Regular confession — also called “devotional confession” — is the habit of frequently receiving the sacrament of penance, at close intervals, without waiting to have committed a grave sin, and also confessing one’s venial sins. It is not a pious invention: it is a practice that the Catechism declares “strongly recommended by the Church”[1], that canon law recommends[2], and that Pius XII considered a “pious custom introduced by the Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit”[3]. Of all sacramental life, it is one of the most salutary practices — and one of the most misunderstood.
For the word has been impoverished. In a culture that hardly knows venial sin anymore, that relegates confession to the relics of a “religion of fear”, and that confuses the minimum requirement — to confess “at least once a year, the grave sins of which he is aware”[4] — with the ideal norm, regular confession seems at times superfluous (“I have nothing serious to say”), at times suspect (“isn’t that scrupulosity?”), at times mechanical (“if you do it too often, it’s just a routine”). We hesitate between two extremes: thinking ourselves exempt from the sacrament because we do not feel like great sinners, or turning away from it for fear of falling into formality.
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — First Letter of St. John 1:8-9[5]
Yet regular confession, in the Catholic tradition, is neither a legal chore nor a devotion for anxious souls: it is a medicine habitually taken, a sacrament that “heals” as much as it “forgives”, and which the freest and most joyful saints practiced with diligence. This article reviews the most common misconceptions about regular confession, grouped according to whether they concern its necessity, its spiritual meaning, or its practice. For each, it states the error in its usual form, shows why it is appealing, why it is false, and then recalls what the Church truly teaches.
This is neither an anthology nor a practical guide: for the saints’ own words on frequent confession, see What the Saints Say About Regular Confession; for the meaning, fruits, and concrete rhythm of this practice, see How to Grow in Regular Confession; for the steps of the sacrament itself, see How to Make a Good Confession. Here, as in the twin articles of the series — notably Common Misconceptions About Contrition —, we clear the ground: first learning to recognize counterfeit coins in order to better receive the true gold.
Why is regular confession so misunderstood?
A minimal precept mistaken for a maximum
The first misunderstanding is a matter of law. The Church sets a minimum: “every faithful who has reached the age of discretion must confess at least once a year, the grave sins of which he is aware”[6]. This “at least once a year” is a floor, a requirement for spiritual survival for anyone who has committed a mortal sin — not a measure of what is desirable. But the modern ear hears it as a ceiling: if the Church only “requires” once a year, then once a year must be the norm, and anything more is an optional extra reserved for the devout.
Yet the same Catechism, immediately after recalling the annual precept, adds the urgent recommendation of regular confession of venial sins[7]. The minimum requirement and the recommended practice are not contradictory: the first states what cannot be neglected without fault, the second states what we should strive for. Confusing the threshold with the ideal is the root error from which almost all others derive.
A culture that has lost the sense of venial sin
A second, deeper misunderstanding: we no longer really know what a venial sin is, nor why we should care about it. A conscience formed only by the morality of “major” faults — those that cause scandal or gravely harm others — sees daily selfishness, gossip, impatience, vanity, or lukewarmness as trivialities of no importance. Hence the conclusion: since I have “nothing serious”, I have nothing to confess.
But St. John warned against this illusion in a single phrase: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves”[8]. Venial faults do not damn, but they soil the soul, cool charity, and imperceptibly prepare the way for grave falls. Regular confession takes them seriously not out of scrupulosity, but because they are real — and because Christ wants to heal them.
The confusion between obligation and devotion
A third misunderstanding, which sums up the first two: we reason about confession in purely legal terms — “am I obliged?” — and never in terms of desire — “what would help me grow?”. We fail to distinguish the double register of the sacrament: there is what the Church commands (to confess mortal sins according to their kind and number[9], at least once a year[10]) and what she strongly recommends (to also confess venial sins, frequently[11]). Regular confession belongs to the second register: it is not an additional obligation, but an offer of grace that we freely accept.
The rest of this article presupposes this distinction. Errors about regular confession almost always arise from judging it by the standard of obligation — “is it necessary?” — when it is understood by the standard of love: “God offers it to me; why would I deprive myself of it?”
Errors Regarding the Necessity of Regular Confession
“You only need to confess when you have committed a mortal sin”
This is the most widespread error. The sacrament of penance would have as its sole purpose the erasure of grave faults: if there is no mortal sin on one’s conscience, there would simply be no reason to go to confession. Regular confession then appears as a zealous but pointless practice—“since I am not in a state of grave sin, what would I say?” The error is appealing because it is based on a real truth: only mortal sins must be confessed, and only they break friendship with God.
