Penitents of Particular Condition

237. Moreover, speaking generally, "the confessor ought to be exceedingly cautious in hearing the confessions of women. And first it must be noted that in the Decree of the Sacred Congregations of Bishops, January 21, 1610, it is said: Confessors should not, without necessity, hear the confessions of women after evening twilight and before dawn. But speaking of the prudence of the confessor, he regularly should be, in the confessional with younger women, rather strict than gentle; nor should he permit them to approach the confessional in advance in order to speak with him, and much less to kiss his hands. In the act of confession, let him not show that he recognizes them; for some, who wish to be held religious, sometimes, noticing that they are known by the confessor, do not make an integral confession. It is also imprudence to cast the eyes upon penitents when they withdraw from the confessional, and to look at them for some time. Outside the confessional, let him not even linger to converse with them in the Church, and let him avoid every familiarity. Let him also abstain from receiving little gifts; and especially let him never go to their houses, except in the one case of grave infirmity, and then let him go only when called. Then let him apply great diligence in hearing their confessions, whence he should leave the door open; let him sit in a place where he can be seen by others, and never fix his eyes on the face of the penitent. And this especially holds if they are spiritual persons, with whom there is a danger of greater adhesion... Such persons do not immediately notice this, since the devil at the beginning does not send forth poisoned arrows, but only those which wound a little and increase affection. But in a short time persons of this kind come to this, that they no longer act with themselves as angels, as they had begun, but as clothed in flesh; they look at one another in turn, and strike one another's minds with flattering speeches, which still seem to proceed from the first devotion. Hence one begins to desire the presence of the other, and thus spiritual devotion is converted into carnal." L. Prax. Confess. n. 119.; G. Cas. t. 2. n. 725-727.; Reuter, Neo-Confessar. n. 110.

The Confessor is appointed not only to absolve sinners, but also to direct souls in the way of perfection; for the Lord repeats to all Confessors what he formerly said to Jeremiah: Behold, I have appointed you over the nations, that you may root out and destroy, build and plant.

641. Rule I. - Before all things, let the Confessor strive to perceive the intimate movements and condition of the souls of penitents, so that he may be able to accommodate instruction to their capacity and nature; for not all are to be led by the same spirit, nor are all to be governed in one manner. - See St. Ligorius, Practice of the Confessor, no. 99 and following.

Rule II. Let him lead penitents to perfection by degrees and in an orderly manner, so that they first strive to attain the first degree of virtue before they contend for the highest; for example, let them first learn to act with a right intention ¹ and to perform ordinary actions rightly before they think upon higher things; let them first learn to bear light things patiently before they desire grave things; let them first learn to suffer with an even mind before they wish to rejoice in adversities ².

¹ Understand a right intention negatively, that is, that they not add a disordered end to actions good from their object. For if you understand a right end, that the action may please God, be done for the love of God, etc., you have not the first or lowest degree of virtue but the highest, which resides in the exercise of perfect charity.

² Observe nevertheless that saying: The Spirit breathes where he wills; moreover, some, God thus permitting, are infected with defects while otherwise they abound in great gifts of God and solid fruit of virtues.

Rule III. Let him teach all that the perfection of each consists in this: that they perform ordinary works well; for example, that they pray well, assist at Mass, exercise themselves in labors, take bodily refreshment in the manner which is fitting, converse blamelessly with their neighbor, and finally rightly discharge all the things incumbent upon them from their office and state.

642. Rule IV. - Let him opportunely test penitents professing devotion, so that he may observe by what spirit they are led, whether of God or of the world, of love or of fear, and what affection is predominant in them, which must first be mortified. Nevertheless, not all are to be tested and treated in the same manner, but caution and discretion are needed. Thus those who are prone to sadness are to be received more kindly, lest they fall into dejection of spirit; souls as yet tender, whom God first conciliates to himself, are also to be treated more gently; but if souls are nobler or stronger, or have extraordinary benefits of God, a certain severity is to be joined to gentleness. But let the Confessor take care that the test not be open ³; otherwise it profits nothing.

³ Let him take care especially that he use tests of this kind more than sparingly and very rarely. For occasions of recognizing the spirit by which penitents are led will offer themselves spontaneously a hundred times.

