The Nature and the Necessity of Penance
As soon as the fish swallows the bait, he feels the smart. So it is with the sinner. Yet what God has laid upon us as a chastisement He has made the means of our salvation; He sends suffering as the chastisement of sin; but by suffering we can be delivered from sin.
Interior sorrow for sin, accompanied by sincere turning from creatures and turning to God, is generally called penance.120
As a matter of fact, our whole life ought to be one continued penance. Our Lord says: “Unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). And again: “Woe to you that now laugh, for you shall mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25). He often threatens those who only desire to enjoy life, with eternal perdition (John 12:25). No man, even should he not be conscious of any sin, ought to depart out of this world without doing penance (St. Augustine). St. Jerome says we can no more attain everlasting life without penance, than we can get at the kernel of a nut without breaking the shell. The greatest saints used to perform severe penances for their slightest faults.
Our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance on the day of His resurrection, when He spoke these words to His apostles: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John 20:23).121
With these words Christ on the one hand imparted to the apostles the power to remit sins, and on the other laid upon the faithful the injunction to confess their sins to a priest in order to obtain the remission of them. The conditions under which forgiveness of sins is to be obtained, are indicated in the following instances: (1), the cure of the man sick of the palsy (Matt. 9); sin is a spiritual paralysis; when sin is forgiven, a penance is imposed on the penitent, as the paralytic was commanded to carry his bed; (2), The cleansing of the leper (Matt. 8); sin is a spiritual leprosy; the sinner must show himself to the priest, who will declare him to be clean by God’s authority; (3), The absolving of the penitent Magdalen, who cast herself at Our Lord’s feet, and heard from His lips the words: “Thy sins are forgiven thee” (Luke 7.). The sinner now acts as she did; filled with contrition, he casts himself at the feet of Christ’s representative, and obtains the pardon of his transgressions.
1. In the Sacrament of Penance the repentant Christian confesses his sins to a duly authorized priest, who, standing in the place of God, pronounces the absolution by means of which they are forgiven.122
The method of confession is this: The penitent, kneeling down in the confessional, makes the sign of the cross and receives the priest’s blessing. He recites the first part of the Confiteor, then accuses himself of his sins, and repeats the concluding part. The priest asks him any questions that may be necessary, gives him a short instruction, sets him a penance, gives him absolution and dismisses him with his blessing. The penitent then withdraws to one of the benches to say his penance, and prepare for communion, if he is about to communicate. The words of the sacerdotal absolution are these: “I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The absolution is a judicial act (Council of Trent, 14, 9). Like the lightning, it consumes the sin at a flash. Even when the priest withholds the absolution, he gives the blessing. A crucifix always hangs in the confessional, sometimes a picture is added, calculated to excite contrition, such as the prodigal son, the repentant Magdalen, the sorrowing Peter, etc. In very old confessionals one may sometimes see a rose carved, as an emblem of the silence which is binding upon the confessor. The ancient Romans used to suspend a rose over the dining-table, to warn their guests not to indulge in any confidential conversation in the presence of strangers.
2. The Sacrament of Penance is indispensably necessary for those who have fallen into sin after Baptism, for without this sacrament they are unable to recover the justice they have lost (Council of Trent, 14, 1; 6, 29).123
“The Sacrament of Penance is, for those who have fallen after Baptism, as necessary unto salvation as Baptism itself is for those who have not yet been regenerated” (Council of Trent, 14, 2). Hence the Fathers term this sacrament: “the second baptism,” or “the plank after shipwreck.” By Baptism we embark upon the ship that is bound for the port of salvation. By mortal sin we are shipwrecked; and in this case our only hope of rescue is by clinging to a plank. The Sacrament of Penance is that plank. No one who has been bitten by the old serpent, the devil, can be cured, unless he discovers his hurt to the physician. Through pride the sinner places himself at a distance from God; only by humility can he return to God.
The man who has fallen into mortal sin ought to approach the Sacrament of Penance as speedily as possible.124
A dislocated limb must be set right at once; if not, a swelling forms and the cure becomes difficult. If a vessel leaks, the pumps must be set at work immediately, or the water will cause the ship to sink; if a house is on fire, the conflagration must be got under promptly, or the house will be burned down. If any one has taken poison, he must swallow an emetic forthwith, or he will lose his life. So it is with mortal sin. The Church does not appoint a fixed time for the forgiveness of sin; the sinner may at any time make his peace with God. Do not presume upon the long-suffering of the Most High! The longer you postpone your penance, the more rigorously will you be judged; the more severe will be your punishment. Those who put off repentance until the hour of death, often have no opportunity allowed them to reconcile themselves with their Maker (Job 22:16). It is the just penalty of sin that he who would not do what is right when he could, cannot do it when he will. Our Lord says: “You shall seek Me and shall not find Me” (John 7:34). No one knows how soon the time of grace may end. It is a sorry thing when a man begins to buy what he needs just as the yearly market is over. One of the thieves upon the cross was forgiven, that nobody might despair; but only one, that nobody might presume, and put off repentance until the hour of death. St. Bernard declares death-bed repentances to be, not examples, but miracles of grace. Those who postpone repentance will meet with the fate of the fig-tree which Our Lord, finding no fruit on it, cursed. “Trust not,” says St. Augustine, “to the morrow; for thou knowest not whether there will be any morrow for thee.” Contrition, moreover, is of little value when a man has no more opportunity to sin; in that case you do not abandon sin, but sin abandons you. Finally, on the approach of death, the sinner in his alarm becomes bewildered and frightened; he is like a traveler who, just as night closes down, discovers that he has lost his way. Besides this, the long habit of sin deprives a man of the power to do penance; he is like one who has slept heavily, and, though he wishes to get up, cannot pull himself together and rise from his bed. No one considers it safe to sleep in a half-ruined house, yet, frail as is your body, you do not scruple to live on, for weeks, months, nay, years, in a state of mortal sin.
3. Let no one be deterred by a feeling of shame from confessing his sins; the priest dare not, under any pretext, reveal what is said in the confessional, and he is ever ready to receive the contrite sinner kindly.125
Furthermore, let him who is ashamed to confess to the priest now, remember that one day he will he put to confusion before the whole world, and condemned to endless misery.126
The priest dare not, even to save his life, disclose the secrets of the confessional. We shall speak further on of the seal of confession. The penitent is always received with kindness by the priest. Some one who had confessed several grievous sins to St. Francis de Sales, afterwards said to him: “What can you think of me now?” The saint replied: “I think you must be a very holy person, for only the saints have made so good a confession.” Nothing gives a priest greater joy than to see that a penitent has made a full and sincere confession of all his misdeeds, for then he knows that his conversion is real. The priest is like a fisherman, who, the bigger the fish he catches, the better pleased is he. God frequently calls those who have themselves been great sinners to the care of souls, in order that they may deal more gently with transgressors. For he who knows himself to be guilty of heinous offences will be lenient towards those who have also offended. Shrink not, therefore, from confessing your sins to one who is himself a sinner; who perhaps is more deeply stained than you are. Christ did not give the power of the keys to angels, but to men. He who is ashamed of confessing to the priest will one day be put to confusion before the whole world, and be condemned to endless misery. To such a one God says: “I will show thy nakedness to the nations, and thy shame to kingdoms” (Nahum 3:5). Far better is it to confess one’s misdeeds to the servant of God, who has compassion with the sinner, than to be put to shame in the sight of all men; far better willingly to acknowledge them once for all, than to do so compulsorily throughout all eternity. What man conceals, God reveals; what man confesses, God suppresses. Who would not rather go to confession here, than burn forever in hell? It is the devil who makes us timid and shamefaced in regard to confession. When we are about to sin he takes all fear from us, but when it is a question of acknowledging our offences, he inspires us with alarm and embarrassment. How else can it be explained that men who on the battle-field face death without fear, tremble on approaching the confessional? The early Christians did not hesitate to confess their sins openly before all the faithful; St. Augustine wrote a book of confessions, in which he acquaints all the world with his transgressions. As the sick man, if he has any sense, will gladly swallow the bitter potion which he hopes will restore him to health, so he who is spiritually sick ought not to shrink from the penance, however severe, which will cure the malady of his soul.
4. He who from a sense of shame conceals a mortal sin in confession, does not obtain forgiveness, but only adds to his other sins that of sacrilege; and exposes himself to the grave risk of dying impenitent.127
Moreover all his subsequent confessions are invalid, so long as he does not confess over again all the sins of which he has been guilty since his last valid confession.
The devil acts like the wolf, who seizes the lamb by the throat, that it may not cry out; the devil stops the sinner’s mouth, that he may not confess his misdeeds. He who conceals one mortal sin in confession does not obtain forgiveness. If all the locks on a door are unfastened except one, the door cannot be opened; so it is with the soul; unless every mortal sin, those locks of the soul, are subjected to the power of the keys, wielded by the priest, the door of reconciliation cannot be unclosed. Moreover, to conceal a mortal sin in confession is to commit the grievous sin of sacrilege, which is a profanation and contempt of divine things. By concealing one sin, a man also embitters his life. Sin unconfessed is like indigestible food, which lies in the stomach and ruins the health. “Sin concealed,” says St. Augustine, “scourges the conscience, lacerates the heart, and fills the soul with anguish and terror.” Whoso lies in the confessional deceives himself, not God. To conceal a mortal sin in confession is to merit the danger of dying impenitent. Sin concealed is fatal to the life of the soul; it is like a wound which bleeds inwardly and causes death. St. Antoninus, Archbishop of Florence, speaks of a woman who purposely omitted a mortal sin in confession, and then made a sacrilegious communion; later on she repeatedly went to confession with the intention of revealing that sin, but every time failed to do so, through a false shame. Even when she lay on her deathbed, she could not prevail upon herself to mention the long-concealed sin. Just before breathing her last, she shrieked aloud: “I am damned, for ever since my youth I have concealed a mortal sin!” What a terrible thing it is, thus to abuse the Sacrament of Penance! One sacrilegious confession renders all subsequent ones invalid. In order to return to a state of grace, under such circumstances, it is necessary not only to confess the sin wittingly concealed, but all the other sins mentioned in the first invalid confession, as well as all that have been subsequently committed, whether they have been confessed or not. It is the same with confession as with a sum in arithmetic. If one has made the omission of a single figure in the first row, the total will be wrong, and the whole must be reckoned up over again. In the same way, if a man has buttoned his coat wrong at the top, all the other buttons must be undone to set that one right. Hence St. Bonaventure gives this advice: “Begin with the sin which it costs thee most to confess, and afterwards all the rest will come easy to thee.” When once the general is slain, the whole army will speedily be routed. If you find it very difficult to confess any sin in particular, say at least to the confessor: “There is something more, but I cannot bring myself to tell it.”
1. No priest can give absolution who has not received the faculties for hearing confessions from the bishop of the diocese.128
To none but the apostles and their successors did Our Lord give the power to forgive sins. To them alone did He say after His resurrection: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John 20:23). He commanded the apostles to loose the bands of Lazarus, after he had risen from the grave, to indicate that to them was given the power to unbind. This power is called the power of the keys, because by it the gates of heaven, closed against the sinner, are reopened to him. Thus the confessor is the doorkeeper of heaven. The bishops can confer the right to forgive sins to such priests as they deem fitted to hear confession. A priest, as a rule, has faculties for the whole diocese in which the bishop has given him an appointment.
2. Priests who are duly authorized to hear confessions have not power to absolve from all sins, since there are certain sins which the Pope or the bishop has reserved to himself for judgment. (Council of Trent, 14, 11).129
They can only absolve from these sins if jurisdiction be delivered to them by the Holy See or the bishop of the diocese.
These are called reserved cases. The bishops are accustomed to reserve to themselves the absolution from more heinous crimes, such as apostasy, perjury, murder, arson; the object of this is to deter the faithful more effectually from the commission of such crimes. Secular magistrates cannot pass sentence on all criminals; many cases have to be sent up to a higher court for judgment. But at the point of death all priests may absolve all penitents whatever from every kind of sin or censure (Council of Trent, 14, 7). In places of pilgrimage the priests can usually absolve in cases reserved for the bishop; and in many dioceses they are empowered to do so during missions, at Easter, or when a general confession is made.
3. In the confessional the priest stands in the place of God; therefore the penitent is bound to yield him obedience.130
If Our Lord Himself sat in one confessional, and an ordinary priest in another, the one would not remit sins more fully than the other. Why is this? We call the priest who hears confessions “Father” because he represents our heavenly Father. For the same reason he deals with the penitent gently and indulgently, like a father. We must obey the confessor, for it is not a man whom we obey in his person, but God, Who has said: “He that heareth you, heareth Me.” If we obey our confessor, we may be sure that we shall not have to give account of our actions to God; for should the confessor be at error, there is no blame attaching to the penitent; he cannot do wrong in obeying. Those who would make progress in perfection should obey their confessor as they would obey the voice of God, even should the practice of some devotion or penance be forbidden them. St. John of the Cross says that to rebel against the dictum of the confessor manifests pride and want of faith.
In the confessional the priest exercises three functions: The office of a teacher, a physician, and a judge.131
In his office of teacher the priest has to instruct the penitent if he perceives that he is in ignorance of something important for him to know. Like a guardian angel, he directs the traveler in the right way. In his office of physician he listens to the penitent, who is sick with the disease of sin, while he gives an account of his condition, as the physician listens to the patient describing his bodily pains. He gives him the remedy to effect his spiritual cure, as the physician prescribes medicines for those who are sick in body. In his office of judge, he must decide whether the penitent is or is not to be absolved; in the former case he gives him absolution, in the latter he withholds it.
4. Under no possible conditions may the priest repeat anything out of the confessional.132
This obligation to secrecy is called the seal of confession. Not even to save his life may the priest reveal what has been said in confession. St. John Nepomucene could not be prevailed upon either by menaces or torture to disclose the queen’s confession to King Wenceslas. That monarch accordingly ordered him to be thrown into the Moldau, and five lights floating over the water marked the spot where his corpse lay. Not even to avert a terrible calamity may the priest reveal what has been said in confession. A king once asked the court chaplain whether, if any one confessed that he intended to assassinate the king, he would make it known. “On no account,” the clergyman replied. “Then,” said the king, “my life is not safe.” “It would be less so,” the priest rejoined, “but for confession, and the seal of confession.” The obligation of secrecy also exists in regard to the penitent. A priest’s servant once confessed to him that he had stolen his corn; the priest was obliged to leave the key in the barn-door the same as before. The seal of confession must be observed no less strictly in a court of justice, for the divine law is higher than human law. The penalty for violating the seal is deprivation for the remainder of the priest’s life, besides severe ecclesiastical punishments. We hear from time to time of bad priests who apostatize, but never has one been known to fall so low as to break the seal of confession. The obligation of secrecy is for the protection of the penitent as well as to safeguard the Sacrament of Penance. The penitent may give the priest permission to make use of what he has told him in confession, but the confessor must be very chary of availing himself of that permission. He must only do so when something really important is at stake, and there is no risk of thereby bringing confession into discredit. The seal of confession does not bind the priest if any one speaks outside the confessional of what he has previously confessed.
5. Every Catholic is perfectly free to choose his own confessor.
The slightest coercion in regard to confession is forbidden, for fear of leading any one to conceal a sin. St. Teresa says: “Oh, what mischief the evil one is enabled to do, if force is put upon any one in regard to confession!” Accordingly no one is obliged to go to confession to his parish priest (unless it be at Easter, as is the rule in some places); everyone is at liberty to approach the sacraments wherever he chooses, and the priest may not refuse to hear any man’s confession because he belongs to another parish. Monks are required to go to confession to a member of their Order. Nuns have their confessor appointed by the bishops; yet besides the ordinary confessor, the bishop or other superior has to offer them twice or thrice a year an extraordinary confessor whose duty it is to hear them (Council of Trent, 25, 10). No one can prevent them from making their confession to him.
Whoso desires to make progress in perfection must place himself under the guidance of some particular confessor (St. Philip Neri).
If a man wants to learn a profession or trade, he must have a master to instruct him; how much more he who wishes to acquire that most difficult of all professions, Christian perfection! He who would ascend a high mountain must have an experienced guide; how much more he who would scale the heights of Christian perfection! Choice should not be made of a confessor without mature deliberation and fervent prayer. For twenty years St. Teresa failed to find a spiritual Father who understood her; she persevered in prayer, and St. John of Avila was sent to her. A wise confessor should be chosen; one would not consult the first doctor one met with about one’s bodily ailments; nor in legal difficulties would one take the advice of any but a good solicitor. And should one use less precaution in a matter on which one’s eternity depends? One must also choose a confessor in whom one has entire confidence. The devil ruins many souls by sowing distrust between the penitent and his confessor. One’s confessor should not be changed without good reason, any more than one would leave a doctor who has attended one for long, and who knows one’s constitution. It is, however, well to go to someone else occasionally, so as not to get into servile subjection to one individual.
