Confession and Absolution | Page 4

consequent on sin, may be excited by fear of Him who hath power to
cast into everlasting prison. The soul, awe-stricken by the painful sight
of its own guilt, and by the sense of the judgment of God, yet hoping
for pardon and resolved to sin no more, makes an initial act of the love
of God, and appeals to His goodness for forgiveness. Though the
motive is less perfect, yet "He who desireth not the death of the sinner,
but that he be converted and live" does in His exceeding mercy accept
this as sufficient for pardon, if there be added to it the actual reception
of the Sacrament of Penance. In other words, in this case, unless the
sinner shows himself to the authorized minister of reconciliation and
receives his absolution, there is no pardon.
Whether this sorrow be of the perfect kind, arising purely from love of
God, or whether it be less perfect, caused by fear of God: in either case,
it is internal, seated in the mind and heart; it is supernatural in its
motive, and springs from grace; it is universal, extending to every
deadly sin committed; it is sovereign, displeasing the will more than
any ill which could happen. "The sorrow which is according to God
worketh penance unto salvation which is lasting: but the sorrow of the
world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing that you were
made sorrowful according to God, how great carefulness doth it work:
in you; yea defence, yea indignation, yea fear, yea desire, yea zeal, yea
revenge."[22] This, then, is contrition: the first and necessary condition
for the pardon of sin. It is begun and perfected in the soul by the
impulse and by the assistance of the Holy Ghost. The grace of God,
obtained through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, commences and
completes the work of repentance. God, who is rich in mercy, through
His exceeding charity with which He loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened as together in Christ, by whose grace you
are saved.[23] "The blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin."[24] "We
have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins, according to
the riches of His grace."[25]
FOOTNOTES:

[10] Acts v, 31.
[11] Acts ii, 38.
[12] Acts iii, 19.
[13] Peter iii, 9.
[14] Acts xvii, 30.
[15] Rom. ii, 4.
[16] Deut. xxx, 1.
[17] Joel ii, 12.
[18] Ezech. xviii, 31.
[19] Con. Trid. Sess. xiv, cap. 4.
[20] Sess. xiv, c. 1.
[21] Rom. viii, 1, 2.
[22] 2 Cor. vi, 11.
[23] Eph. ii, 4.
[24] 1 John i, 7.
[25] Eph. i, 7.

II.
It has pleased God, as we learn by the Christian revelation, to institute a
human and visible Ministry of Reconciliation for sinners. St. Paul
expresses this in the clearest way, writing to the Corinthians: "If, then,
any be in Christ, a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all

things are made new. But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us
to Himself by Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing to them their sins; and He hath placed in us the word of
reconciliation; we are therefore ambassadors for Christ." In this
passage does the Apostle teach the truth declared elsewhere: "Christ
died for our sins, the just for the unjust, that He might offer us to God,
being put to death indeed in the flesh."[26] Herein is it taught very
plainly that we are redeemed by Jesus, and that there is no other name
under heaven given to men whereby they must be saved. He alone paid
the price of our redemption; by His precious blood alone are we
redeemed; and through Him alone is sin forgiven.
But, in the same passage, St. Paul is equally explicit in declaring: "He
hath given to us"--namely, the Apostles--"the Ministry of
Reconciliation"--"the word of reconciliation."[27] In this there is no
pretension that the Apostles were the reconcilers by inherent right;
theirs is an agency of reconciliation, and hence does St. Paul speak of
their as ambassadors of Christ. And in virtue of this does the Apostle,
when exercising the office on the incestuous Corinthian, unhesitatingly
declare: "If I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I done it in
the person of Christ."[28] What is here so positively claimed and acted
on by the Apostle was very definitely instituted by our Lord, as is
recounted in the Gospels.
To the Apostles and their successors did Jesus Christ impart the power
to baptize all nations. By baptism is man purified from original
sin--from his own personal or actual sins, if there be any; there is
infused into him