Category Archives: Reconciliatio et Paenitentia

Some final words from Pope John Paul II in his Concluding Expression of Hope. First, he invites us into his prayer: I entrust to the Father, rich in mercy, I entrust to the Son of God, made (flesh) as our redeemer … Continue reading →

By a long road of reading and reflection, we have come to a Concluding Expression of Hope. To whom did the Holy Father turn for his initial inspiration? Would you have guessed Peter of the New Testament? 35. At the … Continue reading →

Regarding Some More Delicate Cases, we can take this relatively brief numbered section in its entirety. “More delicate” might also be identified as “more difficult,” and I note the pastor John Paul II feels the difficulty quite seriously. Not all will … Continue reading →

Let’s finish section 33, Celebration of the Sacrament with General Absolution: Then there is a reason of the pastoral order. While it is true that, when the conditions required by canonical discipline occur, use may be made of the third form … Continue reading →

We come to one of the most publicized developments of Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, the Celebration of the Sacrament with General Absolution. 33. The new liturgical regulation and, more recently, the Code of Canon Law (961-963) specify the conditions which make … Continue reading →

As a parish liturgist, you know I pay careful attention to paragraphs when they speak of liturgy: Attention to the actual celebration, (Cf Order of Penance, 17) with special reference to the importance of the word of God which is … Continue reading →

Earlier in the document, John Paul II wrote in detail about the categorization of sin into venial and grave. Long explanations, plus a brief consideration of a third intermediate category. Consult section 17 if needed. What about those venial sins? … Continue reading →

Often termed “Communal Penance,” form II has a fair frequency in some parishes. The third form is also communal, and in the past, there has been some unauthorized blending between the two. That said, these poor practices of liturgy reflect … Continue reading →

Pope John Paul II was a clear advocate of form I of the Rite. I also know from my reading of his life that he advocated and practiced “personalism” in his ministry. That is something that, in my own way, … Continue reading →

When Pope John Paul II writes of the Forms of Celebration in section number 32, he has his first intent on the pastoral situation. He stresses what people need, not what clergy want to do. That orientation is important to keep in … Continue reading →

Let’s look at the last of Pope John Paul II’s Fundamental Convictions Last, I particularly wish to speak of one final consideration, one which concerns all of us priests, who are the ministers of the sacrament of penance. (Cf Presbyterorum … Continue reading →

Second, it must be emphasized that the most precious result of the forgiveness obtained in the sacrament of penance consists in reconciliation with God, which takes place in the inmost heart of the son who was lost and found again, … Continue reading →

In this section on Some Fundamental Convictions, we’ve covered each of the essential elements of the Rite of Penance. But John Paul II commented significantly on some other matters … There remains to be made a brief mention of other important … Continue reading →

Continuing on the notion of Some Fundamental Convictions, we get to an aspect ill-named in Catholic parlance. The confessor “gives a penance.” What is that? A theologian refers to an “act of satisfaction,” and I’m still not enamored of that term. … Continue reading →

The other essential stage of the sacrament of penance this time along to the confessor as judge and healer, a figure of God the Father welcoming and forgiving the one who returns: This is the absolution. The words which express … Continue reading →