It is not any easy matter to do penance; confession, the sincere acknowledgment of sins of which we are ashamed, in itself requires great self-conquest. On this account penance is liberally rewarded by God. Confession is, moreover, an act of profound humility, and to the humble God giveth grace (1 Pet. 5:5).
By worthily receiving the Sacrament of Penance we obtain the following graces:
1. The guilt of sin is remitted and the debt of eternal punishment; yet there remains the debt of temporal punishment to be discharged (Council of Trent, 6, 30; 14, 12).133
God says in Holy Scripture: “If the wicked do penance for all the sins which he hath committed, he shall live, and not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done” (Ezek. 18:21). Thus Our Lord said to Magdalen: “Thy sins are forgiven thee” (Luke 7:48). To those who confess their sins Christ is not a judge, but an advocate and protector. In the Last Judgment the sins that have been expiated by penance will be no more remembered against the sinner; they alone will be hidden, when all else is revealed. Seneca used to say: “He who repents of the wrong he has done is no longer guilty.” Through the absolution the debt of eternal punishment is changed into a temporal debt. God acts like the monarch who commutes capital punishment into imprisonment for a term of years. Holy Scripture furnishes many examples in which God imposed a penalty for sin forgiven: He forgave Adam, yet He cast him out of paradise and laid severe penances upon him. Moses, who offended God by not believing His word, was pardoned, but not permitted to enter the Land of Promise (Numb. 20:12). The Jews who murmured in the wilderness were forgiven upon Moses’ intercession, but were condemned to die in the desert (Numb. 14.). David was forgiven when he had committed two mortal sins, but the child that was born to him died (2 Sam. 12:14). No sin is left unpunished; either we punish ourselves by doing penance, or God lays chastisements upon us. For every sin satisfaction must be made either in this world or in purgatory; the more we have sinned here, the more we shall suffer hereafter. Our transgressions are rightly called debts; as debts must be paid, so sins must be blotted out.
The debt of temporal punishment for sin must be discharged either in this world or in purgatory.134
In this world we make satisfaction by performing the penances enjoined on us by the priest in confession; by works voluntarily undertaken, such as prayer, fasting, almsdeeds, or other pious acts, and also by bearing patiently the punishments inflicted on us by God; for instance, accepting death willingly, and finally by gaining indulgences (Council of Trent, 14, 13).
God in His wisdom never leaves sin wholly unpunished, lest we should think lightly of it (St. Augustine).
At baptism all the punishment due to sin is remitted, but in the Sacrament of Penance this is not so. Sin committed after baptism is much more grievous than that which is committed before; those who sin before baptism sin in ignorance, but after baptism in malice, for they have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and consequently have a better knowledge of sin. Those who are regenerate, moreover be it remembered, when they sin knowingly violate the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:17), and are guilty of breaking their promise; for by sin on the one hand they banish the Holy Spirit Who dwells within them, and on the other hand they break the solemn vows taken at baptism. A good father forgives his child’s disobedience the first time, if he promises amendment; but if the child repeats the offence, his father forgives him, but does not this time let him go unpunished. God acts in a similar manner; at baptism He remits both the sin and its penalty but afterwards He is not so indulgent to the transgressor.
The more perfect our contrition, the greater will be the amount of the punishment remitted to us.135
“Many sins are forgiven her, for she loved much,” Our Lord said of Magdalen. Sometimes God touches the heart of man so profoundly that his contrition avails for the complete remission both of sin and its penalty.
The contrite sinner, like the prodigal son, receives a beautiful robe, sanctifying grace, and a ring is placed on his finger, a token of divine charity. Traces of our sins will, it is true, always be apparent on the white robe of sanctifying grace, but having been washed out by penance, they will not disfigure its beauty. Penance is a ladder whereby we may ascend again to the place whence we have fallen. The heart that is full of sin is the habitation of swine; by penance it becomes the dwelling-place of the Most High. Penance is a crucible wherein base metal is changed to silver. It would indeed be a miracle, if by a single word someone were to make night turn to day. Yet a greater wonder is worked by the words of absolution, spoken over the penitent sinner, for thereby the soul, which through sin was black as ink, becomes white as snow. When the sinner is restored to a state of grace, as a matter of course he is again a child of God, an heir of heaven, capable of performing meritorious works. Another effect of penance is that the merit of all good works done formerly in a state of grace is recovered. For the merit of all those works was lost through mortal sin (Ezek. 18:24); not because God withdrew their merit on account of the mortal man, but because man made them of no effect. So a meadow, parched by long drought, recovers its verdure under the influence of gentle rain and soft sunshine.
If before confession we are already in a state of grace, we receive an increase of grace.136
Any one who is free from mortal sin, or who has perfect contrition, is in a state of grace before confession. The greater the degree of sanctifying grace we possess here, the higher will be our degree of glory hereafter; hence let no one say it is useless for him to go to confession, as he has no mortal sin on his conscience. These who speak thus are, alas! too often living in mortal sin.
3. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we obtain great peace of mind, nay, great consolations, if our conversion be sincere.137
Penance gives us peace of mind. The Holy Spirit is a comforter (John 14:26). When we have relieved our soul by confession, a deep peace ensues, as the sea became calm as soon as the sinful prophet Jonah had been cast out of the ship. The Sacrament of Penance distils balm on the wounds of the soul; it relieves us of a heavy burden. The restoration of one’s peace of mind often has a beneficial effect upon the body, and contributes to the recovery of health. Hence the saints used to exhort the sick to receive the sacraments. To the contrite sinner great consolations are often given. Our Lord says: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:5). On the return of the prodigal son, his father caused the fatted calf to be killed, and a merry banquet was held, with music and dancing (Luke 15). Thus God acts with regard to the repentant sinner whose conversion is real; He makes him to abound in consolations and spiritual delights. In fact the grievous sinner seems in reality to fare better than the just man; remember what the elder son said to his father respecting the reception given to the prodigal (Luke 15:29). By these consolations God encourages us to walk more resolutely in the toilsome path of virtue; for the penitent has a sharp conflict to wage with his corrupt nature. When first we enter upon the way of holiness, God lavishes these consolations upon us; later on He withdraws them, lest they should prove prejudicial to us. Therefore we ought to render Him thanks when He deprives us of them.
4. The Holy Spirit imparts to us the strength necessary to overcome sin.138
The converted sinner is like one recovering from an illness; his former strength has to be regained. By penance the broken limb is set, and its power restored. The might of the Holy Spirit is communicated to the newly-converted, to enable him to resist evil. Confession serves to keep us from falling into sin in future, as well to cleanse us from past offences. Converted sinners are generally faithful and zealous servants of God. On this account Our Lord says that “there is joy in heaven upon one that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just persons” (Luke 15:7). Which is to be preferred, the soldier who has evaded the battle, or the one who has fled from the field, but returns to the attack, to repair his fault, and has valiantly routed the enemy? The former is the tepid Christian, the latter the fervent penitent.
Yet these graces are only given if the Sacrament of Penance is received worthily; they are given abundantly if the sacrament is received frequently.139
The more often a house is purified the cleaner it is; so it is with the soul of the Christian. The more frequently he goes to confession, the more thoroughly he casts off the yoke of the devil; for as a bird does not generally return to build its nest again in a place whence it has been driven away, so the evil one is not so prompt to molest the soul whence he has been expelled by confession. Confession once a year suffices to make one a member of the Catholic Church, but it is not sufficient for the welfare of the soul. As well might one expect a house to be clean that was only swept out once a year. The Christian who only goes annually to confession is like Absalom, who only had his hair polled once a year (2 Sam. 14:26); in the hour of temptation he is in danger of being caught and held fast, as Absalom was in the branches of the oak.
The Worthy Reception of the Sacrament of Penance
No rule can be laid down here, as in regard to holy communion, concerning the time to be employed in preparation. The reality of our contrition, not the length of our previous preparation, is what is of true importance. However, a few minutes are not enough. “Noah was a hundred years building the ark,” says St. Thomas Aquinas, “and thickest thou in a brief moment to construct the ark which is to save thee from temporal and eternal perdition?”
In order to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily, we must do as follows:
Since we sin in our heart, by our lips, and in our actions, we must atone for it by the sorrow which is felt in the heart, expressed by the lips, accomplished in our actions. We must do as the prodigal did: as soon as he experienced the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit, he thought over his misdeeds, and acknowledged them (examination of conscience). He saw how ungrateful he had been towards his father, and was truly grieved at heart (contrition). He determined to return to his father and begin a fresh life at home (resolution of amendment). He went back to his father, fell at his feet, confessed his fault and implored forgiveness (confession). He said he would no longer take the place of a son, but of a servant (satisfaction). The father fell on his neck and kissed him (absolution). Then followed a joyous repast (communion).
1. We must examine our conscience, i.e., we must carefully consider what sins we have committed and not yet confessed.140
We must make as careful a scrutiny as if we were immediately to appear before the judgment seat of God. If our examination is insufficient, the Sacrament of Penance may conduce to our damnation, rather than to our salvation. Yet we must not be over-anxious, as some scrupulous persons are, for God does not require from us what is out of our power. The examination of conscience is most important, for by it we learn to know ourselves, and this is the beginning of all improvement. One can no more acknowledge and overcome a fault of which one is not aware, than one can cure a malady of the existence of which one is ignorant. Most men are wanting in self-knowledge. There are many who search into the secrets of nature, who observe the course of the stars and the laws of motion, but who know nothing about themselves, and never look into their own heart. They are to be commiserated, despite their learning and their fame, because they pay no heed to their most glaring faults. The Creator has placed a book in the hands of every man, his conscience; study this book diligently, for of all your library it is the only one which you can take with you into eternity. Self-knowledge leads to the knowledge of God.
Before examination of conscience let us invoke the aid of the Holy Spirit, that He may enlighten us.
We can find a thing that is in a dark room much more quickly if we bring a light with us; and it is the same when we search out our sins. When the sun shines into a room we notice a thousand motes which were unobservable before; so the soul, when illuminated by the Spirit of God, sees the slightest imperfections. Self-knowledge is a gift of God, which we can obtain by prayer alone. The eye sees everything but itself; it is the same with our spiritual sight; it is quick in discerning the faults of others, and slow to see its own. It is well to examine one’s conscience in solitude, for there the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart (Hos. 2:14).
When examining our conscience we must put aside self-love and earnestly endeavor to acquaint ourselves with our faults.
Many sick people will not allow that there is anything serious the matter with them, and sinners often do the same. This arises from self-love, and self-complacency, on account of the advantages they imagine themselves to possess, both natural and acquired. Some even count their faults as virtues; they think arrogance to be manliness, deceitfulness to be prudence, etc., like some mothers who are so infatuated about their children that they think all their faults to be praiseworthy qualities. In examining his conscience, let a man look on himself as his own enemy; enemies have a sharp eye for one another’s feelings.
In examining our conscience, it is well to go through the Ten Commandments, the precepts of the Church, and the deadly sins.141
Children may ask themselves: (1), Have I forgotten my prayers or been inattentive at them? (2), Have I uttered the name of God, or spoken of holy things irreverently, or said any bad words? (3), Have I done servile work on Sundays or holydays of obligation? have I missed hearing Mass, or behaved badly in church? or eaten meat on Fridays? (4), Have I been rude or disobedient to my parents? (5), Have I been unkind to others, struck them, or led them to do wrong? provoking them to anger? (6), Have I indulged any thought, or spoken any words or done any deeds of impurity? (7), Have I ever taken what was not mine, and if so, given it back to the owner? have I injured or deceived any one? (8), Have I told a falsehood, accused any one wrongly, abused any one, or told of his faults? (9 and 10), Have I coveted another person’s goods? or been proud, given way to anger, or greediness, or been idle at school or at work?
In regard to mortal sins, we must remember how often we have been guilty of them.142
All the mortal sins of which the penitent is conscious after a diligent examination of himself, must needs be enumerated in confession (Council of Trent, 11, 5, 7). If the exact number of times cannot he remembered the approximate number must at least be stated.
It is not necessary, though it is advisable, to examine one’s self in regard to venial sins.143
Venial sins, though rightly and profitably declared in confession, may be omitted without guilt (Council of Trent, 14, 5). The most usual defect in the examination of conscience is that the penitent keeps back certain shameful sins, and is careful to search out slighter ones. Such persons are like the Pharisees, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel (Matt. 23:24). Hence it is that many do not benefit at all from frequent confession. How many apparently pious people will take their sins with them to eternity!
We must also consider whether there are circumstances which alter or aggravate the sin we confess.144
All those circumstances which change the quality and nature of the sin are to be explained in confession (Council of Trent, 14, 5). For instance, if a man has taken another’s goods by violence, it is not enough to say: “I stole;” for robbery with violence and theft are two different sins. If anything was stolen in a church, this must also be mentioned.
We ought to examine our conscience every evening in order to render our examination easier before confession.145
If a man will not do the necessary repairs of his house as they are wanted, it will become dilapidated and require thorough renovation; so it is with the soul, if its condition is not continually seen to and amended. If a master looks through his steward’s accounts daily, they do not get into disorder, and we must do the same with our conscience if we would keep it right. Daily examination is very profitable; it guards us from falling into mortal sin. If a merchant makes up his debit and credit account every day, he is not liable to get deeply into debt. Daily examination keeps our conscience pure, and conduces to moral perfection. St. Ignatius asserts it to be more important than prayer. If a king knew that his enemies were concealed in a certain quarter of his dominions, he would assuredly search out their hiding-place and frustrate their schemes. You have foes within you, your unruly passions; search them out daily, and vanquish them with the sword of sorrow. It is not enough merely to gain a knowledge of our faults, we ought earnestly to deplore them and endeavor to overcome them by good resolutions.
2. We must truly repent of our sins, that is, we must grieve from our heart that we have offended God by them, and the thought of offending Him must be abhorrent to us.146
As instances of true contrition, we may mention Magdalen, who fell at Our Lord’s feet weeping (Luke 7); St. Peter, who after he had denied Christ, went out and wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75); David, who when the prophet Nathan had awakened him to a sense of sin, lay upon the ground and did neither eat nor drink (2 Sam. 12), but cried: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou will not despise” (Ps. 50[51]:). Repentance, unless accompanied by trust in God’s mercy, would be despair. Remember Judas’ repentance. True contrition is also sorrow of soul. An external action alone, such as the recitation of a certain formula of prayer, wailing like that of the Jewish women, rending of garments (Joel 2:13), do not constitute repentance. Exterior grief without inward grief is mere hypocrisy. But interior heartfelt contrition shows itself exteriorly, for we mortals can rarely prevent all outward manifestation of what we feel inwardly. True repentance has reference to God; hence we call it supernatural, because it proceeds from faith in an unseen, supernatural world. Sorrow for sin because of its disastrous consequences is no true contrition; it is a natural sentiment, without merit before God. The cruel King Antiochus Epiphanus bewailed his wicked deeds when he was eaten by worms; but not because he had offended God (2 Macc. 9:13). In like manner a gambler, a drunkard, a criminal who is arrested, may regret his folly when he perceives the evil resulting from it. Temporal calamities may be the occasion, but not the motive of our sorrow. True repentance implies profound detestation of sin, or a complete abandonment of sin; it is more a matter of the will than of the feeling. “If,” says St. Augustine, “that which formerly caused thee joy and pleasure, now fills thy soul with bitterness, and that which formerly thou didst enjoy is now a torture to thee, then know that thy repentance is real.” That is true conversion when a man turns to God with his whole heart, and detaches himself completely from earthly things. Penance is worthless if it produces no amendment. To him who is truly penitent, the thought of offending God is abhorrent. Repentance is not real if every evil affection without exception is not given up. What does it profit thee to break every other chain, if one remains, binding thee to hell? (St. Augustine.)
True contrition often manifests itself in tears.
It was so in the case of Magdalen in Simon’s house (Luke 7:38), and of St. Peter when he had denied Our Lord (Matt. 26:75). The apostle’s sorrow was lifelong; it is said that his tears made two furrows on his cheeks. Penitential tears are not indispensable, but they are very efficacious; they render forgiveness more sure. The tears of the penitent are the most forcible language he can use; they compel God to forgive him. Penitential tears wash away the stains of sin; they are a kind of baptism, only the cleansing waters come from within, not from without. They enlighten the mind, as rain clears the sky. The more we weep for sin the more clearly we perceive its turpitude, and our tears lead to a fundamental amendment of life. As medicinal springs heal bodily sickness, so tears cure the maladies of the soul. They bring interior consolation; they refresh the soul as dew does the plant. The tears of the penitent give joy to the angels and drive away the devils; they have much the same effect on them as holy water has.