Rule V. Let him not impose, indeed, where there is need, let him moderate extraordinary penances; but let him so instruct souls that they themselves spontaneously request them. Nor is trust to be placed in the spirit of those who are discovered studiously pursuing extraordinary things, unless certain signs are present that they are led by divine impulse. If someone is observed to be tenacious of his own judgment in matters to be done, he is to be corrected gently ⁴.

⁴ Whether one is to deal gently with a person tenacious of his own judgment or not seems rather to be determined from his character and circumstances after these have been perceived. This surely is of the greatest importance: that the Confessor remedy this vice altogether efficaciously. For tenacity of judgment will with difficulty be reconciled with that perfect obedience without which scarcely any progress in true virtue can be hoped for and the danger of a grave fall also is not feared in vain. On this matter St. Ignatius Loyola (Letter on the Virtue of Obedience, section 11) fittingly brings forward the words of Cassian (conference 2 of Abbot Moses, chapter 11): By no other vice does the devil draw and lead a monk so precipitously to death as when, after the counsels of his elders have been neglected, he persuades him to trust in his own judgment, decision, and doctrine.

Rule VI. Let him take care that those who can approach sacred Communion frequently confess every week or at least twice in the month ⁵.

⁵ At the same time, however, let him take care that, if perhaps persons of this kind cannot approach confession at stated times, they do not for that reason abstain also from Holy Communion.

See more in St. Ligorius, Practice of the Confessor.

— Penitents of little piety and rarely approaching the tribunal of Penance, for example only at Paschal time, must be treated by the confessor with that dexterity by which, in a few moments, he knows how to question them sufficiently, bring them to sincere contrition, and render them, by paternal counsels, more pacified, instructed, and content about the confession made.

Such persons, if they are doubtfully disposed, are to be absolved under condition rather than dismissed with the danger that now they omit the sacraments entirely.

What if, stained by many harmful things, they are foreseen soon to relapse?

Let the confessor discharge his office with all zeal and charity. When he has done this: a) either they appear certainly indisposed, for example because they do not wish to fulfill a grave obligation of which they are conscious: then, as if unwilling, let him deny absolution, indicating the manifest reason of the sentence and adding how gladly they would be received better disposed; let him not neglect to cast seeds of this disposition. Rarely, except sometimes with priests or with the uneducated full of faith, will harsh severity profit anything; b) or they sincerely grieve and resolve: let the confessor absolve them, obtaining, if it can be done, more frequent use of the sacraments; c) if the disposition is doubtful, let him absolve them under condition, with a paternal admonition added, in which he recalls the uselessness of absolution given to him whom God knows to be indisposed.

Thus he will help as much as he can. There is hope of absolution efficaciously given; at the beginning at least sins will be committed less frequently; the soul will not be turned away from religion or the sacraments; and perhaps great scandals will be impeded.

Doctors agree that the greatest indulgence also must be used with those who at the end of a mission approach the sacrament of Penance.

Concerning recidivists and those who are placed in a proximate occasion of sinning, cf. the things said above, n. 543, and the things to be said in the chapter on the penitent.

I. The present treatment pertains to the final part of the doctrine concerning Penance, where the subject of this sacrament is discussed.

Now the subject of Penance is every and only wayfarer man, baptized, a sinner, truly contrite, and confessing in some manner. He must be:

1. a wayfarer man, because the sacraments were instituted for him alone;

2. baptized, because Baptism renders persons capable of receiving the other sacraments, which otherwise would be received invalidly;

3. a sinner, that is, one who after Baptism has committed at least a venial sin, because the virtue of penance is only concerning actual personal sin, and the sacrament of penance was instituted for the remission of sins committed after Baptism; but if he were not a sinner, the words of absolution would not be verified and absolution would be invalid;

4. contrite, at least by imperfect contrition; otherwise he would not truly be penitent, since contrition is the principal and essential act of penance, without which it is impossible to obtain remission of actual sin;

5. confessing in some manner, or externally accusing himself of being a sinner. For without an external accusation the sins and dispositions of the penitent would be unknown to the minister, who would not be able to exercise judgment; but any external accusation whatever, even a minimal one, suffices for this in circumstances in which a greater integrity of confession is impossible.