But from “only mortal sins must be confessed” one cannot deduce “only mortal sins can be confessed.” The Catechism states this expressly: “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church”[12]. And it immediately gives the reason, which is far from a mere formality:
“Regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ, and progress in the life of the Spirit.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1458[13]
The sacrament is therefore not just an emergency pump to be activated only in case of shipwreck: it is a long-term treatment. The Council of Trent itself (Session XIV, ch. 5; DS 1680) already listed the confession of venial sins among the practices called “recte et utiliter” — rightly and fruitfully[14]. Reducing confession to mortal sin is to confuse it with its extreme function and to ignore its ordinary function—the daily purification, strengthening, and healing of the soul.
“Devotional confession is useless, it’s confessing for nothing”
A variant of the previous error, but more categorical: to confess venial sins—which are already forgiven by prayer, the Eucharist, almsgiving, or an act of contrition—would be a redundancy without benefit. Why have the priest absolve what God already forgives in a thousand other ways? The error is appealing because it is accurate on one point: yes, venial sins can be forgiven outside the sacrament.
But it forgets what the sacrament adds. Pius XII responded in advance to this objection, and with rare firmness, targeting those who “do not think much of frequent confession of venial faults”:
“To advance with ever-growing ardour in the path of virtue, We wish to strongly recommend this pious practice introduced by the Church under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, of frequent confession, which increases true self-knowledge, fosters Christian humility, tends to uproot bad habits, combats spiritual negligence and tepidity, purifies the conscience, strengthens the will, lends itself to spiritual direction, and, by the proper effect of the sacrament, increases grace.” — Pius XII, encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi, § 88[15]
The sacrament does not merely “remit” a fault already forgiven: it confers a proper sacramental grace, a strength from Christ the physician for the battle ahead. Saint Francis de Sales said the same: through frequent confession, “you will not only receive absolution for the venial sins you confess, but you will also receive great strength to avoid them in the future, great light to discern them well, and abundant grace to repair all the loss they had brought you”[16]. Far from being useless, devotional confession is an added benefit: the same absolution, plus light, plus strength, plus grace. For more on these fruits, see How to Grow in Regular Confession.
“One confession per year is more than enough”
An error of quiet minimalism: since the Church obliges confession “at least once a year”, sticking to this would mean being in good standing, and all other zeal is unnecessary. The annual Easter confession is made the normal rhythm of Christian life, and those who confess monthly are seen as excessive. The error is appealing in its apparent moderation: neither laxity nor rigorism, “just enough.”
But the annual precept was never intended as an ideal rhythm: it is a safety net. Its very wording says so—“at least once a year”[17]—and it specifically targets the case where one has a grave sin to confess, since “anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion […] without having first received sacramental absolution”[18]. To make this minimum the measure of one’s spiritual life is like a convalescent who, knowing he is only required to see his doctor once a year, concludes that he should never see him more often. Pius XII even warned that diminishing the esteem for frequent confession is “a work contrary to the Spirit of Christ and most harmful to the Mystical Body of our Savior”[19]. Between the annual minimum and the recommended practice lies the whole space of generosity—and it is there that growth takes place. To find your proper rhythm, see How to Grow in Regular Confession.
“It is enough to ask God for forgiveness directly”
An error that wrongly claims a real truth. Since God sees hearts and forgives those who repent, why go through a priest? Wouldn’t a sincere act of contrition, an evening prayer, a whispered “forgive me, Lord” suffice, without the awkward mediation of the confessional? The error is appealing because it seems more spiritual, more direct, more pure—and because it is true that perfect contrition—that which comes from the love of God loved above all—already obtains the forgiveness of mortal sins, but only if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible (CCC § 1452).
But Christ did not leave forgiveness to private prayer alone: he instituted a sacrament and entrusted to men the power to forgive sins in his name.
