
    Scholion I. On the Manner of Receiving a Denunciation, And, Once It Has Been Received, of Proceeding Further Against Those Denouncedn. 426
    Scholion II. On False Denunciationn. 427
  - Article III. On Things to Be Observed After Confessionnn. 428–443
    § I. On the Office of Preserving the Sacramental Sealnn. 428–440
    Point I. On the Obligation of the Sacramental Sealnn. 429–434
    Point II. On the Object of the Sacramental Sealn. 435
    Point III. On the Subject of the Sacramental Sealn. 436
    Point IV. Corollaries from the Doctrine Handed Downnn. 437–440
    Scholion. On the Penalties Established Against Transgressorsn. 440
    § II. On the Obligation of Repairing Defects Admitted in Confessionnn. 441–443
Section II. On the Ministration of the Sacrament of Penance to Certain Persons in Particularnn. 446–474
- Chapter I. On the Confession of Childrenn. 446
- Chapter II. On the Confession of the Rude, the Slow, and the Semi-Feeblenn. 447–448
- Chapter III. On the Confession of Habituated Personsnn. 449–454
  - Scholion. On the Confession of Those Given to Pollution or Onanism
- Chapter IV. On the Confession of Those in Occasions of Sinnn. 455–474
  - Article I. On Those in Occasions in Generalnn. 455–465
  - Article II. On Some Occasions in Speciesnn. 466–474
    § I. On Concubinagenn. 466–467
    § II. On Courtshipsn. 468
    § III. On Domestic Dangersn. 469
    § IV. On Dancesn. 470
    § V. On Theatrical Spectaclesn. 471
    § VI. On Evil Writingsn. 472
    § VII. On Evil Associationsn. 473
    § VIII. On Evil Schoolsn. 474