II. All the foregoing things are clear from the doctrine concerning the virtue and sacrament of penance. Hence, in the present matter, an application must be made of the principles set forth in the whole treatise concerning penance to the various categories of penitents which can present special difficulties.

The categories can be divided according to the particular dispositions of penitents; the condition of the body, or of the soul; the state of life; or the kind of sin.

But we limit the exposition of the present little work to the three former kinds of classes; perhaps we shall treat of the remaining ones at a future time.

III. Moreover, the questions to be treated can be reduced to the following:

I. Concerning penitents variously disposed:

1. Concerning penitents who are to be directed in the examination of conscience.

2. Concerning penitents who are to be interrogated.

3. Concerning penitents who are to be instructed and admonished.

4. Concerning customary sinners and recidivists.

5. Concerning those in occasions of sin.

6. Concerning penitents who are to be obliged or induced to a new or general confession.

II. Concerning penitents various according to the condition of the body:

1. Concerning children.

2. Concerning the half-witted and deaf-mutes.

3. Concerning adolescents and young persons.

4. Concerning men and women.

5. Concerning abnormal persons.

6. Concerning the sick and the dying.

7. Concerning the incarcerated and those condemned to death.

III. Concerning penitents various according to the condition of the soul:

1. Concerning the pious and devout.

2. Concerning the perfect and contemplative.

3. Concerning the tempted.

4. Concerning the scrupulous.

5. Concerning the lax.

6. Concerning the worldly.

7. Concerning the learned and persons of distinguished condition.

8. Concerning the excommunicated.

I. Importance of the confession of men. - Regularly, in ministering Penance, men are to be preferred to women, both because more often they have committed greater sins and are more in need of confession, and because their confessions are more fruitful, as of those who are furnished with greater reflection and constancy, and because, if they are instituted and preserved in Christian life, the good will be better, which extends more broadly and is of greater efficacy. Hence greater care is to be expended upon them than upon pious women, as being more necessary and useful; especially upon those who are not much solicitous concerning piety and rarely confess, concerning whom we shall speak specially in the present matter.¹

¹ Cf. Reuter-Lehmkuhl, Neo-conf., nn. 118 a and b; Frassinetti, Th. M., diss. 15, § 2; Berardi, Praxis conf., nn. 1134 and 1083.

But in our times it is to be lamented that many men, especially in greater cities and industrial regions, and from almost all ranks, exist alienated from frequenting the sacraments and the exercise of religion. There are several causes of this evil:

1. several are so immersed in material and temporal things that they can scarcely lift the soul to higher things;

2. then morals exist depraved, which many do not wish to amend, or despair that they can amend, whence it happens that they exclude themselves from the sacraments of the Church;

3. finally faith itself languishes or even is extinguished, which is the root of all Christian life and honesty of morals. This loss of faith is prepared and effected by:

1791. III. In receiving the confessions of persons OF THE OTHER SEX, especially of those who profess piety, the confessor ought to be MOST CAUTIOUS. Wherefore let him diligently observe these prescriptions, and let him judge it unlawful to violate them:⁷

1. From the decree of the S. C. of Bishops, Jan. 21, 1610: "Confessors, without necessity, ought not to hear the confessions of women after the evening twilight and before dawn." But if necessity is present, let this not be done without a lighted lamp and without a witness. Access should always be granted to men before women, where this can conveniently be done.

2. In receiving their confession, especially if they are younger, let him be austere rather than affable and familiar; in no matter let him intimate that they are known to him; let him also be most restrained as to the eyes, so that he never, while they remain in the confessional, look them in the face, nor, when they depart, follow them with his eyes. - Let him abstain especially from all flattering and rather tender words, lest the tribunal of the immaculate Lamb be changed into a den of thieves.

3. Outside confession, let him flee all familiarity with them, nor let him visit them at home, except in the case of grave illness; but not even then let him receive their confession unless the door of the room is open. - Little gifts, flatteries, praises, and whatever usually conciliates friendship, are to be entirely avoided on both sides. Nor are women less to be guarded against because they are more holy; for, St. Thomas testifying, the holier and purer they are, the more they allure the mind. See other things at nn. 833, 1841 sqq., 1847 sqq.