“Receive the Holy Spirit. Those to whom you forgive their sins, they will be forgiven; those to whom you retain their sins, they will be retained.” — The Risen Jesus, Gospel according to John 20:22-23 (AELF liturgical translation)[20]
That is why “individual and integral confession followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means by which the faithful are reconciled with God and the Church”[21]. Scripture even commands this fraternal confession: “Therefore confess your sins to one another […] so that you may be healed”[22]. Asking God for forgiveness in the secrecy of the heart is excellent and necessary—and, for venial sins, these paths suffice to remit them; but to refuse sacramental confession on principle where it is required is to refuse the path Christ himself traced—a path where, from the mouth of a man, one hears the word that only God can say: “your sins are forgiven.” Regular confession does not set God and the priest in opposition: it receives God’s forgiveness through the ministry God has willed—a strongly recommended practice (can. 988, § 2), though not necessary for each venial fault.
Errors Regarding the Spiritual Meaning of Regular Confession
"Confessing often is a sign of scrupulosity or immaturity"
A dismissive error, often unnoticed: frequent confession would be the symptom of a sick conscience—the scrupulous person who broods, the anxious soul who never feels in order, the Christian stuck at an infantile stage of faith. A so-called “adult” believer, on the other hand, would live in trust and would not need to return constantly to the confessional. The error is seductive because it wears the appearance of psychological maturity and, indeed, confuses two truly distinct things.
For scrupulosity and regular confession are not to be confused—but frequency alone neither proves nor excludes scrupulosity: frequent confession can itself become the fuel of a scrupulous conscience, and it is for the confessor to discern this. Scrupulosity is a disease of the conscience that sees sin where it is not and endlessly doubts the validity of its confessions; regular confession when well lived is on the contrary an act undertaken at fixed intervals, peaceful when the conscience is upright, which “forms the conscience”[23] instead of troubling it. Far from being a sign of immaturity, it has been practiced and recommended by the most balanced saints. Saint Francis de Sales, doctor of gentleness, proposes it to every soul desiring to make progress:
“Confess yourself humbly and devoutly every eight days, and always, if possible, when you receive Communion, even if you feel in your conscience no reproach of mortal sin.” — Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX[24]
Pius XII sees in it not the mark of the weak, but a “pious practice introduced by the Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit”[25] which “increases true self-knowledge” and “fosters Christian humility”—that is, exactly the opposite of immaturity. Christian maturity is not to do without the sacrament, but to live from it freely. For the difference between healthy regularity and scrupulosity, see also How to Grow in Regular Confession.
"Frequent confession is a return to a religion of fear"
An error inherited from a certain reading of history: assiduous confession supposedly belongs to a Christianity of guilt and fear, that of before the Council, where the faithful were terrorized with hell. The rediscovery of mercy would have rendered this practice obsolete: a God of love does not require us to accuse ourselves constantly. The error is seductive because it seems, on the surface, to side with mercy against fear.
But it is precisely the opposite: regular confession is the place par excellence where one receives mercy. The Catechism describes the sacrament as the gift of the Father's mercy, which in turn makes us merciful: “By receiving more frequently through this sacrament, the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful like him”[26]—citing Christ’s words, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”[27]. Its fruit is not anxiety but “peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation”[28], that “peace and […] tranquility of conscience, accompanied by strong spiritual consolation” which the Council of Trent says sometimes (“interdum”, DS 1674) accompanies the well-disposed penitent[29]. This effective peace of reconciliation is not always a felt consolation: the sacrament truly reconciles, even when sensible feeling is lacking. The real fear would be to no longer dare to approach the One who heals. The publican, model of the penitent, did not leave crushed but “justified”[30]: regular confession does not imprison in fear, it liberates in trust.
"Always the same sins: proof that it’s useless"
An error of discouragement, very common among sincere souls: one returns to the confessional with the same list—impatience, gossip, laziness, lack of charity—month after month, never seeing these faults disappear. One concludes that the sacrament is ineffective, or that one is a hopeless case, and so one spaces out confessions, then abandons them. The error is seductive because it has the appearance of realism: “what’s the point of confessing what I’ll just do again?”
But it misunderstands what “useful” means. Regular confession has never promised the immediate eradication of faults: it promises a struggle supported by grace. The Catechism says it plainly—it helps us “to struggle against our evil tendencies”[31], which presupposes a struggle that lasts. Pius XII lists among its fruits the fact that frequent confession “tends to uproot bad habits”[32]: an uprooting, not a magic wand. Francis de Sales promised to those who confess often “great strength to avoid them in the future”[33]—a progressive strength, not instant deliverance. Returning with the same sins is not proof of failure, but a sign of fidelity: it is the soul that does not give up. The real danger is not to fall again, but to stop getting back up. On the discouragement of always falling into the same faults, see How to Grow in Regular Confession.