Contemplate the myriad stars in the firmament of heaven, consider the countless number of human beings upon earth, the innumerable hosts of spirits in the realms of space, and thence conclude how infinite is the divine greatness. And you have offended this sovereign Lord! Consider furthermore the greatness of your heavenly Father’s love for you, in that He gave what was dearest to Him, His only-begotten Son for you. How shameful to offend so loving a father! Remember also all that the Son of God suffered in your stead. Consider too, the innumerable benefits which throughout your life you have received from God; health, food, clothing, etc., all these things are His gifts, which, when He sees fit, He withdraws from the ungrateful; how instead of showing your thankfulness to God, you have often grieved Him, and repaid His benefits with ingratitude.
The contrition which arises from the love of God is called perfect contrition. Perfect contrition reconciles man with God immediately, before the Sacrament of Penance be actually received (Council of Trent, 14, 4).147
Let us suppose that a father sends his two boys into a town to make some purchases. They loiter and play on the way, and are late by several hours. On reaching home, they are frightened; one of them begins to cry, because he is afraid he will be whipped for his negligence; the other boy cries because he knows he has vexed his father. The second boy is an example of perfect contrition, the first of imperfect. He only has perfect contrition who is sorry for his sin because he has thereby offended God. Of this we find examples in David, St. Peter, Magdalen, the publican in the Temple; all these transgressors were speedily forgiven. Perfect contrition is, as may be gathered from Our Lord’s words to Magdalen (Luke 7:47), as a matter of fact, nothing more or less than fervent charity towards God, the operation of the Holy Spirit dwelling in man; and he in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, possesses sanctifying grace and is free from mortal sin. The least degree of perfect contrition suffices instantly to cancel the debt of sin (St. Thomas Aquinas). And if one who is not in mortal sin awakens perfect contrition, the effect is to increase sanctifying grace and remit the temporal punishment due to sin. Perfect contrition is accompanied by the desire of confession; yet it is not necessary to go to confession at once; it is enough to do so when the precept of the Church enjoins this upon one. In fact, it is not indispensable to perfect contrition that the desire for confession should be explicit; it is enough that the penitent should be ready to go to confession when the obligation arises.
We should make an act of perfect contrition from time to time in the course of our life, particularly in the hour of death, or if our life is in danger.
If, in travelling by land or sea, we should perceive an accident to be imminent, let our first thought be to make an act of perfect contrition, and our reconciliation with God will be complete. It happened once that the father of a family broke a blood-vessel. A messenger was instantly dispatched to summon a priest, but meanwhile the youngest child, who had recently made his first communion, perceiving that his father’s life was fast ebbing away, took a crucifix from the wall, and holding it before the dying man’s eyes, repeated aloud an act of perfect contrition. Tears filled the father’s eyes; he expired before the priest came, but he was safe for all eternity. It is probable that at the time of the Deluge, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, some persons were saved from eternal perdition by an act of perfect contrition. If you should have the misfortune to offend God grievously, make an act of contrition immediately. Do not go to rest at night, or begin the day’s work, or start on a journey, without in this manner making your salvation sure. It is no difficult matter to awaken true contrition, if one has a good will. Under the Old Dispensation it was the only means of obtaining remission of sin; and every Christian is bound, under pain of mortal sin, to make an act of perfect contrition in the hour of death, in case he is conscious of sin and cannot go to confession again. Only those find it hard who neglect all the ordinances of religion; they are like a clock which will not go, even when wound up by sanctifying grace, because the works are rusty from disuse. A special interposition of Providence, or a miracle of grace is needed to enable such persons to awaken perfect contrition. Cardinal Franzelin was so impressed with the immense value of perfect contrition, that he declared were he to go as a preacher from land to land, it should be the principal theme of his discourses.
The consideration that we must expect the just judgments of God on account of our sins, also disposes us to true contrition.148
Remember the punishment of the rebel angels, of our first parents, of the population of Sodom, of Noah’s contemporaries, etc. Reflect upon the awful pains of hell. And even if you do escape hell, there is the fire of purgatory to be endured; there the least punishment far exceeds all that one can suffer on earth, even the tortures inflicted on the martyrs. None but great saints have been exempted from this chastisement. How then can you expect to elude it? How terrible a thing it is to offend God!
The contrition which arises from fear of God is called attrition, or imperfect contrition. When the contrition of the penitent is imperfect, forgiveness of sin is only obtained through sacerdotal absolution.149
The contrition of the Ninivites was imperfect, when, smitten with fear at the preaching of Jonah, they did penance (Council of Trent, 14, 4). The penitent who is actuated by fear alone, retains a certain attachment to sin, though he may abstain from the outward act. Hence his repentance is less efficacious. Imperfect contrition is like a tiny spark, which must be fanned by confession and the priest’s absolution, before it consumes the chaff of sin.
Confession without contrition does not obtain the divine forgiveness.150
Whoso goes to confession without sorrow of mind, detestation of sins committed, and the purpose of not sinning in future, but merely from force of habit and not from consciousness of sin, derives no benefit from the act. The husbandman who scatters seed on untilled soil, labors in vain; in like manner the words of absolution are inefficacious in regard to one whose heart is unprepared, and who will not renounce sin. Confession without contrition is like a gun loaded without shot, an ear of corn empty of grain; it is like the barren fig-tree Our Lord cursed; for on the tree of penance confession is but the leaves, while contrition is the fruit. St. John Chrysostom compares the man who goes to confession without contrition to an actor in a play. From the story of the prodigal we gather that confession alone is not everything; the father scarcely heeded what his son said, but as soon as he perceived his heart was changed, he hardly let him finish speaking, but clasped him in his arms.
3. We must make a firm resolution, that is, we must steadfastly determine with the help of God to desist from all sin, and to avoid the occasions of sin for the future.151
The purpose of amendment is an essential part of true contrition (Council of Trent, 14, 4). The resolution to sin no more arises out of contrition, as water issues from a spring. So long as the will retains its attachment to sin, neither mortal nor venial sin can be remitted. All men are not thus resolute, for many do not adhere to their resolutions. They act like a woman, who, when her husband dies, makes a terrible outcry, extolling loudly the excellent qualities of the deceased, and protesting vehemently that she will never marry again; but in a very short time, oblivious of her asseverations, she gives her hand to another man. Those who in time of illness or of adversity form good resolutions, but do not carry them out, are like the wolf who retreats to the wood when he hears the dogs bark and the shepherds cry out, but remains a wolf none the less. A good resolution is like a nail driven fast into a wall; but the resolutions of too many resemble a nail badly knocked in, which falls out as soon as anything is hung upon it. The way to hell is paved with good resolutions, which have not been carried out. All men will not determine to renounce every sin. St. Sebastian promised to heal the proconsul if he would destroy all the idols in Rome; the proconsul did this, with the exception of a little idol of gold, an heirloom in his family, which he concealed. The saint consequently could not cure him, and he told him the reason. Many sinners do the same; there is one darling sin which they will not give up, and therefore they cannot break away from the devil and become the friends of God; for God’s sake everything must be renounced. The penitent must also seriously avoid all occasions of sin. The man who merely dislikes his neighbor, contents himself with eschewing his company; but if he has a thoroughgoing hatred for him, he gets rid of everything that can remind him of him; he holds aloof from his friends and relatives, he destroys his portrait, the presents he has received from him, etc. Thus must the penitent act who has a real detestation of sin; he must avoid all and everything that leads to sin, or that reminds him of sin. Those who wish to do better, but will not avoid the occasion of sin, are like one who sweeps away the cobweb, but does not kill the spider; thus a fresh web is soon spun. Or he is like a gardener who cuts off the weeds and does not root them up; in a little time they are greener than ever. Too often sinners who confess their sins but will not give up the occasion of sin transgress more deeply than before. If you would keep the flies from your table, you must remove the sweet dishes that attract them; so if you would keep free from sin, you must keep far from you the occasions of sin. Good resolutions are no use without the divine assistance, any more than the corn can fructify without rain and sunshine. Hence we must not trust to our own strength, but in the grace of God.
Our resolution should have reference to one particular sin, and that the one to which we are most attached.
It is impossible to carry out many resolutions at a time. To attempt this is like endeavoring to roll several large stones up hill all at once; we shall succeed with none. It is enough if we set ourselves resolutely to overcome one fault, for in doing so we shall combat all the others, just as while curbing one restive horse, we check the others who are harnessed with it. If we did but root out one vice every year, we should soon become perfect men.
4. We are under the obligation of confessing our sins, that is, we must secretly to the priest enumerate all the mortal sins of which we are conscious, accurately, simply and humbly; with the number of times we have committed them, besides all that is necessary to make known the nature of the sin (Council of Trent, 14, 5, 7).152
It is not necessary, but it is salutary and profitable to confess venial sins.
If a mortal sin has been forgotten in confession, it must be mentioned the next time.
Confession must be made secretly, that is, we must speak in so low a tone that no one near, besides the priest, shall hear what is said. Confession must be accurate. We should avoid the use of general terms; for instance, it is not right to say: I have transgressed the Third, Fifth or Seventh Commandment; I have not loved God with my whole heart; I have sinned in thought, word and deed. Such phrases are unmeaning. Yet, while entering into particulars, everything should be told as briefly as possible, every superfluous detail being avoided. Anyone who has been accessory to our sin is not to be mentioned by name. Simple: Ambiguous expressions, attempts at self-justification, cannot be allowed in confession; the penitent must be simple and candid, as a crystal is clear and transparent. To seek to justify one’s self is to act like our first parents in paradise, who shifted the blame from their own shoulders, and were punished more severely for it. “Accuse thyself, and God will excuse thee; excuse thyself and God will accuse thee” (St. Augustine). Humble: The penitent must not take offence if the confessor reproves or questions him. In the confessional the priest is in the place of God, the penitent is but a miserable sinner. King Louis IX once said to a priest, who timidly addressed him as “Your Majesty”; “I am not a king here, nor are you a subject; I am a child, and you are a father.” The Empress Constantia once sent for the Abbot Joachim, and wanted him to hear her confession while she remained seated on her throne. But the abbot said: “If thou art to be in the place of Magdalen, and I in that of Christ, thou must leave thy throne and kneel at my feet; otherwise I will go away at once.” If the priest perceives that the confession is not entire and complete, he asks questions; just as the customs officer, if he thinks that a traveler has articles on which duty has to be paid, does not satisfy himself with yes or no, but searches his luggage. If the penitent is unable to speak, for instance, if he is deaf and dumb, or extremely ill, he must make his confession by signs, or the deaf-mute may make it in writing. Absolution can never be given to anyone at a distance, though it is besought by letter or by a messenger. It is enough if all mortal sins are confessed. For if the beams are burned away, the planks will probably be consumed with them, but the reverse is not the case. Unfortunately, people are too apt to confess venial and conceal mortal sins. Yet it is profitable to confess venial sins, for thereby a portion of the temporal penalty is cancelled, and greater peace of mind is acquired, since in regard to some sins we cannot decide with certainty whether they are mortal or venial. Those who cannot accuse themselves of any mortal sin, must at least confess some venial sins, or a sin of their past life, otherwise they cannot receive absolution. All mortal sins must be declared, unless under exceptional circumstances, such as the penitent being at the point of death, in imminent danger (on a sinking ship), too ill to speak more than a few words, or in a hospital where his confession may be overheard. In such cases an incomplete confession is permissible. All the mortal sins of which we are conscious must, as has been said, be enumerated in confession; yet it may occur that one is forgotten; if so, it must be mentioned next time, and we need not distress ourselves if we do not remember it until after communion, for our confession was not sacrilegious. We must also declare as nearly as possible how often any mortal sin has been committed.
5. Satisfaction must be made: i.e., we must perform the penance enjoined upon us by the confessor.153
The debt of temporal punishment is in no wise remitted by the Sacrament of Penance. For God is not more merciful than He is just; therefore works of penance are imposed on the penitent, whereby he may discharge the debt of temporal punishment due to his sins. Works of penance are not only for the punishing or avenging of past sins, they are also a medicine. The sinner is like a wounded warrior; it is not enough to extract the bullet from the wound; bandages and balsam must be applied to heal it. The priest does not merely deliver the penitent from the guilt of sin, he enjoins on him suitable and salutary satisfaction, which shall act as a remedy against relapse. As a rule, he imposes on him penances exactly opposed to his evil propensities; almsdeeds on the avaricious, fasting on the intemperate, and so forth. Nothing is more efficacious in eradicating sin than prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, because the concupiscence of the eyes, the concupiscence of the flesh, and the pride of life, are overcome by the practice of the opposite virtues.
The confessor generally enjoins upon the penitent, prayer, almsdeeds, and fasting, as works of penance, in order that he may thereby discharge the temporal penalties, and weaken the power of evil tendencies (Council of Trent, 14, 8).154
In former times most rigorous penances were imposed; e.g., fasting on bread and water, abstinence from meat and wine, the non-reception of holy communion, and the like. These penances were not for a few days, they lasted months and even years, nay, many were lifelong. Some penitents withdrew to the desert to live a life of penance, as did St. Mary of Egypt. Nor were these penances only imposed for grievous sins, but for comparatively slight transgressions, such as the omission of Mass, neglect of the rule of fasting, misbehavior in church, etc. Nowadays the penances imposed are very different; they bear no possible proportion to the punishment we have merited. It is well therefore to undertake some voluntary penances, that we may not suffer in purgatory hereafter, as will be shown presently.
The confessor also directs reparation to be made for any injury that has been done, and the suppression of all that may cause scandal.155
He obliges those who have stolen other people’s goods to make restitution; those who have wronged others by slander to retract their words and make an apology. He deals gently with the penitent, and does not require from him what he cannot or will not perform.
The works of penance imposed by the confessor ought to be conscientiously performed in union with the satisfaction of Our Lord Jesus Christ.156
By the performance of our sacramental penance (that enjoined by the priest), we discharge more of our debt than by works voluntarily undertaken. The former have the virtue of obedience; they would lose their value if they were knowingly altered, therefore they must be done with scrupulous exactitude. If they cannot be performed, this must be told to the priest in the next confession. They must also be performed without delay, for they have no efficacy in remitting sin or earning grace unless the penitent is in a state of grace, and this is most certain immediately after confession. Still there is no obligation to say one’s penance before approaching holy communion, but we must not put off saying it until there is a danger of our forgetting it. Whoso neglects to perform his sacramental penance loses many graces, and violates the obedience he owes to the priest as God’s representative; but he does not thereby render his confession invalid. He is like a sick man who, when the physician has gone, will not take the medicine he prescribed. He shows moreover, that he does not think seriously of amending his life. All our works of penance are of themselves without merit; they derive their sufficiency from the merit of the satisfaction made by Christ. For this reason the Church concludes all her petitions with the words: Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. Our works cannot, nevertheless, be dispensed with, for Christ has only merited for us what was beyond our reach; He has opened heaven to us again, it behooves us through the satisfaction we make to appropriate to ourselves what He merited for us. We know that only if we suffer with Him shall we also be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:17).
We should, besides, make satisfaction by punishments voluntarily undertaken of ourselves; and also by bearing patiently the temporal scourges inflicted of God (Council of Trent, 14, 9).157
We ought to perform voluntary penances as well as those enjoined on us. The man who owes a thousand dollars does not deem himself out of debt when he has paid three or four hundred; he cannot rest until the whole debt is paid off. So we must labor continually to discharge our debt. Divine justice can only be satisfied by long and continuous penance. “Chastise thyself,” says St. Augustine, “if thou wouldst not have God chastise thee.” By a little labor here we can avert great pains hereafter. The whole life of the Christian ought to be a perpetual penance (Council of Trent, 14, 9). “Attach no credit,” says St. John of the Cross, “to the man who decries penance, although he may have the gift of miracles.” While we do penance, we may count upon the assistance of grace. Patience under suffering is an effectual means of making satisfaction; the merit of suffering does not consist in the amount we bear, but the manner in which we bear it. Comparatively slight afflictions borne patiently will have far more value as expiation for sin than much greater works undertaken of our own free will. Happy those to whom it is given to expiate their sins on earth, for the fires of purgatory are infinitely worse than anything we suffer here, and they do not contribute to our future felicity; they are simply punitive, not meritorious. Another most profitable means of making satisfaction is the willing acceptance of death at the hand of God. Since Christ died for us, death is not now regarded so much in the light of a chastisement, and by nothing can we merit so greatly as by accepting it willingly.