4. "Never, without necessity, let him speak of the defects of other confessors; but rather let him sedulously seek to excuse them from some error committed."⁸

5. "Let him not undertake the direction of anyone who wishes to leave his own director, unless there is an urgent cause... And let him advert that, for changing a confessor, it is not enough that the penitent feels some abhorrence toward him, or that he seems no longer to have faith in his words: for, as St. Teresa says, often this is a temptation of the devil. - Hence St. Francis de Sales teaches thus: 'The confessor is not to be changed without grave reason. But, on the contrary, neither is it expedient in this to be unchangeable, if legitimate causes of change supervene.'"⁹

6. "Let the confessor avoid showing himself partial with some penitent. Some attach too much benevolence of soul to some soul, when they take upon themselves every care, time, and labor for that one. - It is not to be denied that some soul will sometimes need greater assistance than another; but assistance is one thing, attachment another, which brings it about that less care is had for other penitents. Therefore it will be expedient that the confessor assign to that more needy person some particular day or time, without others receiving inconvenience."¹⁰

7. "In receiving the confessions of these spiritual persons, the confessor ought to beware lest he raise his voice too much, although he is not speaking of sins: because from this it can happen that others are frightened from confessing their faults, out of this fear that the confessor speaks with a loud voice."¹¹

See also the ROMAN RITUAL: Order of Ministering the Sacrament of Penance.

Among penitents a twofold variety can be detected: the one, namely, which arises from their internal state of soul; and the other, which proceeds from their external condition of life. - Hence there is a twofold paragraph.

Penitents who, on account of external condition, demand a special care proper to themselves, are especially: 1. children and adolescents; - 2. the betrothed and spouses; - 3. persons of distinguished condition; - and 4. finally, the sick and the dying. As regards Nuns, see what was said at nn. 1764, 1765, 1736.¹

1850. I. The BETROTHED are generally to be admonished that they celebrate matrimony as quickly as possible; for thus very many sins are impeded. Recall what was said at n. 826 and following, to which add the following:¹⁰

1. Let the confessor first see whether any impediment is present, whether prohibiting or diriment, ecclesiastical or civil, so that it may be removed opportunely. See n. 1984 sqq. and n. 2041 sqq.

2. Let him use every zeal and industry, so that the betrothed, purified by holy confession, may receive this great Sacrament fruitfully. - The matter having been accomplished in vain, let him dismiss the indisposed without absolution, without, however, denying to those asking, if they have truly confessed, a certificate of confession made. Let him absolve the doubtfully disposed under condition, as was said above at n. 1663, q. 4 and 5. - Moreover in either case, let him gravely admonish them to prepare themselves, through perfect contrition, for entering matrimony worthily, and to return shortly to confessing, with all mention of the sacrilege by which those contracting unworthily defile themselves omitted, in order to forestall a greater sin, unless perhaps a certain fruit could be hoped for from an admonition of this kind.¹¹

3. Let him admonish them concerning the most grave end of matrimony, and concerning the obligations of spouses and parents (cf. n. 699 sqq. and n. 703). - But speaking of those things which regard the use of matrimony, let him use the greatest prudence. "For innocent betrothed women, who perhaps are ignorant of copula, are not to be instructed by a priest before matrimony; but if they ask anything, they are first to be sent back to their mothers. This especially holds for betrothed women of a more honorable condition, who are wont to be taught by their mothers on the day before matrimony. If they do not have a mother, let the pastor or confessor point out to them some prudent and pious matron, from whom they may learn all those things which it is fitting for spouses to know."¹² But if the betrothed have already been corrupted, or are by no means ignorant of the base matter, let the confessor teach them, yet briefly and with the most chaste words, as is set forth in the following rule.