"Confessing regularly is locking oneself in an obsession with sin"
An error opposed to carelessness, and one that threatens modern sensibilities: constantly returning to one’s faults would foster a morbid focus on oneself, an unhealthy introspection, a negative image of humanity. It would be better to “look ahead”, cultivate self-esteem and joy, rather than endlessly picking at one’s miseries. The error is seductive because it is right to fear a certain rigid religiosity—one that scrutinizes sin more than it contemplates God.
But properly understood, regular confession is the very opposite of a fixation on sin: it is a gaze turned toward the Physician. Its focus is not evil but healing; it leads us to “let ourselves be healed by Christ” and “progress in the life of the Spirit”[34]. It reconciles the penitent not only with God, but “with himself in the depths of his being, where he recovers the proper inner truth”[35]: far from despising man, it restores his dignity as a son. Saint Augustine beautifully described this movement, which is anything but morbid:
“He who confesses his sins already acts with God. […] When you begin to hate what you have done, then your good works begin, because you accuse your evil works. The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and you come to the Light.” — Saint Augustine, Tractate on the Gospel of John 12, 13[36]
To accuse oneself is not to sink into darkness: it is to “come to the Light”. Regular confession does not cultivate an obsession with sin; it delivers from it, by placing it each time in the hands of mercy.
Errors Regarding the Practice of Regular Confession
“Confessing often turns the sacrament into a routine”
This is an error of misplaced prudence: by repeating an action too often, one would empty it of its meaning; frequency would breed mechanical behavior, confession would become a recitation, and it would be better to space out confessions to “preserve the value” of the sacrament. The error is appealing because it points to a real risk: yes, any regular practice can fade into an empty habit.
But the remedy for routine is not rarity—it is uprightness of intention. Francis de Sales, who recommends weekly confession, warns not against frequency, but against confessing “out of habit”:
“Many confessing venial sins out of habit, and as though by mere arrangement, without any thought of correcting themselves, remain burdened with them all their lives, and thereby lose many spiritual goods and benefits.” — Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX[37]
The fault is not confessing often: it is confessing “without wanting to be purged of it”, for “it is an abuse to confess any kind of sin, whether mortal or venial, without wanting to be purged of it, since confession was instituted for that purpose”[38]. The solution, in the case considered here—a confession without true displeasure or firm purpose—is therefore not to space out confessions, but always to join to the confession a true displeasure and a firm resolution, “however small they may be”[39]. To space out the sacrament to avoid routine is like fasting from medicine for fear of getting used to it—without prejudice to the discernment of the confessor, to whom it belongs to judge, with each penitent, whether spacing confessions out would be appropriate. For how to avoid mechanical confession, see How to Grow in Regular Confession.
“If you have nothing serious, you have nothing to say”
A practical error that paralyzes many good intentions: lacking spectacular sins, one does not know what to confess, and fears wasting the priest’s time with trifles. One then falls back, for lack of anything better, on vague accusations—“I have not loved God enough, I have not prayed enough”—which say nothing. The error is appealing because it seems humble: “I am not a great sinner.”
But Francis de Sales dismantled this false poverty. On the one hand, in the ordinary case, matter is not lacking, because venial faults are real and can be named; on the other hand, one must avoid empty generalities:
“Do not only make those superfluous accusations that many make out of routine: ‘I have not loved God as much as I should; I have not prayed with as much devotion as I should; […]’ The reason is that, by saying this, you will say nothing particular that could make the confessor understand the state of your conscience, especially since all the saints of heaven and all the men on earth could say the same things if they were confessing.” — Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX[40]
The remedy is not to remain silent, but to go down to the concrete: not “I have not loved my neighbor”, but “having seen a poor person in need, I did not help him as I could, out of negligence, or out of hardness of heart […]”[41]. And he recommends also stating the motive for the fault—vain glory, vain joy, stubbornness[42]. Most often, “having nothing to say” is therefore not a lack of matter: it is a lack of self-examination. Regular confession teaches precisely to see clearly within oneself—what the Catechism calls “forming our conscience”[43]—without prejudging situations where, no certain new fault having been identified, it is for the confessor to judge.