The works of penance which we perform and the sufferings we bear patiently do not only cancel the temporal punishment due to our sins, but they contribute to the increase of our eternal happiness.158
The satisfaction we make here obtains not only pardon from God, but also a reward. All suffering is the penalty of sin, but by God’s mercy it is also a ladder whereby we may ascend to heaven. How vast is the mercy and loving kindness of God!
1. By a general confession is meant the confession of all the sins we have committed within a considerable period of time.159
Dwelling-houses are swept and cleaned every week, but at longer intervals a thorough cleansing is necessary; the ceilings are white-washed, the floors are scrubbed. It is the same with our soul; we cleanse it frequently during our lives by confession, but occasionally we purify it more fully by a general confession.
It produces greater self-knowledge, because it brings many hidden sins to light. If we fish with a rod or a net, not many fishes are caught, for they shelter themselves under the banks; but if all the water is drawn off the pond, all the fish come to sight. The difference between ordinary confession and a general confession is much the same. It also deepens humility. A small troop of soldiers attacking the enemy has not the same force as the whole army; so the sins we confess from time to time have not the same power to humble our pride as the whole array when disclosed by a general confession. It increases tranquillity of conscience. When a steward has to make up his accounts to his master, he is afraid lest some error should be detected; but when they are all looked over and found correct, his mind is at rest. So it is with confession. It also obtains great graces from God. Just as a beggar excites more commiseration if he tells the full tale of his woes, so man appeals more strongly to the compassion of God, and obtains more graces from Him, if he humbles himself by the acknowledgment of all his misery and frailty. With many persons a general confession has inaugurated a new life. Hence we may conclude that it is a means of obtaining a large measure of grace.
What has already been said upon concealment of sins in confession need not be repeated here. People about to be married, or clerics on the eve of ordination, ought to make a general confession. What consolation for the dying to know that the affairs of their soul are all well-ordered! Scrupulous persons should be forbidden to make a general confession; for them the practice of obedience is more salutary.
Confession a Divine Institution
1. Confession of sins was instituted by Our Lord, and has been the practice of the Church in all centuries.160
Confession was practiced under the Old Dispensation, not indeed as a sacrament, but as foreshadowing the sacrament. The first confession was made in paradise; God was the Confessor, Adam and Eve were the penitents. God called upon Cain to make a confession; he refused to do so and was cursed in consequence. David confessed his sin and was forgiven. Under the law of Moses a certain form of confession was customary among the Jews (Numb. 5–7). The people who came to John the Baptist to be baptized confessed their sins (Mark 1:5). Christ, Who did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil it (Matt. 5:17), confirmed and perfected the existing practice of confession, and attached many graces to it.
a. On the day of His resurrection Our Lord gave to the apostles and their successors the power to forgive and to retain sins. It is obvious that in order that this power may be exercised aright, it is necessary for the sinner to reveal the state of his soul.161
The words of Our Lord are these: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John 20:23).
b. Even in the apostles’ time the Christian converts came to them, “confessing and declaring their deeds.”
Thus they came to St. Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:18). St. John also states that by confession of sin pardon may be obtained (1 John 1:9).
c. In the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church in the first centuries Christians are frequently exhorted to confess their sins, many appropriate and beautiful similes being made use of in illustration.162
Tertullian, St. Basil, St. Gregory the Great and others compare the sinner to a sick man, who, if he would be cured, must declare his symptoms or exhibit his festering sore to a skilful and experienced physician. So the sinner must apply to the dispenser of the divine mysteries and confess his sins that he may obtain remission. St. Augustine says: “It is not enough that a man acknowledge his sins to God, from Whom nothing is hidden; he must also confess them to the priest, God’s representative.” Pope Leo I censured the custom of public confession as too rigorous, asserting that secret confession was quite sufficient. It is noteworthy how often the Fathers warn Christians against concealing a sin in confession. Even Protestants cannot contest the fact that confession was practiced both in the first centuries of Christianity and in the Middle Ages; in regard to the latter, history affords abundant evidence, for the very names of the confessors of distinguished Christian rulers are recorded.
d. Confession was also retained by the earlier heretical sects which fell away from the Church.
This fact affords unquestionable proof of the antiquity of confession. But we find the practice in a perverted form among sectaries; for instance, it is said that in the Russian Church the priest is bound to inform against anyone who confesses crimes of a Nihilistic character. What a contrast to the rules of the Catholic Church!
e. It is impossible to prove confession to be of human institution.
The name of the inventor or originator is generally attached to every human institution or discovery. But those who deny the divine origin of confession, cannot say in what land and at what epoch this custom—than which none other is so difficult and wearisome, and at the same time so unremunerative for the priest—was first introduced. Protestants do, it is true, allege that it was introduced at the Lateran Council in 1215, when confession once a year was made obligatory for the faithful; but who would be so foolish as to conclude, because a father bade his son pay him a visit regularly once every year, that until then he had not been in the habit of ever visiting him?
2. The institution of confession affords us proof of the infinite mercy and wisdom of God.163
How easy it is for us, who on account of our sins are like criminals condemned to death, to obtain pardon from God! He does not require of us severe sufferings, a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or the like; nothing but the confession of our sins to any one of His ministers whom we may select, and who is pledged to strictest secrecy. No earthly monarch was ever so indulgent to transgressors. What exertions a prisoner confined in a subterranean dungeon will make to regain his liberty! For a whole year he will work at filing through a bar or loosening a stone. The spiritual prisoner need take no such pains to recover his freedom; such is the unfathomable bounty and mercy of God. The infinite wisdom of God is also exhibited in the institution of confession. The skill of an experienced physician is shown by the fact that he not only relieves the patient, but by the employment of a remedy opposed to the disease, eliminates its cause. Now we know that all transgressions come from pride; it is, as St. Thomas Aquinas declares, the source of all sin; confession is diametrically opposed to pride, it is a humiliation for the sinner. Thus God manifests His wisdom by appointing a practice easy and simple in itself, and yet most painful to human nature; for confession requires no slight conquest of self.
1. Confession is extremely useful both to individuals and to society in general.
a. Confession is profitable to the individual inasmuch as he derives from it self-knowledge, delicacy of conscience, interior peace, strength of character, and moral purity.164
By comparing all that he has done or left undone with the law of God’s commandments, the penitent learns to know his own heart. His conscience also speaks more clearly. By frequent confession the law of God is more deeply impressed on the heart of man; when tempted to sin, the commandment he is about to break presents itself to his mind. The mere thought of confession also acts as a deterrent from sin; some persons abstain from sin because they could not bear to tell it to the priest. Experience proves how great a relief confession is to the mind of one who has committed a grievous sin. The impulse to confess one’s misdeeds is inherent in human nature; confession answers to this feeling, and the assurance of pardon affords the greatest consolation. Confession also increases strength of character, for by it we learn to overcome ourselves. Moreover the Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding and fortifies our will, and the more steadfastly the will is inclined to what is good, the more strength of character we shall possess. Confession, being in itself an act of humility, cannot fail to make a man humble, and humility is the foundation of all moral perfection. Proud people have the greatest aversion to confession. It is a means of freeing ourselves from the fetters of the devil, for by telling the truth when it would be so easy to deceive, and the temptation to conceal is often experienced, we throw off the yoke of the father of lies, and turn to Him Who is eternal Truth. And the less power the devil has over a man, the more easily he will draw nigh to God. The first step in amendment of life is to go to confession. “Before applying thyself to good deeds,” says St. Augustine, “confess thy misdeeds.”
b. Confession is profitable to society at large because it is a means whereby disputes are settled, stolen property is restored, crimes are prevented, and vice effectually suppressed.165
Absolution is not given to the penitent who refuses to forgive his neighbor or make restitution of property wrongfully obtained. The reason why non-Catholics often prefer Catholic servants and are willing to let them go to confession is apparent. The priest in the confessional spares no pains to dissuade those who come to him from carrying out any evil designs they may have formed, and tells them what measures they must take to master their passions. More is done in the confessional than in the pulpit for the furtherance of morality, for what is said in private has more effect that what is said in public. Pope Pius V used to say: “Give me good confessors and I will reform the whole world.” If the discovery were made that confession was practiced by one of the pagan nations of antiquity, too much could not be said in praise of so excellent and wise an institution; but because it is practiced in the Catholic Church, and appointed by the living God, it is termed foolish, tyrannical, and degrading.
When the Ark of the Covenant, we are told, was carried to the brink of the Jordan, the water left off flowing downwards, and stood together in a heap. But no sooner had the ark passed over, than the waters returned into their channel and ran on as they were wont before (Joshua 3). So it is with many a Christian. When they have received the sacraments, they restrain their passions a little; but before long they again give them free rein, and sin even more deeply than ever. “Many,” says St. Jerome, “begin well, but few persevere.” “They put their hand to the plough and then look back” (Luke 9:62). They are to be compared to the sow that was washed and returns to her wallowing in the mire (2 Pet. 2:22), or to the dog that returneth to his vomit (Prov. 26:11).
1. He who after his conversion relapses into mortal sin, is in danger of dying impenitent, because the devil acquires great power over him, and the influence of the Holy Spirit is lessened.
It is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and are fallen away, to be renewed again to penance (Heb. 6:4). The backslider finds it difficult to regain the right road. Relapse into sin is like the relapse of a convalescent; the disease from which he suffered has more hold on him than before. Our Lord says of such a one that the unclean spirit returns to him and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself (Luke 11:26). The devil deals with the backslider as a prudent warder does with a prisoner who has once escaped; he guards him more watchfully than before. The backslider grieves the Holy Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30). Our Lord said to the man whom He had healed: “Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee” (John 5:14).
2. If any one should relapse into mortal sin, let him forthwith repent and go to confession; for the longer penance is delayed, the more difficult, the more uncertain conversion will be.166
The backslider ought to act as St. Peter did when he had denied Christ; he went out and wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75). If fire breaks out in a house, it can be extinguished at once if help is at hand; and if the backslider does penance immediately, his sin may be pardoned; nay more, his fall may even obtain for him a greater measure of grace. In the case of some saints, their fall produced in them a greater accession of fervor, and the depth of their contrition obtained for them a higher degree of grace. But the longer penance is postponed, the worse it will fare with the sinner. In his first illness the infidel Voltaire repented; but he presently fell into greater wickedness than before, and his end was a dreadful one.
3. If, through frailty, we fall into venial sin, we must not be disquieted on that account, but humble ourselves before God.167
To be vexed and out of temper with one’s self shows pride; we cannot tolerate the sight of our own imperfections. It is of no use to be angry because we are men, not angels; in that way we only perpetuate our faults. “If,” as St. Francis de Sales says, “we are angry with ourselves for being angry with another, we feed our anger instead of stifling it.” No one is able throughout his whole life to avoid all sins, except by a special privilege from God, as the Church holds in regard of the Blessed Virgin (Council of Trent, 6, 23). God permits us to fall into venial sins to keep us humble. He does like the mother who lets her child run alone in a soft meadow, where a fall will do him no harm; but on a rough road she carries him in her arms. So God upholds us in great dangers by His almighty hand, but in slight matters He leaves us more to ourselves. Hence we must act like children, when they fall; they cry a little and get up again; so we must at once bewail our fault, acknowledge our misery, renew our trust in God, and go on as before. Thus our sins may be made of profit to us; they ought to humble, not to discourage us (St. Francis de Sales). It is impossible to keep the linen we wear perfectly clean, but we can have it washed when it is soiled. It is equally impossible to keep our soul free from all stains, yet it is in our power to cleanse it when we have fallen into sin. The just man falls seven times, but he shall rise again seven times (Prov. 24:16).
4. Since we cannot possibly continue in a state of grace until death without the special assistance of the Holy Spirit, let us fervently implore of God the grace of final perseverance.168
In addition to sanctifying grace the just man needs actual grace, in order to persevere in justice. As the most healthy eye cannot see without the light of the sun, so the best of men cannot live aright without the operation of grace. The justified are not able to persevere in justice received without the special help of God (Council of Trent, 6, 22). Without the assistance of grace we should quickly relapse into our former sins, and into yet worse ones, just as creation would fall back into nothing if not preserved in existence by God. The gift of final perseverance is the greatest gift we can receive from God, for all other graces are valueless without it. “He that shall persevere unto the end, he,” and he only, “shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). It is useless to lay the foundation of a house if the structure is not to be finished. “The Christian,” says St. Augustine, “will not be questioned about the commencement, but the end of his life.” St. Paul made a bad beginning, but a good end. Judas began well, and ended by betraying Our Lord, to his own damnation. The gift of final perseverance will not be denied to him who humbly implores it.
By good works also we may make sure our calling and election (2 Pet. 1:10). Unremitting prayer, and heartfelt devotion to the Mother of God are besides excellent means to enable us to persevere in justice.169
The more good work we have done the less need we fear damnation. Hence the prophet said to Josaphat, the King of Israel: “Thou didst deserve indeed the wrath of God, but good works are found in thee” (2 Chron. 19:3). Why were David and St. Peter treated by God with such favor and indulgence after their fall? Because of the good works they had previously performed. Unremitting prayer is also an excellent means of persevering in justice. As birds continually move their wings in the air, to keep from falling to the ground, so we should soar to God on the pinions of prayer, lest we fall into mortal sin. Our Lord enjoins on us “always to pray” (Luke 18:1). There is nothing more certain to preserve us throughout our life in the grace of God than unceasing prayer. Hot water does not get cold if it be placed close to the fire, neither does the warmth of divine charity die out of our heart if we keep it near to God by frequent ejaculatory prayers. And since all graces come to us through the hands of the Mother of God, we cannot doubt that the gift of final perseverance, the greatest of all graces, will only be obtained through her intercession on our behalf. “If thou dost enjoy Mary’s favor,” St. Bernard declares, “thou art sure of salvation.”
It has already been explained that by the Sacrament of Penance the debt of eternal punishment due to the sinner is remitted, but not the temporal. This he must discharge either in this world by sickness, adversity, temptation, persecution, voluntary works of penance, and the like, or in the fires of purgatory after death. This is exemplified by the holy penitent, Mary of Egypt. For seventeen years she led a sinful life; after her conversion she did penance in the desert for seventeen years. Her penance consisted in horrible temptations, in hunger and thirst, in sufferings from exposure to cold and heat. It was the same with other penitents.170
1. God has granted to the Church the power, after the reconciliation of the sinner with God, of changing the punishments yet remaining due to sin into works of penance, or of remitting them altogether.171
Our Lord conferred on St. Peter in particular, and on all the apostles in general, the power to remove whatever hindered the admission of the penitent to heaven. To St. Peter He said: “Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19), and to the apostles He said: “Whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven” (Matt. 18:18). How since mortal sin excludes from heaven permanently, and the temporal penalty of sin temporarily, power to remit both one and the other is vested in the Head of the Church and in the bishops. We read that certain Christians of Corinth, who had been excommunicated for their vices, were pardoned by St. Paul in the name of Christ (2 Cor. 2:10), after they had testified to the sincerity of their compunction. When the Church remits temporal penalties, she does not cancel them altogether; she supplies what is lacking from the treasury of the infinite merits of Christ and of the saints. Many members of the Church have performed penances over and above what was due to their sins, and the store of their merits, owing to the satisfaction made by Christ, is so vast in extent, that it far exceeds the penalties due to the sins of all living (St. Thomas Aquinas). In these merits all participate who belong to the communion of saints; and the distribution of them was entrusted by the Son of God to St. Peter, who is the doorkeeper of heaven. Thus it will be seen that no one is actually exempted from the payment of his debt, since what is still due is paid out of the treasury of the Church.
a. Hence at the time of the great persecutions, the Church used to lay upon repentant sinners public penances for the expiation of the temporal punishment of sin, and afterwards commute them into lesser ones, or remit them altogether, if the penitent manifested a sincere intention of amendment, or a martyr interceded for him.
The Christians of early ages were mostly recent converts from heathenism, and needed rigorous treatment. Public penance generally consisted in exclusion from the company of the faithful; the excommunicate were only allowed to kneel in the vestibule of the Church and hear the first portion of the Mass; they were not permitted to receive holy communion, and as a rule, were not absolved until the expiration of their term of penance. During that time on fixed days they had to fast on bread and water. This public penance usually lasted seven years; it was only imposed for grave offences, such as apostasy, giving the Holy Scriptures into the hands of pagans, etc.; for heinous crimes such as murder, the period was still longer. For lesser transgressions a fast of forty days was the ordinary penance. But the Church knew that the design of God is not so much to chastise the sinner as to detach him from earthly affections and lead him to amend; thus, if the penitent showed by his conduct that his conversion was not superficial, but real, it was deemed unnecessary for him to do further penance. Consequently the penitential works were in some cases partially or wholly remitted. How since Christians form one body among themselves, the communion of saints, they can make satisfaction for one another; hence the martyrs pleaded on behalf of the penitents. St. Thomas Aquinas says that what friends do for us we do in a measure for ourselves, since by reciprocity of affection two are made one.172
b. In later times, when public penances were abrogated, the Church permitted the contrite sinner to discharge the debt of temporal punishment due to sin by means of almsdeeds, crusades, or pilgrimages.