1851. II. "SPOUSES are to be taught that not all things are licit for the married, but that the sanctity of matrimony can be defiled by grave sins. Wherefore the following general RULES are to be handed down to each: 1. All those things are licit to spouses which are ordered to the generation of offspring, or to the legitimate use of marriage. - 2. They are immune from mortal fault if deliberately they do nothing by which they expose themselves to great danger either of losing semen on the part of either one, or of harming a fetus conceived. - 3. For the rest, if afterward they doubt concerning some matter, counsel must be sought from the confessor.

"Moreover, each is to be taught: 1. The HUSBAND, that he not ask the debt at those times in which copula can be gravely harmful to the wife, for example at the time of purgation, or of grave disease. - 2. The WIFE, that she is bound under grave sin to obey the husband in rendering the debt, unless she is excused from a just cause, for example because of infirmity."¹³

1852. Let it be noted: "1. The instruction premised, which of itself is incumbent on the pastor, is to be handed down either on the day before matrimony is to be contracted, or a little after it has been contracted, according as it shall have seemed expedient; or as often as younger spouses ask to be taught by the confessor concerning this matter, or are noticed to need instruction of this kind.

2. "Instruction of spouses concerning things to be observed in the case of abortion, as regards Baptism of the aborted fetus, wholly pertains to the pastor; nevertheless, when an occasion has been given, namely when the confessor notices that spouses are ignorant of these things, or have failed in their office in this matter, let him himself not neglect to teach them. The same must be said concerning those things which spouses must avoid, that they may beware of abortion.

3. "Let the confessor not omit to admonish younger wives, for whom it is fitting, that they not take with themselves into bed an infant not yet one year old, nor boys or girls already six years old; and much more, that they not permit children of this kind of either sex to sleep together in the same bed."¹⁴

IT IS ASKED. How must one proceed with spouses who are placed in a PROXIMATE OCCASION of sin because of abuse of matrimony against nature, for example if one directly pollutes the other, if one is accustomed to consent to onanism, sodomy, one's own pollution, etc.?

Resp. They are to be treated as habituated persons or recidivists in a necessary occasion. But if, remedies having been applied, they always relapse in the same way, without probable hope of amendment, they are in no way to be absolved unless they have removed the occasion, according to what was said at n. 1825, q. 2. - Indeed, in this case, a spouse who is placed in proximate danger of sinning because of the solicitation of the consort is bound to make separation if no other remedy remains,¹⁵ as will be seen in the Treatise on Matrimony (n. 2124, 2).

1853. St. Alphonsus admonishes:¹⁶ "With persons of this kind (i.e., with princes, magistrates, prelates, pastors, priests, etc.), although corrections must be applied in milder and more discreet words, nevertheless let it be done with greater fortitude and warmth of soul, since from the sins of these persons, on account of the graver harm which can be brought to others by their evil example, a more pernicious consequent license of crimes is wont to exist." (cf. n. 1810, Reg. 3a).

See the Praxis Confessarii n. 48 and following, as regards the questions to be asked of those who are of a conscience little meticulous. See also the things set forth in Part 4, On Particular States.¹⁷

There must be treated: 1° of those in occasions; 2° of the habituated and recidivists; 3° of the Confession of children before First Communion; 4° of the Confession of adolescents after First Communion; 5° of the Confession of persons of the other sex; 6° of the Confession of persons of distinguished condition; 7° of the Confession of persons professing piety.

1484. - The confessor:

1° "Regularly in the confessional with younger" persons of the other sex "should be rather rigid," i.e. grave, "than gentle."

2° "It is imprudence ... to cast the eyes upon penitents when they withdraw from the confessional, and to look at them for some time."

3° Unless the reason of pastoral office demands it, "outside the confessional let him not even linger to converse with them, ... and let him avoid all familiarity, ... and especially let him never go to their houses."

4° "Let him abstain also from receiving," especially in favor of himself alone, "little gifts."

5° "Let him not be so devoted to the Confessions of women that through this he refuses to hear men," i.e. males, "coming to him," or cannot conveniently hear them. Wherefore the practice existing in certain churches is to be commended, namely that on one side of the confessional, namely on the right of the confessor, men alone stand, on the other women alone, and that to devout persons some day or time be assigned, in which they can conveniently approach, without others being compelled to wait because of them.