“It’s better to wait until you have ‘enough’ sins for it to count”
A final, more diffuse error: confession is treated like accounting—you must accumulate a certain “quantity” of faults for the process to have weight, otherwise it would be disproportionate. So one postpones, waiting until the list “is worth the trip.” The error is appealing by a false economic common sense: not to bother God for so little.
But the sacrament is not a transaction requiring a minimum amount. It is a meeting and a medicine: you do not postpone treatment because you are “not sick enough yet.” Francis de Sales, on the contrary, urges: “Therefore, Philothea, never allow your heart to remain long infected by sin, since you have such a ready and easy remedy”[44]. Waiting to have “enough” sins is to willingly let the soul become soiled, when grace is offered without any condition of quantity. The Christian logic is the opposite: not “I wait until I need it”, but “I go regularly because it is good”—just as one does not eat only when faint with hunger. The sacrament received frequently “in a certain way anticipates judgment”[45] and keeps the soul ready; there is no such thing as “too soon” to let oneself be healed.
Error and Truth at a Glance
The table below summarizes the misunderstandings discussed: on the left, the error in its common formulation; in the center, why it is false; on the right, what the Church actually teaches, with its source. Read line by line, it serves as a quick antidote to common misconceptions.
| The Common Error | Why It’s False | What the Church Teaches |
|---|---|---|
| One only confesses for a mortal sin | Confuses the extreme function of the sacrament with its ordinary function | Confession of venial sins is “strongly recommended” (CCC § 1458)[46] |
| Devotional confession is useless | Forgets the proper sacramental grace that the sacrament adds | It “increases grace” and gives strength and light (Pius XII, MC § 88)[47] |
| Once a year is enough | Takes a minimum safety requirement for the ideal rhythm | “At least once a year” is a floor, not a ceiling (CCC § 1457)[48] |
| It is enough to ask God for forgiveness | Ignores the sacrament instituted by Christ | Individual confession is the “only ordinary means” (CCC § 1484; Jn 20:23)[49] |
| Frequent confession = scruple or immaturity | Confuses a disease of conscience with a peaceful practice | It “forms the conscience” and “fosters Christian humility” (CCC § 1458; MC § 88)[50] |
| It’s a religion of fear | Confuses anxiety with the reception of mercy | It gives “peace and serenity of conscience” (CCC § 1496)[51] |
| Always the same sins, so it’s useless | Expects immediate eradication instead of sustained struggle | It helps “to fight against our evil tendencies” (CCC § 1458)[52] |
| It’s locking oneself in obsession with sin | Confuses morbid withdrawal with turning to the Physician | To accuse oneself is “to come to the Light” (Saint Augustine, In Jo. 12, 13)[53] |
| Frequency turns the sacrament into routine | Confuses frequency with confession “out of habit” | The remedy is firm purpose, not rarity (Francis de Sales, II, XIX)[54] |
| Without grave sin, there’s nothing to say | Confuses absence of grave fault with absence of matter | Go down to the concrete, avoid empty generalities (Francis de Sales, II, XIX)[55] |
Regular Confession, Precept, Devotion, Scruple: Do Not Confuse Them
Many errors arise from vague vocabulary, where one word is mistaken for another. A few classic distinctions are enough to clear the fog. The precept of confession is the minimum obligation: to confess one's grave sins “at least once a year”[56] — a duty, not an ideal. Regular confession (or devotional confession) is the recommended practice of frequent confession, which includes venial sins and goes far beyond the precept[57]: no longer a duty, but a freely chosen path of growth.
Scruple, on the other hand, is not regularity: it is a disease of the conscience that invents sins, doubts endlessly, and disturbs peace — which stands opposed to a healthy regular confession, which “forms the conscience”[58] and brings “peace and serenity”[59], though frequency alone proves nothing about the health of the conscience: it is for the confessor to discern this. Devotional confession, finally, is not opposed to the “necessary” confession of grave sins: it extends it, by also confessing what is not obligatory. These words are therefore not synonyms: the precept states the minimum required; regular confession expresses the proposed ideal; scruple is a deviation to be healed; devotion is the generosity that goes beyond obligation. Confusing one for another is the source of almost all the errors encountered.
Restoring the True Greatness of Regular Confession
Once the counterfeits are set aside, regular confession appears in its true light. Far from being a legal chore, a sign of weakness, or an empty routine, it is one of the greatest gifts Christ has left to his Church: the possibility of returning as often as one wishes to draw from forgiveness and grace.