Formerly the penitent had to apply for dispensation or mitigation; later on it was offered by the Church to the faithful. In the Middle Ages there were good reasons for remitting penances on the payment of a sum of money, for in those days greed and avarice prevailed, and we know that every vice is best extirpated by its opposite virtue. The money thus collected was expended in the erection of churches and cathedrals for the most part; this is how the funds were raised to build St. Peter’s at Rome. At the Council of Clermont in 1095, a total dispensation from works of penance, i.e., a plenary indulgence, was granted to all who took part in the crusades themselves, or in later years provided men or money to carry them on. These indulgences were extended to the near relatives of the crusaders. Crusades were also undertaken on the same conditions against heretics and the adversaries of the Church. In the tenth century we find pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome and Compostella mentioned as means of discharging the temporal debt due to sin. When the Holy Land came into the power of the Turks, and pilgrimages could no longer be made to Jerusalem, Pope Boniface VIII granted full remission of temporal punishment to all who, during the year 1300, should for fifteen successive days visit the basilica of the apostles in Rome. This was the origin of the Jubilee indulgence; it was repeated fifty years later, the condition of a visit to the Lateran Church being added. In that year three million pilgrims are said to have journeyed to the Eternal City. The interval between the granting of these indulgences was reduced by later Pontiffs to thirty-three years, in honor of the period of Our Lord’s life on earth; again it was shortened to twenty-five years. Furthermore it was decreed that the same indulgence might be gained by the inhabitants of certain large cities, provided they visited their cathedral church and gave a sum equal to the cost of a journey to Rome, to the preachers of the indulgence, or collectors of alms. This gave rise to great abuses. The collectors who were principally Dominican or Franciscan monks, were sometimes guilty of extravagances, and the Council of Trent had to suppress their office altogether (Council of Trent, 21, 9).
c. In more recent times the Church permitted the substitution of works more easy of accomplishment, such as prayer and the reception of the sacraments, for the more rigorous works of penance, as a means of satisfaction.
In this manner the Church endeavors to incite her children to greater fervor; to induce them to approach the sacraments (this supposes conversion and amendment), to be diligent in prayer, to enrol themselves in confraternities, to recite the Rosary, to increase in devotion to saints and relics, etc. She acts like a mother who mingles sweets with the bitter physic, to induce the child to swallow it. The ancient rule of discipline formerly in force in the Church, is the standard whereby the measure of punishment to be remitted is estimated; thus when it is said that three years’ indulgence is granted for the recital of a certain prayer, the meaning is that the penitent by repeating that prayer, does as much in expiation of his sins as would formerly have been done by three years of canonical penance. The object of this is both to testify to the Church’s reverence for ancient ordinances, and also by reminding them of the severe requirements of former days, to make the faithful perform cheerfully the easy task they are now called upon to accomplish.
2. The remission of the temporal punishment due to us on account of our sins is called an indulgence, and is obtained by the performance, while in a state of grace, of certain good works enjoined on us by the Church.173
An indulgence (pardon or remission) is therefore a kind of absolution from the temporal penalty of sin, after absolution from the guilt and eternal punishment. An indulgence is very similar to an amnesty; if this is granted by a monarch, a free pardon, or mitigation of sentence, is accorded, on account of their good conduct, to some criminals among others, who, though condemned to death, have had their verdict commuted to a term of incarceration. An indulgence is by no means a remission of mortal sin and the eternal punishment due to it; these must already be remitted before an indulgence can be gained. It is not absolution from sin, but the remission, partial or plenary, of satisfaction due to sin. It is not a means of evading the Sacrament of Penance and rendering sin easy; on the contrary it obliges us to a real conversion of life.
Indulgences only remove those temporal sufferings which do not conduce to our eternal salvation.
An indulgence only exempts us from such sufferings as are exclusively primitive; it does not remove those which God sends upon us for our advancement in holiness, or to prevent our relapse into sin; for suffering such as these no satisfaction can be made, as we see in the case of David. When the death of his child was foretold to him, as the punishment of his sin, he besought the Lord for the child and kept a fast (2 Sam. 12.), but God would not accept this satisfaction; the child died. Nor do indulgences deliver us from sufferings which are a probation, or are intended to enhance our eternal felicity; in that case they would be prejudicial to salvation, not beneficial. Without suffering no man can be saved. We see that even the immaculate Mother of God, who was free from all sin, had no small measure of suffering as her lot on earth.
It is necessary for gaining an indulgence to be in a state of grace; otherwise good works can only conduce to the conversion of him who performs them, and are valueless for the remission of temporal punishment.
As a member of the human body, if it be dead, can derive no benefit from the action of the other living members, so the living members of the Church are powerless to aid, by the application of the satisfaction they have made, the soul of one who is spiritually dead, i.e., in mortal sin.
The Church grants indulgences for the recital of certain prayers, for visiting certain holy places, for the use of certain sacred things, besides personal indulgences.
The heavenly treasures of the Church are not administered for gain, but godliness (Council of Trent, 21, 8). As instances of indulgenced prayers we may mention the acts of the three theological virtues, the Angelus, the usual prayers of Mass, etc. These prayers must be vocal; it is not necessary to repeat them kneeling, unless this should be definitely specified. They may be recited in any language, provided the translation is approved by the bishop. Not a single word must be omitted or altered, and the prescription as to time, place, etc., must be strictly observed; but the indulgence is not lost on account of some trifling mistake. The indulgence attached to some prayers may be gained each time they are repeated (toties quoties); in the case of others, only once a day. As instances of places where indulgences may be gained, we may mention the Via Crucis in Jerusalem, and the stations wherever they are canonically erected. The Scala Santa in Rome, the stairway, that is, in Pilate’s house up and down which Our Lord was dragged. It consists of twenty-eight marble steps, and was brought from Jerusalem to Rome by the Empress Helena in 326. By ascending this staircase on one’s knees, meditating meanwhile on Our Lord’s Passion, an indulgence of nine years for every step may be gained. Large indulgences are also granted for visiting the tomb of the holy apostles, the stations in Rome (churches where remarkable relics are preserved), the Chapel of the Portiuncula at Assisi, the sepulcher of St. James at Compostella besides many others. As instances of holy things and sacred objects to which indulgences may be attached, we may mention: Crucifixes, medals, rosaries, pictures, statues, etc., provided they are not made of very fragile material. These objects must be blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff, or some priest possessing the powers. The indulgence is lost if the object to which it is attached is more than half destroyed; if, that is to say, the greater part of the beads of a rosary are worn away, or more than half of the crosses have fallen from a set of stations, also if a blest object is sold, or lent to another person for the sake of gaining the indulgence, but not if it is given away after being blessed. More than one indulgence may be attached to the same rosary; a crucifix can likewise be indulgenced for the hour of death, and for the stations; but one and the same prayer will not avail to gain all the indulgences attached to any one object. Partial indulgences may be gained daily; and plenary very frequently if the usual conditions are fulfilled. All crosses or rosaries brought from Palestine, which have touched the holy places, have the Papal blessing attached to them. The members of confraternities and some secular priests have personal indulgences granted to them.
3. An indulgence is either plenary, when a full and entire remission of all the temporal punishment due to sin is gained, or partial, when only a portion of the temporal punishment is remitted.174
Indulgences are ordinarily greater or less in proportion to the prescribed works; for a small work, a small indulgence, for a work of difficulty a large indulgence is granted. Let no one imagine that it is an easy thing to gain a plenary indulgence. For he who retains any undue attachment to earthly things, is not altogether free from the guilt of sin; nor consequently from the penalty of sin, and he yet needs purification by suffering. Only in as far as the offence against God is hateful to the penitent, does God remit the chastisement due to His justice.
Plenary indulgences are granted by the Church, provided that we approach the sacraments and pray for the Holy Father’s intention besides performing the prescribed works; sometimes the condition of visiting a church is added.
For instance: For daily acts of the three theological virtues, a plenary indulgence may be gained on any one day in the month on the usual conditions. The same privilege is attached to several other prayers and ejaculations, such as: “Sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore, that I may ever love Thee more and more.” Those who are in the habit of going to confession every week can gain any indulgence in the course of the week without going again to confession, except the Jubilee indulgence. More than one plenary indulgence may be gained at one and the same communion, provided the works prescribed for each severally be accomplished. If a visit to a church or public chapel is enjoined, it must be made on a separate occasion. Infirm persons are only required to go to confession; instead of receiving communion and visiting a church, if these be the conditions, they can gain the indulgence by performing some other work prescribed by their confessor. All who by illness or other unavoidable circumstances are prevented from visiting a church, do not lose the indulgence, if they fulfil all the conditions within their power. Prayers for the intention of the Church are left to every one’s discretion. In general, five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys are considered sufficient; they must be repeated audibly, either before or after communion, and offered up for the peace of Christian princes, the extirpation of heresy, and the exaltation of the Church.175
The most important plenary indulgences are the Jubilee indulgence, the indulgence of the Portiuncula, and that of the Papal benediction.
The Jubilee indulgence is granted every twenty-five years to the whole Church, and lasts for the whole year. The Jews kept the fiftieth year as a year of jubilee, or rejoicing. We have already explained how this custom was introduced into the Church. The conditions for gaining it are: The reception of the sacraments and the visit to a church, besides at least one day of fasting and an alms. In the Jubilee year all other indulgences for the living are suspended (except that of the Angelus and for the hour of death), but if applied to the dead they continue in force. As a rule, the Jubilee indulgence can only be gained once, and that for one’s self; but sometimes it is otherwise. Occasionally an extra Jubilee is proclaimed by the Sovereign Pontiff under special circumstances, such as his accession to the Papal throne, the opening of a council, etc. The indulgence of the Portiuncula can be gained repeatedly on the second of August, and on the evening before; as often, in fact, as any one who has been to confession and communion visits the Portiuncula Chapel, or any other public chapel of the Franciscans or Poor Clares, and prays for the intentions of the Holy Father. The indulgence originated in this wise: While St. Francis was praying in his favorite church near Assisi, Our Lord appeared to him, with His blessed Mother and several saints. Francis entreated Our Lord to grant a plenary indulgence to all who after approaching the sacraments, should visit that church. Our Lord consented, bidding him go to the Pope, who would ratify the privilege. Francis accordingly repaired to Rome; the Holy Father granted the indulgence, fixing it for the second of August. Later Pontiffs extended it to all public chapels of the Franciscan Order, and some others. This indulgence can only be gained once for one’s self; if gained more often, it must he applied to some one else. The communion need not necessarily be made in a church of the Order. A plenary indulgence may be gained by all who, after confession and communion, and prayer for the intention of the Church, receive the Papal benediction. Previous to the year 1870 this used to be solemnly given after High Mass on great festivals from the balcony of St. Peter’s. Bishops and priests are now and again authorized to give the Papal blessing to their flocks on special occasions, such as the close of a mission.
A plenary indulgence may be gained in the hour of death by those who, having received the sacraments and invoked the holy name, receive the Papal blessing, or keep beside them some object blessed by the Holy Father; also by the members of most confraternities, and by all who have daily recited the three acts of faith, hope and charity, or some other similarly indulgenced prayer.
If a sick man, desirous of gaining a plenary indulgence, should find it impossible to receive the sacraments, he may at least make an act of contrition; if he cannot utter the name of Jesus with his lips, he can at any rate invoke it in his heart. In any case perfect conformity to the will of God is essential. The majority of priests are empowered to give the papal benediction to the dying. Those who have received the necessary faculties can indulgence crosses, medals and the like for the hour of death. It is enough if the faithful keep objects thus blessed in their houses, to enable them to gain the indulgence. Indulgences for the hour of death are also attached to membership of various confraternities. They may also be gained by making acts of faith, hope, and charity daily, in one’s own words or otherwise. The same applies to several other short prayers, such as “Angel of God,” etc. Indulgences obtained in the hour of death are purely personal; they cannot even be applied to the souls in purgatory. As the dying cannot, with the best of wills, perform works of penance, the Church almost entirely exempts them from the obligation of trying to discharge the temporal debt of punishment due to their sins.
The partial indulgences granted by the Church are generally a quadragena, or forty days; or for a period of a hundred days, a year, five or seven years, very rarely for thirty or a hundred years. Those fixed periods do not mark the number of days or years by which the purgatorial fires are abridged; they do but indicate that as much of the temporal punishment of sin is remitted as would have been remitted by a corresponding period of the canonical penances formerly imposed on penitents.176
Bishops have the power to grant partial indulgences, but only for those in their own diocese; just as secular magistrates can only judge cases which come within the sphere of their jurisdiction. Bishops are sometimes authorized by the Holy See to grant indulgences of a year, or forty days, on such occasions as the dedication of a church.
5. Indulgences may also be applied by way of suffrage to the suffering souls in purgatory, if this he expressly stated respecting the indulgence;177 a plenary indulgence is gained for them every time the holy sacrifice of the Mass is offered on a privileged altar.
The communion of saints enables us to assist the holy souls in purgatory by applying to them our good works; those good works, that is, to which the remission of temporal punishment is attached. If we desire to gain an indulgence for the faithful departed we must see that we are ourselves in a state of grace. “Let him who would help to deliver the holy souls from purgatory,” says St. Francis Xavier, “first see that he delivers his own soul from hell.” The application of indulgences to the souls of the departed is by way of suffrage, not of absolution. It is by no means certain that the individual for whom a plenary indulgence is gained will be forthwith released from purgatory; the amount of punishment thereby remitted to him rests entirely with God to determine. The indulgence of the privileged altar consists in this, that whenever Mass is celebrated at that particular altar a plenary indulgence is given from the treasures of the Church to one of the souls in purgatory. In every cathedral there is one such altar, and in many parish churches or churches of an Order; the altars thus privileged are generally indicated by the inscription altare privilegiatum, and black vestments must be used when Mass is said at one of them, if the rubrics allow of it on that day. The privilege must be renewed by application to the bishop every seven years. The indulgence can be gained for one individual only, and for that one the Mass must be offered, but the priest may include in his intention other persons deceased. The intention of the priest is not necessary to the gaining of the indulgence; it will be seen that by no other means is a plenary indulgence so surely gained as by this, since it depends entirely upon the offering of the holy sacrifice, not upon the spiritual state of any individual. But whether the Mass celebrated at the privileged altar effects the complete deliverance of the soul from the pains of purgatory cannot be known, as it depends solely on the mercy of God. Priests who have made the heroic act of charity for the holy souls have the same privilege in their own person.
6. The gaining of indulgences is most salutary (Council of Trent, 25), because we thereby keep far from us temporal evils, and are stimulated to the accomplishment of good works.178
The indulgences we gain avert from us sickness, calamities, temptations, etc., which, if no indulgence be gained, come upon us as the temporal punishment of sin. Thus those who neglect this practice, may be compared to a traveler who although he might reach his destination by a short and easy route, prefers to take a long and toilsome road; he is his own worst enemy. Some people take exception at the doctrine of indulgences, but this is because they do not understand it; others condemn it, because of the abuses in the Middle Ages. Was there ever a good and holy thing which was not misused by the wicked? The abuse of a thing does not diminish its usefulness. Therefore do not despise indulgences, for by despising them many have fallen into error and perdition.
Christ is the Good Samaritan, for by the hands of His representative, the priest, He pours into the wounds of the sick oil to effect his spiritual and physical cure.
1. In administering Extreme Unction the priest anoints the Christian who is in danger of death with the holy oils upon the organs of his five senses, and prays over him; by means of which the spiritual and not unfrequently the bodily malady of the sick man is cured.179
The priest anoints the sick man with consecrated oil in the form of a cross on his five senses, which have been instrumental to his sins (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet); at every unction he repeats the following form of prayer: “Through this holy unction and through His most tender mercy, may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by seeing, hearing, etc.” If the sick man is actually expiring, the priest only anoints his forehead; but he continues to anoint the other parts, so long as life has not departed. Extreme Unction is also called the last sacrament, because it is generally the last which is administered to the dying.