6° Letters pertaining to the direction of women should be: a) only responsive, and not even these should be employed while direction can be provided otherwise; b) grave, and, insofar as it will be possible, brief; c) so written that, with the Sacramental seal prescinded, they can be read by the Bishop. Thus Dubois, Pratique du zèle ecclésiastique.

1485. - Here there is question especially of the manner in which the more honorable, for example the principal persons among parishioners, priests, and Prelates are to be treated. "With such persons corrections must be employed in gentler and more discreet words, but with greater fortitude and warmth of soul, since from the sins of these, because of the graver damage which can be brought to others by their bad example, a more pernicious consequent license of crimes is accustomed to arise."

1486. - Penitents who live free from mortal faults are to be led to perfection, but

1° In order and by degrees. - Hence let them be taught: a) "To beware of the smallest deliberate defect, or one admitted with eyes open," yet in such a way that after some light fault has been admitted they do not fall in soul, but rise from the fall by acts of humility, sorrow, and purpose, and this even if they fell a hundred times in the day. b) To perform well ordinary actions, or prayers, the duties of their state, etc., and to have a right intention in all things. c) First to strive for patience, and only afterward for joy in adversities. d) Let them learn to bear light things before they desire grave things.

2° Let them exercise themselves especially in obedience toward the confessor, parents, and husband; in charity toward the neighbor, especially toward domestics; in patience, in the exercise of the presence of God, in special devotion toward the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Guardian Angel, and the Patron Saint.

3° a) Let them apply themselves daily for some time to mental prayer according to their capacity, and never omit it, or other exercises of piety or mortification, because of dryness of spirit. b) Let them apply themselves to Christian mortification in such a way that they prefer internal to external, but not neglect this latter. But in external positive mortification, for example fasts, disciplines, etc., let them do nothing without the counsel of the confessor. But he in general should concede less than is asked; he should especially intend to restrain gluttony and sensuality; he should be discreet in conceding mortification of sleep; and above all he should exhort to negative mortifications, such as to deprive oneself of the sight or hearing of curious things, etc.

4° As regards the frequentation of the Sacraments: 1) Let him advise general Confession to those who are not scrupulous and have not yet made it. 2) Let them confess once, or at most twice in the week. But he who has fallen into venial sin and lacks a suitable occasion of confessing should not on that account abstain from Communion, since venial sins are remitted also by other means. - Indeed certain timorous persons often dispose themselves more usefully for Communion by their own acts, since these are then accustomed to be more fervent, than by Confession. Concerning the contrition required for the Confession of venial sins, see n. 1340. q. 7°, 1350. q. 4°, 1355. q. 4°; concerning the absolution of those who confess only doubtfully venial sins, n. 1344. q. 8°; concerning the frequency of Communion, n. 1313; concerning the direction of those who are endowed with the gift of higher prayer, or Contemplation, Prax. Conf.

Recall also what was said concerning the manner of acting with women (n. 1484), and concerning not preventing penitents of this kind (unless they are scrupulous) from sometimes going to another confessor (n. 1483. 4°), whom they must also sometimes be commanded to approach.

No doubt General Confession is in many cases necessary. This necessity will occur in the case of women more frequently than of men, because invalid Confessions, for lack of contrition or of sincerity, are more frequently made by the former than by the latter. When, therefore, there is need of a General Confession in the case of a female, the confessor is, of course, obliged to hear the same. But great precaution is required in this matter, as it not infrequently happens that females misuse General Confession and are prompted by discreditable motives. Such motives are, for instance: 1. Curiosity regarding the ways of a new confessor; 2. Infatuation, which causes the penitent to seek opportunity for long conversations with the confessor; 3. Jealousy, the person endeavoring to stay longer in the confessional than other penitents of her sex; 4. Now and then malicious intention, either of confusing young and inexperienced confessors, or even to lead them into temptation, by inventing sins contra sextum, etc. Hence young priests in particular should be cautious in such cases and seek in a prudent way to ascertain of what mind the penitent is, and by what motives she feels induced to make a General Confession.

For it is not merely a waste of time to hear a General Confession made only for purpose of conversation. For that reason it is well not to lose sight of the Ducite Caute. Dr. Joseph Niglutsch.