“Our Savior has left to his Church the sacrament of penance and confession, so that in it we may wash ourselves of all our iniquities, whenever we are stained by them. […] But why should we die a spiritual death, since we have such a sovereign remedy?” — Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX[60]
The sacrament received regularly does not crush: it lifts up. It restores to the soul “the proper inner truth”[61], reconciles it with God, with itself, with its brethren and “with the whole of creation”[62]. It anticipates with confidence the judgment of God[63], not in terror but in the abandonment of a child who knows he is awaited. It is the attitude of the publican, who did not dare to lift his eyes and yet went down “having become a righteous man”:
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” — The Publican, Gospel according to Saint Luke 18:13[64]
Such is the true greatness of regular confession, the exact opposite of the caricatures that have disfigured it: not the forced admission of a religion of fear, nor the obsession of an anxious conscience, nor a formality performed out of duty, but the free and joyful return of the sinner to mercy — “if we acknowledge our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”[65]. To confess often is not to doubt forgiveness: it is to believe in it enough to return to it again and again.
To Go Further
- How to Grow in Regular Confession — the practical guide: why confess regularly, its fruits, how to find your rhythm, overcome obstacles, the example of great confessors.
- What the Saints Say About Regular Confession — the anthology: the voices of Francis de Sales, the Curé of Ars, Padre Pio, and the Fathers on frequent confession.
- How to Make a Good Confession — the concrete steps of the sacrament, from the examination of conscience to absolution.
- Common Errors Concerning Contrition — the twin article in the same series: misunderstandings about sorrow for sin, which is the soul of every confession.
Notes and References
Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1458: “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1680; CIC, can. 988, § 2). Indeed, regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ, and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament, the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is (cf. Lk 6:36).”
1 7 11 12 13 14 23 26 31 34 43 46 52 57 58Code of Canon Law (1983), can. 988: § 1, the faithful are obliged to confess, specifying the kind and number, all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet directly forgiven through the power of the keys; § 2: “It is recommended to the faithful to also confess venial sins”. This canon is explicitly cited by the CCC § 1458 as the foundation for regular confession of venial faults.
2Pius XII, encyclical letter Mystici Corporis Christi (June 29, 1943), § 88 of the English version on vatican.va (the Latin page consulted does not show this numbering; the French page, unnumbered, carries the same passage in the same place, just after the development on quietism): the pope “strongly recommends this pious practice introduced by the Church under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, of frequent confession” of venial faults, “which increases true self-knowledge, fosters Christian humility, tends to uproot bad habits, combats spiritual negligence and tepidity, purifies the conscience, strengthens the will, lends itself to spiritual direction, and, by the proper effect of the sacrament, increases grace.” The pope adds that those who diminish the esteem for this practice “are doing a work contrary to the Spirit of Christ and most harmful to the Mystical Body of our Savior.”
3 15 19 25 32 47 50Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1457: “According to the Church’s commandment, ‘every faithful who has reached the age of discretion is bound to confess at least once a year, the grave sins of which he is aware’” (DS 1683; cf. DS 1708; CIC, can. 989). The same paragraph recalls that “anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without first having received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession” (cf. CIC, can. 916).
4 6 10 17 18 48 56First Letter of Saint John 1:8-9, official liturgical translation (AELF): “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
5 8 65Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1456: “Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: ‘The penitent must confess all the mortal sins of which he is aware after a diligent examination of conscience…’” (citing the Council of Trent: DS 1680). The council takes up the image of Saint Jerome: “If the sick person is ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine does not cure what it does not know.”
9Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX, text of the 1619 edition (ed. Fernand Boulenger, Paris, 1909, p. 105 — digital folio 147; modernized spelling): through frequent confession, “you will receive not only absolution for the venial sins you confess, but also great strength to avoid them in the future, great light to discern them well, and abundant grace to repair all the loss they had brought you. You will practice the virtue of humility, obedience, simplicity and charity […]”
16 33Gospel according to Saint John 20:22-23, official liturgical translation (AELF): “Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them; whose sins you retain are retained.’” Foundational text for the sacrament of penance (cf. CCC § 1485).
20Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1484, citing the Rite of Penance (OP 31): “Individual and integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary means by which the faithful are reconciled with God and the Church, except where physical or moral impossibility excuses from such confession.” Cf. § 1497 (same statement in summary).
21 49Letter of Saint James 5:16, official liturgical translation (AELF): “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.”
22Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Introduction to the Devout Life (1609), Part II, ch. XIX (“On Holy Confession”), text of the 1619 edition (ed. Fernand Boulenger, Paris, 1909, p. 105 — digital folio 147; modernized spelling): “Confess yourself humbly and devoutly every eight days, and always, if possible, whenever you receive Communion, even if you feel in your conscience no reproach of mortal sin.” The Doctor of the Church proposes this weekly rhythm to every soul desiring to make progress.
24Gospel according to Saint Luke 6:36, official liturgical translation (AELF): “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Verse cited by the CCC § 1458 to show that the mercy received in the sacrament makes us merciful ourselves.
27Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1496: the spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are reconciliation with God and with the Church, remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins, at least partial remission of temporal punishments, “peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation”, and “an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.”
28 51 59Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1468, citing the Council of Trent (Session XIV; DS 1674): for those who receive the sacrament of Penance with a contrite heart and in a religious disposition, “it is followed by peace and tranquility of conscience, accompanied by profound spiritual consolation.” The conciliar text has “interdum” (sometimes): this consolation is not presented there as a systematic experience. The sacrament brings a true “spiritual resurrection” and the restoration of friendship with God.
29Gospel according to Saint Luke 18:13, official liturgical translation (AELF): “But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast, saying: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” Jesus concludes: “when the latter went down to his house, it was he who had become a righteous man” (Lk 18:14, AELF) — model of the confident penitent.
30 64Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1469, citing the apostolic exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (RP 31): “The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in the depths of his being, where he recovers the proper inner truth; he is reconciled with the brethren whom he has in any way offended and hurt; he is reconciled with the Church; he is reconciled with the whole of creation.”
35 61 62Saint Augustine, Tractate on the Gospel of John (In Iohannis Evangelium tractatus), 12, 13 (CCL 36, 128; PL 35, 1491), cited by the Catechism of the Catholic Church at § 1458: “He who confesses his sins is already acting with God. God accuses your sins; if you also accuse them, you join yourself to God. […] Destroy what you have done so that God may save what he has made… When you begin to hate what you have done, then your good works begin, because you accuse your evil works. The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and you come to the Light.” (Latin: « […] Initium operum bonorum, confessio est operum malorum. Facis veritatem et venis ad Lucem »)
36 53Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX, text of the 1619 edition (ed. Fernand Boulenger, Paris, 1909, pp. 105-106 — digital folios 147-148; modernized spelling): “Always have a true displeasure for the sins you confess, however small they may be, with a firm resolution to correct yourself in the future. Many confessing venial sins out of habit, and as though by mere arrangement, without any thought of correcting themselves, remain burdened with them all their lives […]. For it is an abuse to confess any kind of sin, whether mortal or venial, without wanting to be purged of it, since confession was instituted for that very purpose.” (“Agencement” — in 1619: a piece added by arrangement, as an accessory.)
37 38 39 54Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX, text of the 1619 edition (ed. Fernand Boulenger, Paris, 1909, pp. 106-107 — digital folios 148-149; modernized spelling): “Do not only make those superfluous accusations that many make out of routine: ‘I have not loved God as much as I should; I have not prayed with as much devotion as I should; […]’ The reason is that, by saying this, you will say nothing particular that could make the confessor understand the state of your conscience […]” (the continuation — “s’ils se confessaient. Regardez donc quel sujet particulier…” (“if they were confessing. Consider then what particular subject…”) — is covered by the ellipsis) The saint recommends going down to the concrete (for example: “having seen a poor person in need, I did not help him as I could, out of negligence, or out of hardness of heart […]”) and indicating the motive for the fault (vain glory, vain joy, stubbornness).
40 41 42 55Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, ch. XIX, text of the 1619 edition (ed. Fernand Boulenger, Paris, 1909, pp. 104-105 — digital folios 146-147; modernized spelling): “Our Savior left to His Church the sacrament of penance and confession, so that in it we may wash ourselves of all our iniquities, whenever we are stained by them. Therefore, Philothea, never allow your heart to remain long infected by sin, since you have such a ready and easy remedy. […] But why should we die a spiritual death, since we have such a sovereign remedy?”
44 60Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1470: “In this sacrament, the sinner, by entrusting himself to the merciful judgment of God, in a certain way anticipates the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of this earthly life.” Penance is the path by which the sinner “passes from death to life” (cf. Jn 5:24).
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