Extreme Unction is mentioned by St. James in his epistle.180
We read: “Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him” (Jas. 5:14–15). Pope Innocent I., in the fourth century, expressly declared that these words referred to the Sacrament of Extreme Unction; and in the sixth century St. Cæsarius, Bishop of Arles, exhorts Christians in case of serious illness, to receive the Lord’s body and be anointed with oil for their bodily restoration and the forgiveness of their sins. The sacred unction of the sick was instituted by Our Lord as a true sacrament of the New Law (Council of Trent, 14, 4). It confers grace, remits sin, and comforts the sick.
2. Extreme Unction acts spiritually as oil does materially; it strengthens, heals, and aids the soul to attain eternal salvation.181
Oil strengthens the body (pugilists or wrestlers are rubbed with oil to give them greater power, and render it difficult for their adversary to grasp them); it possesses a healing power (witness the Good Samaritan, who poured oil on the wounds of the man who had fallen among thieves); and it imparts suppleness and flexibility.
a. Extreme Unction strengthens the sick because it confers on him grace to bear more easily the inconveniences and pains of sickness, and enables him more readily to resist temptation of all kinds.182
A complete change is sometimes wrought in the sick by the reception of this sacrament; whereas they were previously impatient and in great dread of death, they become tranquil and patient and resigned to the will of God. At the close of life the adversary of our souls strains all the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly if he can, and make us fall from our trust in the mercy of God (Council of Trent, 14). Extreme Unction banishes the demon. It is recorded of St. Eleazar that on the near approach of death, his countenance became distorted, and he cried out that the devil was tormenting him; but after he had been anointed, peace and joy returned to him.
b. Extreme Unction is for the healing of the soul, and oftentimes of the body; it effects the remission of mortal sins, which through infirmity of mind or body the sick man has not been able to confess, as well as the remission of some temporal punishment. And besides, at times it obtains bodily health, when expedient for the welfare of the soul.183
Extreme Unction compensates for all that, through no fault of his own, the sick man left incomplete in the Sacrament of Penance. It is thus the completion of the Sacrament of Penance, or the penance of the sick. By reason of physical and mental weakness the sick are rarely capable of making a good confession or doing penance; therefore the Church deals leniently with them, and by this unction commends them to the mercy of God. This anointing cleanses away sin, if there be any still to be expiated, and cancels a part of the penalty of sin, in proportion to the contrition and devotion wherewith the sacrament is received. Extreme Unction often obtains restoration to health. If God foresees that the sick man, if he recover, will make a good use of the remainder of his days for his spiritual advancement, He restores him to health, granting him a reprieve, as it were, that he may prepare himself better for death. But if He foresees that it will be otherwise, He takes him out of the world. As a rule, the sick experience some alleviation after receiving Extreme Unction; this is not to be explained on natural grounds; the peace of mind produced by confession and reconciliation with God acts beneficially upon the body. And in some cases by the interposition of divine power health is restored when human skill could do nothing. How foolish are those who imagine that if they receive Extreme Unction it will be their death warrant!
c. Extreme Unction facilitates our salvation, by increasing in us sanctifying grace and divine charity.
In common with all the other sacraments Extreme Unction imparts a higher degree of sanctifying grace. This is of more importance to us at our death than at any other moment, for the degree of our future felicity depends on the degree of sanctifying grace we possess. And the greater our love of God, the more capable shall we be of the enjoyment of eternal bliss. Thus this holy sacrament cleanses away all that is an impediment to our eternal salvation.
3. Extreme Unction can only be administered to persons who are in danger of death; and they ought to receive it without delay for the sake both of their physical and spiritual health.184
Only in cases of serious illness, that is, when there is danger of death, can the sick receive Extreme Unction. A soldier cannot receive it before going into action, nor a criminal condemned to death. Exception may be made in regard to very aged persons; their advanced age renders them constantly liable to death. The administration of the holy oils should not be postponed until the last moment, for if the sick man be unconscious, they will profit him little; since, as has been already remarked, the utility of this sacrament to the soul depends upon the contrition and devotion with which it is received. And the body cannot profit by it, if the vital spark be all but extinct. It is little use calling out the fire engine when the house is almost burnt down. He who enters upon the journey from time to eternity without fortifying himself with the last sacraments, is like a traveler who starts on his way with an empty purse. Nor can there be contempt of so great a sacrament without heinous sin and an injury to the Holy Spirit Himself (Council of Trent, 14, 9).
Those who have not yet received the Sacrament of Penance cannot receive Extreme Unction since it is the completion of penance.185
To this class belong idiots, and children who have not yet attained the age of reason. It must not, however, be supposed that this includes all children under seven, for children of five years of age have been known on their death-bed to ask for a priest, because they were conscious of having sinned against their parents.
Extreme Unction can only be administered to the sick once in the same illness; but if the sick person recovers temporarily, and then has a relapse, he may be anointed again.186
4. Before being anointed the sick man ought to confess his sins, and receive holy communion; and afterwards the Papal blessing is generally given to him.187
Confession should precede Extreme Unction, because the recipient of the sacrament must be in a state of grace. Extreme Unction is a remedy; and as medicine is for the living, not the dead, so this sacrament is of no utility to those who are spiritually dead.188 Every priest who has been duly authorized by the bishop, may give the Papal benediction with a plenary indulgence, provided he makes use of the prescribed formula. The sick man must call upon the holy name of Jesus (the priest usually repeats some ejaculatory prayer to him, in which the name of Jesus occurs) verbally, if he can still speak, if not, mentally, otherwise the indulgence is not gained, and the crucifix is offered him to be kissed.
It is the duty of relatives, and of those who are in attendance upon the sick, to see that he receives the last sacraments in due time.189
This responsibility rests partly with the doctor, who, as a matter of course, ought to appraise the friends of a sick person of his condition when it becomes serious. Catholics ought therefore if possible to secure the services of a Christian physician. Sometimes the attendants on a sick man fear to agitate him by mentioning the last sacraments to him. This is indeed mistaken kindness, for they cannot thereby retard the approach of death. Such false friends resemble people who do not warn a blind man that he is nearing a precipice, lest they should frighten him. Their cowardice will give them much to answer for. The friends of the sick man should set the room in order, and have everything that is needed in readiness for the administration of the last sacraments. A table should be covered with a white linen cloth, with a crucifix and two lighted tapers upon it, besides a vessel containing holy water, because the priest has to sprinkle both the chamber and the bystanders, and also a glass containing a little clean water, for the priest to wash his fingers and give the ablutions to the sick man after communion. Some cotton wool must also be provided to wipe the parts that have been anointed. While the sick man makes his confession let all leave the room, as the priest may have to speak above a whisper.
At the time of His ascension, Our Lord lifted up His hands, blessed His apostles, and sent them forth into the world to preach the Gospel and dispense the sacraments (Luke 24:50). The bishop does much the same when he ordains priests. (The imposition of hands signifies that something is given, since gifts are distributed with the hand.)
1. At the administration of Holy Orders the bishop lays his hands on the candidates for ordination, calls down upon them the Holy Spirit, anoints their hands, and presents the sacred vessels to them.190
They thereby receive, in addition to a plenitude of grace, the sacerdotal powers; more especially the power to offer the holy sacrifice and to forgive sins.191
Holy Orders are administered during the celebration of Mass. The candidates for ordination first prostrate themselves upon their faces before the altar; then the bishop lays his hands upon the head of each one severally, the priests present doing the same. He next arrays them in the sacerdotal vestments; the Veni Sancte Spiritus is sung, and he anoints the hands of each one in turn with the sacred chrism in the form of a cross. He then gives the chalice and paten into their hands, thereby conferring on them the power to offer the holy sacrifice; after which he addresses to them the words of Our Lord: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, etc.” Finally the newly-ordained are required to promise respect and obedience to the bishop. The ceremony of anointing the hands, and presenting the sacred vessels is only an accessory; it was not in use until the ninth century, and now has no place in the Greek ritual. Not only supernatural powers, but graces are imparted in the Sacrament of Orders. By this sacred ordinance the Holy Spirit is given (Council of Trent, 13, 2).
The Sacrament of Holy Orders was administered in the time of the apostles.192
We read that the apostles consecrated Paul and Barnabas with prayer and imposition of hands (Acts 13:3), and in like manner St. Paul consecrated Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6). St. Augustine speaks of Orders as a sacrament when he inveighs against the Donatists, who asserted that while Baptism confers what can never be lost, the right of administering Baptism may be lost. “Both,” he declares, “are sacraments, and can only be received once.” The Sacrament of Orders was unquestionably instituted by Our Lord at the Last Supper.
2. The office of the priesthood, to which a man is raised by Holy Orders, is one of great dignity, but likewise one of no slight difficulty and of vast responsibility.193
The priesthood is the highest dignity upon earth. It surpasses that of kings and emperors, nay, even of the angels themselves. “For,” as St. John Chrysostom remarks, “the power of kings is only over the bodies of men, whereas that of the priest is over their souls.” On the priest are conferred powers not accorded to angels; for to what angel was it ever given to convert bread into the body of the Lord by his word? and not all the angels together could grant pardon for a single sin. By his office a priest is only concerned with heavenly things; he stands between God and man; he lays our petition before the Most High and conveys divine graces to us. He is a mediator between God and man, the angel of the Lord of hosts (Mal. ii. 7), the messenger of God to make known His will to men. He is God’s representative, His ambassador, His plenipotentiary; therefore whatsoever honor we show to the priest, we pay to God Himself. Does not Our Lord Himself say: “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me” (Luke 10:16)? In fact, St. Peter Damian says, God actually follows the priest, for what he declares on earth is ratified in heaven; and at his word the Second Person of the Holy Trinity becomes flesh beneath his hand as at the Incarnation. Hence we do well to address the priest as “your reverence.” St. Francis of Assisi used to say that if he met an angel and a priest at the same time he should salute the priest first. The sacerdotal office is also one of great difficulty; the obligations resting upon the priest are neither few nor light. He has to recite the breviary daily, which cannot be done under an hour and a quarter; he is pledged to lifelong celibacy; he has to visit the sick at any hour of the day or night when he may be called upon; he has to take the last sacraments to the dying, however contagious the disease from which they are suffering; he has often to sit for long hours in the confessional, to fast late, on account of the late Masses; he is bound to renounce worldly amusements, to be liberal towards the poor, and much more besides. Priests ought to be the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). Nor must it be overlooked that zealous priests are in the present day frequently the objects of suspicion and persecution, and their apostolic labors are ill-rewarded. The votaries of the world are inclined to treat their priests like the dog in the fable, who bit the hand that was stretched out to save him from drowning. The priestly office is besides one of immense responsibility. If the wolf comes and rends the sheep, the shepherd is taken to task. So it is with the priests; they have to render an account of the souls committed to their charge (Heb. 13:17). “The duties of those who will have to give account for souls,” says St. Bernard, “are heavy and onerous.” On the day of his ordination St. John Chrysostom said: “I now need your prayers a thousandfold more, lest in the Day of Judgment I should be cast into the exterior darkness.”
Since the sacerdotal office is in itself an office of such great dignity, we owe profound respect to the priest on account of his office, even if his life should not correspond to it.
Nothing can take away the dignity attaching to the priestly office, not even an ungodly life; therefore we ought always to entertain great reverence for it. Even pagan monarchs have been known to manifest deep veneration for the priests of the true God. When Alexander the Great was about to make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the high priest went out to meet him with all the priests arrayed in festal vestments, in order to ask a favor of him. Alexander dismounted from his horse, and instantly granted all that he asked. And when the general of the army expressed his surprise, Alexander replied: “It is not the high priest to whom I pay homage, but to the true God, Whose servant he is.” Attila also, the terrible King of the Huns, when advancing upon Rome to plunder the city, allowed himself to be prevailed upon by Pope Leo the Great, to desist from his purpose. Yet almighty God permits His priests to be encompassed with infirmity, in order that they may have the more compassion on them that are ignorant and that err (Heb. 5:2). St. Francis de Sales said of priests: “I will close my eyes to their faults, and only see in them God’s representatives.” “Are we,” asks St. Augustine, “to think slightingly of Christ and the apostles, because there was a Judas among them? Who will show me any body of men upon earth who are without faults?”
Since the office of the priesthood is one of much labor and grave responsibilities, no man ought to take Holy Orders who is not called to the sacerdotal state.194
Let no man become a priest who feels no attraction for the sacred ministry; who has no longing to save souls, who leads an irregular life, or who only thinks of the priesthood as a means of gaining a living easily, and enjoying a comfortable competence. Parents are greatly to blame who force their sons to take Orders without a vocation, for those who enter the priesthood without a true vocation are unhappy and discontented all their life long. They neglect the duties of their calling, give scandal, and finally too often lose their souls. For this reason many eminent saints positively refused to receive Holy Orders or to be raised to the episcopate. St. Francis of Assisi remained a deacon to the end of his days. St. Cyprian concealed himself when he was to be appointed Bishop or Carthage; St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil acted in a similar manner. They all considered themselves unworthy of the dignity offered them, and only accepted it when they recognized it to be the will of God that they should do so. Almighty God calls to the priesthood whom He will; witness Our Lord’s words to the apostles: “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16).
3. The Sacrament of Holy Orders only confers the perpetual power, not the right, to exercise the functions of a priest. The newly ordained cannot therefore make use in any place of their sacerdotal powers, until they have received ecclesiastical authorization.195
The qualification for the sacred ministry consists in the transmission of the powers appertaining to the sacerdotal office: those of a teacher, a priest and a pastor. In the Old Testament the priestly powers were hereditary in Aaron’s family (Exod. 28); in the New Testament they are handed down by spiritual descent by means of Holy Orders. Besides these powers, the priest receives at ordination abundant graces belonging to his state. Outwardly he may appear the same, but inwardly he is a changed man. An indelible character is imprinted upon his soul by that ordinance; the powers he has received can never be lost, into whatever sins he may fall. He who has once been a priest cannot again become a layman (Council of Trent, 23, 4); a priest who has apostatized and been reconciled to the Church is not re-ordained. All the sacerdotal acts of a priest who has seceded from the Church are valid, only he cannot forgive sins (except in the case of the dying, when no other priest can be had). Priests of the schismatic Greek Church are not ordained again, if they return to the allegiance of the Catholic Church; but the Protestant clergy most certainly are. Ecclesiastical jurisdiction is given to the priest by his bishop; the bishops receive it from the Pope. The secular authorities have no power to grant ecclesiastical jurisdiction, for it is not theirs to give. Even in the time of the apostles the deacons were not nominated by the people; the apostles ordained those who had been chosen and appointed them to the work (Acts 6:3, 6). St. Timothy was consecrated to the episcopate by the imposition of the hands of the priesthood (1 Tim. 1:14). Consequently the apostles called themselves the “ministers of Christ” (1 Cor. 4:1). Any one who should attempt to exercise sacerdotal functions without the authorization of the bishop, would, as Our Lord says, be a thief and a robber, because “he entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth in some other way” (John x. 1). A priest must have faculties for hearing confessions, from the bishop of the diocese where he happens to be. This is separate from the pastoral office. A catechist, or teacher, who imparts religious instruction should also have the episcopal authorization. Any one who should be so daring as to exercise any priestly functions without having been admitted to Holy Orders or without episcopal authorization, would, in Catholic countries, be punished by the secular government; at any rate, terrible chastisements would fall on him from God. King Ozias presumed, in spite of the warning of the priests, to burn incense on the altar of incense; he was immediately struck with leprosy, and was a leper until the day of his death (2 Chron. 26.). In the time of Moses, Core, with two hundred and fifty of the leading men of the synagogue, rebelled against Moses and presumed to offer incense in the tabernacle; they were destroyed by fire from the Lord, and the earth swallowed up the three ringleaders (Numb. 16.).
4. No one can be admitted to priest’s Orders who has not attained the age of twenty-four years (Council of Trent, 23, 12).196
The Holy See has the right of dispensing candidates for the priesthood if they are within twenty months of the required age Besides the prescribed ages, those who are to be raised to the priesthood must possess the following qualifications: They must have the knowledge suited to, and necessary for, the due discharge of their functions; they must be conspicuous for piety and chastity; they must have been born in wedlock and be free from physical defects which might excite derision in others. Men who have been married twice are disqualified for the priesthood, although those who have been married once may, under certain conditions, be received. All men cannot be priests (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:29). Yet we frequently find all the faithful spoken of as priests (1 Pet. 2:9), inasmuch as they ought to accomplish to the glory of God good works which are in a certain measure a spiritual oblation; they are priests inasmuch as they immolate themselves in the service of God as spiritual victims. In the same sense the faithful in general are spoken of as kings, because they ought to rule over their fleshly lusts.
5. Six other orders of ministry precede the priesthood, four lesser and two greater.197
By these several and divers Orders, as by certain steps, advance is made unto the priesthood (Council of Trent, 23, 4). This is to emphasize the dignity of the priesthood. For the same reason a fixed period of time must intervene between the reception of the different degrees of higher orders. The first preparation for Orders is the reception of the tonsure, by which a man is taken into the ranks of the clergy, and becomes a cleric, no longer a layman. In giving the tonsure, the bishop cuts off some of the hair from the top of the candidate’s head. After this the four minor Orders are given, which impart to him who receives them the right to minister to the priest by virtue of his office. The first of the three greater Orders, the subdiaconate, follows. This was formerly reckoned among the minor Orders, but is classed by the Council of Trent among the major Orders; it confers the right to arrange everything in the sanctuary, and serve the priest at the altar, and pledges the recipient to celibacy and to the recitation of the breviary. The bishop may empower an ordinary priest to administer the tonsure and the four minor Orders, but not so the greater.
6. There are three degrees in the Sacrament of Orders: The consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops. These three constitute but one sacrament.198
The second of the greater Orders is the diaconate, which was instituted by the apostles for the relief of the poor. It confers the power to preach, to baptize, and to dispense holy communion. The three most celebrated deacons mentioned in the annals of the Church are St. Stephen, who was stoned by the Jews; St. Lawrence, who was broiled upon a gridiron in Rome; and St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, who bore in his body the sacred stigmata. One year after the acceptance of the diaconate follows ordination proper, the priesthood, whereby the power is given to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and to forgive sins. There is one degree higher than the priesthood, and that is the episcopate. By this power is conferred to ordain priests, to administer Confirmation and to rule the Church of God. For the consecration of a bishop three bishops must take part. These three ordinations form but one sacrament. The consecration of deacons appertains virtually to the Sacrament of Holy Orders, because it confers an inferior part of the sacerdotal powers, and is administered with imposition of hands and prayer. St. Paul mentions deacons together with bishops and priests; the Fathers speak of them with the utmost reverence, as the “ministers of God,” and the Council of Trent reckons them of the ecclesiastical hierarchy (Council of Trent, 23, 6). The consecration of priests appertains to the Sacrament of Orders, because by it the greater part of the sacerdotal powers are conferred. The consecration of bishops is the completion of the Sacrament of Orders; by it the plenitude of the sacerdotal power is communicated. The principal distinction between a bishop and a priest is that the former can ordain priests and the latter cannot. When at the Council of Alexandria in 319, the Arians accused St. Athanasius, who was then bishop of that town, of having treated a priest named Ischyras with undue severity, the Synod dismissed the charge on the ground that Ischyras was not a priest, since he had been ordained by a priest, not a bishop.
7. It is the duty of the faithful to pray God to send them good priests.
Our Lord says: “Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He send forth laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:38). Remember that a priest is the salvation or the perdition of his flock. In the Old Testament we read that when other scourges were of no avail to turn the people, hardened in sin, from their evil ways, God sent upon them the heaviest scourge of all, wicked and corrupt priests. Let us therefore make it our continual prayer, that we may have good priests. The Ember days are appointed for this purpose. Special prayer should be offered to the Holy Spirit, for unless a priest is enlightened by the Holy Spirit we may apply to him the words: “If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit” (Matt. 15:14).
The Institution and Nature of Matrimony
What food is to the individual, matrimony is to humanity in general. For as food serves to maintain the life of the individual, so marriage serves to maintain the life of the human race. Since the principal object of marriage, the right training of children, can only be attained when a man and a woman are united together by an indissoluble bond, the wise Creator in the beginning only created two human beings, saying: “They two shall be one in flesh” (Gen. 2:24).
1. God Himself instituted matrimony in the beginning of the world, for the procreation of the human race, and the mutual assistance of husband and wife.199
Matrimony was instituted by God for the propagation of the human race; for He said to our first parents: “Increase and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28). St. Francis de Sales calls matrimony the nursery-ground of Christianity, destined to fill the earth with believers, and complete the number of the elect in heaven. It was also instituted for the mutual support of the parties contracting it, for God said before Eve was created: “It is not good for man to be alone, let us make him a help like unto himself” (Gen. 2:18). The woman being the physically weaker, needs someone on whom to lean; the man needs someone to care for him. The man is characterized by greater strength and energy; he seeks a sphere of activity in the world. The woman’s nature is cast in a softer mold; her sphere of work is often within the family, beside the domestic hearth. Thus the two complete each other, and each acts beneficially on the other. Matrimony has also a third object, that of preventing the sin of which the Apostle speaks in the first Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 7:2). He who would set marriage aside, would give free rein to impurity. Many take a low view of marriage; they consider it as affording a legitimate means of indulging their lusts. Such persons will not be happy or contented, and will neglect the duties of their state. The happiness of matrimony depends to a great extent on taking an exalted view of its object.
Matrimony is a divine and by no means a human institution.200
It is because matrimony was ordained of God that the Church calls it a “holy and godly state.” The opinion of the Manichees, that marriage was to be rejected, was condemned by the Church. Even the most uncivilized nations considered matrimony to be a divine institution, for they practiced religious ceremonies of some kind on the occasion of a marriage, offering sacrifices or prayers. God Himself appointed the laws of marriage first through Moses and afterwards by Our Lord.201
2. Christian marriage is a contract between man and woman, binding them to an undivided and indissoluble partnership, and conferring on them at the same time grace to fulfil all the duties required of them.202
Marriage is therefore not merely a contract; it is at the same time an act by which grace is conferred. This contract is not concluded in the presence of a minister of the Church solely for the sake of obtaining the ecclesiastical benediction upon the betrothed couple, but in order that they may be truly united together before God in wedlock. It was this covenant, entered into in presence of a minister of the Church, which Our Lord raised to the dignity of a sacrament. Marriage contracted without the solemnities required by the Church in all countries where the decree of the Council of Trent has been duly promulgated is invalid and null (Council of Trent, 24, 1). A contract which is invalid cannot become a sacrament, any more than wine, if it be not really wine, can be converted in the Mass into the blood of Christ. Matrimony is a type of the union between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32). As the Church, the Bride of Christ is one, so the man has but one wife. As Christ and the Church are inseparably united, so the union of the married is perpetual and indissoluble. As the union of Christ and the Church is a covenant of grace, so also is the union of husband and wife. Christ is the Head of the Church, and the man is the head of the woman. The Church is subject to Christ, so the wife is obedient to the husband. Christ and the Church are animated by one spirit, and so it should be with husband and wife. Christ never abandons the Church, and the Church can never be unfaithful to Christ; so married people must never be unfaithful to one another.
Matrimony is declared to be a sacrament by St. Paid, and the early Fathers of the Church.203
St. Paul calls matrimony a great sacrament, because it is typical of the union of Christ with the Church (Eph. 5:32), a union by which grace is imparted. St. Augustine says that the superiority of marriage among the people of God consists in the sanctity of the sacrament. “The heathens,” says St. John Chrysostom, “estimated the happiness of marriage by the number of children, whereas the Christian considers rather the sanctity of the sacrament.” Some of the Fathers are of opinion that Christ raised matrimony to a sacrament at the marriage of Cana. At any rate the Church expressly declares that it is truly and properly one of the seven sacraments of the evangelical law instituted by Christ (Council of Trent, 24, 1).
3. Civil marriage is to be distinguished from Christian marriage, inasmuch as it is no sacrament, and consequently in the sight of God no true and real marriage for Catholics.204
Civil marriage may be said to have originated with Luther, for he prepared the way for the State to legislate concerning marriage. What he began, the French revolution completed; for marriage was then declared to be a civil contract, concluded before a government official. Civil marriage is obligatory or compulsory when, as is the case in some countries, the marriage is otherwise not recognized by the State; it is optional, when the parties are free to choose whether the ceremony shall be civil or religious, as in America; finally it is unavoidable, if on account of the priest being debarred from marrying them through political reasons, or on other obvious grounds, the persons desirous of being married cannot be united otherwise than by the secular authorities. Civil marriage is not a sacrament, because it is not contracted in the manner ordained by God and the Church; it is nothing more or less than a legal form, which must be gone through in order that the marriage may be recognized by the State, and Catholics must submit to it, if there is no other means of having their union recognized by the State. They should, however, see that the ecclesiastical ceremony takes place as soon after as possible; for until their marriage has been solemnized by the Church, they are bound to live apart, as in the sight of God they are not really husband and wife. Catholics who contract a civil marriage and are not afterwards married in a church, cannot obtain absolution, and are excluded from the sacraments until they obtain the sanction of God and of the Church upon their union, or give it up altogether. Catholics who prefer civil marriage when it is optional, or content themselves with it when it is unavoidable, are excommunicated.205 The Holy See condemns civil marriages in no measured terms; Pope Pius IX declares that the union of man and woman, if not a sacrament, is a shameful concubinage, although perfectly legal according to the civil code.206
Civil marriage has disastrous results for the State, for it undermines faith, authority, and morals.
The Holy Father asserts civil marriage to be a fatal institution. To render it compulsory is to overthrow the law of God, for it is tantamount to asserting that Christian marriage as ordained by God is invalid, that a union blessed by the Church is contrary to law. What would be said if stealing, or any other crime forbidden by the divine command, were enforced by the law of the land? Rebellion such as this against God cannot fail to undermine faith in God and respect for His commandments; and experience proves that the government which undermines the divine authority brings about its own downfall. Civil marriages are also detrimental to morality. Divorce is an easy matter for persons who have been married by the registrar; on a comparatively slight disagreement or offence they are separated, each being free to contract a second marriage. What is the consequence? The flood-gates are opened to admit unbridled license, the so-called free-love advocated by the Socialist. This is proved by the number of divorce cases following on the introduction of civil marriage; nor need we wonder, for in a civil marriage no promise of mutual love, no vow of fidelity is required from the contracting parties.
The Characteristics of Matrimony
Matrimony was raised by Our Lord to the dignity of a state of evangelical perfection, to which weightier responsibilities and more laborious duties were attached than in the ages preceding His advent. He therefore granted greater graces to those who should enter into wedlock.
a. Christian marriage consists of the union of one man and one woman only.207
By creating only one man and one woman, God manifested it to be His will that marriage should be the union of two persons only. Our Lord pointed out that in the beginning this was so (Matt. 19:4). The marriage that does not answer to this description cannot possibly be a true and lasting partnership; domestic strife must infallibly ensue. Yet in the earliest times God permitted polygamy, to prevent greater evils. A plurality of wives is forbidden by Our Lord (Luke 16:18), consequently it is prohibited most strictly by the law of the Church. Polygamy is unlawful, and a violation of the natural law (Council of Trent, 23, 2). It continues, however, to exist among Mohammedans, and although extremely rare, among Jews in the East; but in the West ever since the Middle Ages the Jews have given it up, in deference to the code of morality observed by European nations.
b. Christian marriage is indissoluble; that is to say, neither husband nor wife can contract a second marriage during the lifetime of the other.208
The principal object of matrimony is to provide for the proper bringing up of children, an object which could not be attained if the nuptial tie were dissoluble. What would become of the children if the parents were free to separate at their pleasure? Our Lord strictly forbids any one to marry again as long as the partner of his or her first marriage is living (Matt. 5:32; Mark x. 11). Under the law of Moses, the Jews were, it is true, permitted under exceptional circumstances to put away their wives; but this was only by reason of the hardness of their hearts, and to prevent worse evils (Matt. 19:8). Christ withdrew this permission; He says expressly: “What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder” (Matt. 19:4–9). Hence the Popes have never allowed one of two lawfully married persons to contract a second marriage during the lifetime of the other party.209 Not even for the sake of averting the most serious calamities could they consent to such a thing. It is well known that King Henry VIII of England could not wring from the Holy See permission to divorce his rightful wife, and marry another. That even in consideration of the services he had rendered to the cause of religion, and of the fearful consequences which would ensue upon the introduction of the Lutheran heresy into England could Clement VII be prevailed upon to give any other reply than this: “Non possumus; I have no authority to set aside the divine law.” “Matrimony,” says St. Augustine, “is an iron chain.” A man can sell a house which he has bought if it does not suit him; but once married, he cannot get rid of his wife. The soul can separate from the body sooner than the husband from the wife. And if either party should contract a second marriage while the other is still alive, he or she commits a mortal sin, and the marriage is invalid. It is, however, possible for a married couple to be separated, provided there are sufficient grounds for separation.210 If either party is guilty of adultery, the separation may he for life, since by the violation of a contract the rights conferred by that contract are lost; yet neither can enter upon fresh espousals (Matt. v. 32). Dissolute conduct, or cruelty on either side, would afford a reason for a temporary separation, which must be judicial. And if the parties agree to cohabit again they can do so at will.
The Graces Conferred in Matrimony
The Sacrament of Matrimony confers upon Christians who embrace that state both an increase of sanctifying grace, and in addition the special graces necessary to enable them to discharge the duties required of them.211
The special graces annexed to this sacrament are: (1), The mutual affection of those who receive it is confirmed and sanctified; (2), Strength is given them to preserve inviolable fidelity to one another, and bear with patience the ills of life. For as soon as a man is married, he is no longer free as when single; no longer absolute master of his will, his time, his goods, his person, but he is in a measure dependent on the will of his wife; he wears the yoke, “for marriage,” as St. Ambrose says, “is a yoke, a double yoke which rests on the neck of both husband and wife, obliging them to pull together.” To this is added many trials such as ill health, the faults and failings of the other, which must be borne with; troubles with the children, etc. Finally grace is given to discharge the most important duty of all, that of bringing up their children in the fear and love of God. “Unhappy those,” says Pope Gregory XVI., “who enter upon the married state from merely earthly motives, or for sensual gratification, and do not think of the graces and mysteries which this sacrament confers and represents.”
1. A marriage can only be concluded in the absence of all impediments to it. The impediments may be such as nullify marriage, or such as render it unlawful.212
a. Those that render marriage null or invalid, are: Coercion, defect of age, consanguinity, and affinity, a previous marriage tie still existing, the greater degrees of Holy Orders, solemn vows, the prohibition concerning the marriage of Catholics with unbaptized persons.
Coercion: If undue stress is brought to bear on a man, if he is forced into marrying someone against his will by threats of personal injury, or fear of being disinherited, his marriage is invalid. Defect of age: Boys under fourteen, girls under twelve cannot enter into wedlock.213 Consanguinity: A Papal dispensation is required for the marriage of first cousins; in the case of more remote relationship an episcopal dispensation is sufficient. The voice of nature condemns the union of persons nearly related to one another, and their offspring are not unfrequently physically or mentally afflicted. Affinity is the result of a previous marriage; the survivor cannot espouse the blood-relations of the deceased party; that is, a man cannot marry the mother, sister, or daughter (by a former husband) of his deceased wife, and vice versa. But no affinity exists between the blood-relations of the several parties; for instance, a man may marry the sister of his brother’s wife. Previous marriage: It has already been explained that one of the parties to a marriage cannot marry again during the lifetime of the other. Should a woman, believing her husband to be dead, have married again, she must immediately leave her second husband, if she discover the first to be still living. Holy Orders and religious vows: Clerics who have received deacon’s or subdeacon’s orders, and monks and nuns who have taken a vow of celibacy, cannot enter upon the married state. Difference of creed: A Christian cannot, without a dispensation from the Holy See, be married to a Jew, a Mohammedan, or any other unbeliever. There are besides, impediments of a purely ecclesiastical nature, such as spiritual affinity, contracted in Baptism. These, however, are not recognized by the State, and therefore the Church readily grants a dispensation if required.
b. The impediments that render marriage unlawful, are: The prohibition in regard to certain times, diversity of religious belief, simple vows, complete ignorance of religious truth.
The times when marriages cannot be celebrated are from the beginning of Advent until Christmas Day, and from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday (see the fifth precept of the Church). Diversity of religious belief: Marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics (Protestants, Old Catholics, non-uniate Greeks), can only be permitted under certain conditions. Betrothed: Any one who has pledged his troth to one person cannot marry another until the previous engagement is broken off. Simple vows: Vows which are not solemn, vows of perpetual chastity, of celibacy; the vow to enter a religious Order or become a priest, are a hindrance to marriage. Ignorance of religious truth: Those who are about to marry must, if they are ignorant of the fundamental truths of religion, place themselves under instruction for some time previously, otherwise they will be unable to teach their children the elements of the Christian religion. Hence it is usual for the priest to question those who announce to him their purpose of marrying, about the truths of religion, and if necessary instruct them in the duties and obligations of the married state.
c. Impediments of a purely civil nature, such as minority, military service, recent widowhood.
In some States minors cannot marry without the consent of their father, or if he be dead, of the magistrate. Soldiers, the term of whose military service has not expired, must have the sanction of the government officials; widows and widowers should allow a certain interval to elapse before concluding a second matrimonial alliance. The civil regulations in regard to matrimony must be observed, not from fear of the penalties incurred by violating them, but for God’s sake, since the secular powers are ordained of God (Rom. 13:1). This rule would not hold good if the decrees of the legislature were opposed to the commandments of God.
d. The ecclesiastical authorities are accustomed to dispense from matrimonial impediments where good reasons exist; the secular authorities do likewise.
The Pope alone can dispense from some impediments, such as near blood-relationship, or affinity by marriage; from others the bishop can grant dispensations, either in virtue of his office, or empowered by the Holy See. There are some natural impediments from which not even the Supreme Pontiff can grant a dispensation; nor is one ever granted to step-fathers and step-daughters, to fathers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Very rarely can a dispensation be obtained from solemn vows, or the greater Orders; nor in the case of one party being unbaptized, of spiritual affinity contracted in Baptism, or in the relations of uncle and niece, aunt and nephew. Purely ecclesiastical impediments allow much more readily of a dispensation.
e. If a marriage to which any impediment rendering it invalid exists, should have been contracted, it must either be dissolved, or the impediment must be removed by means of a dispensation, and the ceremony performed over again.
If the invalidity of the marriage is known publicly, the nuptial contract must be renewed in the church, in presence of the parish priest and two witnesses; if not, it can be renewed privately. If one only of the parties to the marriage is aware of the impediment, and if the other, should it come to his knowledge, would make use of it to dissolve the marriage, or if it would destroy the conjugal happiness of both, the Pope has power to dispense from the renewal of the matrimonial contract, and declare the union valid. It is advisable, in order to bring to light any impediments that may exist to their marriage, that the parties intending to be united in wedlock should be subjected to an interrogation by the clergyman in presence of two witnesses. It is a grievous sin on the part of betrothed persons willfully to conceal any impediment which would annul their marriage. It is for the sake of ascertaining whether any such hindrances exist that the banns of marriage are published three times in the church.
1. Marriage should be preceded by betrothal, publication of banns, and reception of Penance and Communion.214
a. Betrothal consists in this: An unmarried man and an unmarried woman, after due reflection, pledge their troth to one another, promising each to marry the other at the time agreed upon between them. Such engagement to be considered valid and produce canonical effects must have been contracted in writing signed by both the parties, and by either the parish priest or the Ordinary of the diocese or at least by two witnesses. “Decree Ne Temere.” Still there is neither necessity nor obligation to enter into formal engagement before marriage, though it should be encouraged, especially in cases where hasty alliances are feared.
Rash and hasty engagements always turn out badly, therefore young people should not take this step without mature deliberation. They ought also to ask advice of their parents, or trusted friends. Listen to the exhortations of Holy Scripture: “My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shall not repent what thou hast done” (Sir. 32:24). They ought also to make it a subject of prayer, for a prudent wife is properly from the Lord (Prov. 19:14). A matter so important as the tying of the nuptial knot, which can never be unloosed, must not be done without prayer. In making choice of a partner for life, advantages of wealth, high birth, and the like, ought not to be as much considered as virtue and piety. The fear of God, the love of virtue, are the best marriage portion for Christians; for a man who does not love God will not love his wife. “Let him who desires happiness in the married state,” says St. Augustine, “not choose for his bride one who has a large dowry, but one who is proficient in virtue; let him look to the beauty of the heart, to the nobility of a pure life.” Personal beauty, if not accompanied by interior loveliness, may captivate for a time, but its power is not lasting. Yet no man is to be blamed who has an eye to such attractions in his wife as beauty, wealth, and rank, for these in no wise interfere with the sanctity of the marriage bond. A virtuous man will surely have a partner worthy of him. A good wife is the portion of those that fear God, and is given to a man for his good deeds (Sir. 26:3). During the interval between the betrothal and the conclusion of the marriage, the affianced parties ought seriously to reflect upon the step they are about to take, and make the best possible preparation for wedded life. Let them avoid all association on familiar terms with other suitors, and conduct themselves in general with great decorum; the holy Synod exhorts the bridegroom and bride not to live in the same house until they have received the sacerdotal benediction which is given in the Church (Council of Trent, 24, 1). “Happy the young men and maidens,” says St. John Chrysostom, “who come to the nuptial altar with a pure heart! How true will be their mutual love! how sincere their mutual esteem! how firm their mutual friendship! how tenderly will that man cherish his wife who has never bestowed his affections on another!” Those who have formed illicit connections before marriage will quickly tire of one another, their love will change to hatred. Those who are betrothed ought to acknowledge frankly to one another, without attempt at concealment or misrepresentation, any circumstances which it may be advisable or necessary to make known before the marriage is consummated. Those who resort to deception or falsehood only prepare for themselves annoyance, embitterment, misery in the future. If after betrothal, the conviction is borne in on either of the affianced parties that their union will not be productive of happiness, let the engagement be broken off by mutual consent; moreover one party is warranted in withdrawing from the contract if the other should be found guilty of any grave delinquency, such as breach of promise, treachery, theft, or the like; or if his circumstances should be altered by any unforeseen event of importance, such as the complete loss of property, severe illness, etc.
b. The publication of banns is as follows: The names of the contracting parties between whom the marriage is to be concluded, shall be announced publicly three times in the parish church during the solemnization of Mass on three successive Sundays or festival days (Council of Trent, 24, 1).215
The name, calling, birthplace and place of residence of the affianced couple are proclaimed at the publication of their banns. The purpose of the announcement is to ascertain whether any impediment exists to their lawful union, and to announce to the parishioners the intended nuptials, that no scandal may be caused by their cohabitation. The marriage must on no account take place until after the day of the third announcement, but if it is not celebrated within six months of that time, the publication of the banns must be repeated. Only in exceptional cases is the publication of banns to be omitted, and the omission must be sanctioned by the bishop of the diocese.
c. It is also enjoined on persons intending to marry to approach the Sacraments of Penance and of the Altar, because it is indispensable that they should be in a state of grace, in order to participate in the graces conferred in the Sacrament of Matrimony.216
All who are about to marry are exhorted, at least three days before the consummation of their marriage carefully to confess their sins and receive devoutly the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar (Council of Trent, 24, 1). The confession should be general, embracing the whole life, because it will then have the effect of awakening greater contrition, and of setting the conscience more fully at rest. Our Lord, Who condescended to be present at the marriage at Cana, must also be invited to come to the bridegroom and bride, to sanctify them, and bestow His grace and blessing on their nuptials. Happy those who prepare a fitting dwelling in their heart for the divine Guest! Without presumption on their part, they may hope that He will remain with them until death, and impart to them the gift of His grace in abundant measure. But those who do not approach the sacraments worthily, and enter upon the matrimonial state in mortal sin, deprive themselves of grace, and call down on themselves the curse of God. They who thus act are like warriors going to the fight without armor and without arms.
2. The Church expressly commands that the marriage of a Catholic to be valid must be contracted before the parish priest or the Ordinary of the place or a priest delegated by either of these and at least two witnesses.217
The decree to this effect was first issued by the Council of Trent, and with some slight modification was again promulgated and made binding for Catholics the world over after Easter Sunday, 1908, by Pope Pius X. The marriage ceremony must therefore be a public and an ecclesiastical ceremony. In early times it took place in presence of the bishop. St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, says: “It is right that affianced persons should conclude their nuptials only with the knowledge and sanction of the bishop, that thus their union may be in accordance with the will of God.” “It was God,” says St. Francis de Sales, “Who gave Eve to Adam, and He it is Who must bind the marriage bond.” Those, therefore, whether they be practical or fallen-away Catholics, who contract marriage with a Catholic or a non-Catholic before a minister or a civil magistrate or otherwise than before the parish priest or Ordinary or their priest delegate except when not possible and at least two witnesses, contract no marriage at all.
3. Marriages are, as a rule, celebrated in the forenoon, in the house of God, with solemn ceremonies, and Mass is usually said at the same time.218
Entrance into the state of matrimony is an event of great moment, one which influences the whole life. St. Paul terms matrimony “a great sacrament.” Hence the affianced couple ought to conduct themselves with the utmost reverence, and not hasten out of the church the moment the ceremony is ended, but remain a while kneeling before the altar to make their thanksgiving. Thus Tertullian declares that the early Christians sealed their marriage contract with prayers, and ratified it with the holy sacrifice. In the missal a special Mass pro sponso et sponsa, is provided. For the celebration of nuptials in secret, in the presence of trusted witnesses only, the episcopal sanction must be obtained, and also for the celebration of marriage in the afternoon.
The ceremonial for the celebration of matrimony is significant of the duties of the married and of the graces in which they participate.
The bride usually comes to the altar wearing a wreath, which is emblematical of the victory she has won in the preservation of her innocence. The bridegroom stands on the right of the altar, the bride upon the left, the witnesses stand behind them. The priest then asks each separately if with their free will and consent they enter into wedlock, and on their answering in the affirmative with an audible voice, they join hands, each holding the right hand of the other (to confirm their promise as by an oath); they pledge their troth, repeating the formula after the priest, in which they each promise separately to have and to hold the other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do part them. The priest then placing his stole round their joined hands (to indicate the indissolubility of the nuptial tie), unites them in the name of the Holy Trinity, and sprinkles them with holy water. This done, the bridegroom places upon the book the ring, which the priest blesses and gives back to the bridegroom, who places it on the thumb of the bride, saying: “In the name of the Father;” then on the second finger, saying: “and of the Son;” then on the third, saying: “and of the Holy Spirit;” lastly on the fourth, saying: “Amen.” After this, some prayers are recited over the newly married couple, and if the nuptial benediction is to be given, Mass is said, at which it is usual for them to communicate. In conclusion the solemn benediction is given, in which peace, happiness, long life, are besought for them. On their return home, a wedding-feast is prepared. In this there is nothing blameworthy; we know that Our Lord honored such a festivity with His presence. The newly-married should, however, be careful to spend the day in such a manner as not to lose the blessing which they received in the morning, as they would do were they to profane it by dissipation or sinful diversions.
The following are the duties incumbent on married persons:
That the man is superior to the woman is shown by the fact that he was created first, and the woman was only created of his flesh, and as a helper for him (1 Cor. 11:9). The man being the head of the family, the woman is subservient to him, as the members of the body are to the head. The Apostle says: “As the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wife be to the husband in all things” (Eph. 5:24). The woman is commanded to cover her head in the church, to indicate that she is under the dominion of the man; whereas the man uncovers his head, because there is no one over him but God (1 Cor. 11:10). The wife ought to fear her husband (Eph. 5:33), that is show him the deference due to him. After the Fall God ordained that the woman should be under her husband’s power, and should yield him obedience (Gen. 3:16), because Eve lusted after power, and ate the apple first. The husband therefore has every right to rule his wife, but he ought to rule with kindness, gentleness and leniency, for she is in one sense his equal, having been made out of flesh taken from his side. Therefore St. Ambrose bids the husband remember that his wife is not to be treated as a servant, that he must not make his authority felt to be a burden. Besides the woman, being the weaker, can claim to be gently treated (1 Pet. 3:7). It is horrible sin for a man to force his will through physical violence toward his wife. As the representative of God, the husband is head of the household. The angel did not appear to Mary, but to Joseph, when the flight to Egypt was to be made, because the husband’s duty is to rule and govern.
2. The husband and wife owe to each other love, fidelity, and mutual aid in all circumstances of their life.219
Husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loves the Church (Eph. 5:25), as their own bodies (5:28), as themselves (5:33). The love of husband and wife ought not to be a purely natural love, like that of the lower animals, nor a purely human love, like that of the heathen, but a holy and supernatural affection, like that of Christ for the Church, and of the Church for Christ. Hence they ought each to bear with the infirmities of the other patiently and indulgently, or generously close their eyes to them. An example of this is given by the Greek philosopher Socrates, whose wife was a perfect virago. When she stormed at him, he took no more notice of it than of the rattling of a passing vehicle. One day when he was seated before the house with his scholars, from a window above she rated him soundly, and finally threw a jug of water over him. Socrates rose and changed his place, remarking with a smile: “I might have known that the storm would have ended with a thunder shower.” The wife will influence her husband for good far more effectually by silence, meekness and prayer than by reproaches. St. Augustine tells us that his mother did more for the conversion of her husband Patricius by the saintliness of her life, than by her words. Dissensions between husband and wife ruin their happiness; without peace at home nothing pleases, even amid all the luxuries wealth can command. Married people owe fidelity to one another (Heb. 13:4). They ought scrupulously to guard against every appearance of unfaithfulness, and avoid familiar intercourse with persons of the other sex. For where jealousy enters, all conjugal happiness is at an end. St. John Chrysostom is of opinion that the direst poverty, the most incurable malady, fire even and sword, are lesser evils than jealousy. The Jews used to stone the unfaithful husband or wife, for they considered adultery a no less heinous crime than murder (Lev. 20:10). St. Paul declares everlasting damnation to be the portion of adulterers (Eph. 5:5). The married must not defraud one another of their conjugal rights (1 Cor. 7:1–5), but they must abstain from excesses inconsistent with the sanctity of their state (Tob. 6:17), and only keep in view the object indicated by the angel to Tobias (6:18), otherwise the devil will prevail over them (6:16). To the duty of mutual aid it appertains that husband and wife should live together, and that neither the one nor the other should avail himself or herself, if contrarieties or calamities overtake them, of any pretext to leave the other; they are bound to assist each other in the training of their children, to succor each other in illness, to aid each other to bear more easily the ills of life, and to perform their religious duties with greater facility. Eve was created for the sole purpose of helping Adam; for God said: “It is not good for man to be alone, let us make him a help like unto himself” (Gen. 2:18). It is, however, a sad misfortune when the wife is not a support but a cross to her husband; when instead of lightening his burdens, she only adds to their weight. Almighty God declares that a really good woman is a treasure of inestimable price (Prov. 31:10), far above the most costly jewels. Jewels serve to adorn their owner, and that which is to him a brilliant ornament in the day of prosperity, is to him in adversity a timely aid. So a good wife is in herself a source of riches, a valuable jewel which retains its worth amid all the vicissitudes of life.
3. It is the duty of both husband and wife to provide for their children, and train them in the fear and love of God.220
Children are no more the property of their parents than riches are; they are a gift from God (Ps. 126 [127]:3). They are His creatures, destined to be happy with Him forever; they are the children of their Father in heaven, and are only given in trust by Him to their parents, to be brought up in His service. Thus parents are only servants, bound to carry out the will of God in regard to their offspring.
The duties which parents have to discharge towards their children are these: They have to safeguard them from everything which would he prejudicial to their health; they have to supply them with their daily sustenance; they have also to provide for their future.221
It is the duty of parents to deny themselves everything which might prove injurious to the health of their children. They must refrain from giving way to their passions, or indulging in excesses, lest they transmit a heritage of disease or sin to their offspring. Like father, like child, the proverb says. Parents ought not to give themselves up to the pursuit of pleasure and amusements, to the neglect of their young children. Let them remember how distressed Mary and Joseph were when the Child Jesus was lost, how for three days they sought Him, sorrowing (Luke 2:48). Let them learn a lesson from the birds; they do not leave the nest until their young are fully fledged, they are indefatigable in supplying them with food, they teach them to fly. Parents ought to work for the daily bread of their family; even wild beasts take the utmost care of their young, yet some parents are, as Holy Scripture says, “cruel as the ostrich in the desert” (Lam. 4:3), which lays her eggs in the sand and heeds them no more. “Children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children” (2 Cor. 12:14). They ought to provide for their children’s future by laying by a certain amount of money to bequeath to them; by sending them to school; by fitting them to follow the calling most in accordance with their inclinations and capabilities; above all by training them in the fear of God, which is the surest means of promoting their temporal as well as their spiritual welfare; (David declares: “I have been young and now am old, and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed begging bread,” Ps. 36[37]:25); finally it is the bounden duty of parents to pray for their children, and thus call down on them the blessing of God. Job offered holocausts daily for every one of his children, lest perchance they should have sinned against God (Job 1:5). St. Monica prayed fervently for her son, and with the happiest results. “Parents,” says St. Francis de Sales, “ought often to speak of God to their children, but yet more often to speak to God of their children.”
In regard to the bringing up of their children it is the duty of parents to have them baptized immediately after their birth, to give them their first religious teaching, to set them a good example in all respects, and to treat them with kindness rather than severity.222
St. Charles Borromeo says that training children means bringing them to Christ. Parents ought to have their new-born infant baptized as soon as possible; to defer baptism for more than ten days after the birth of a child, without good reason, is a sin. They ought to instruct their children early in the fundamental truths of religion; to teach them that there is a God in heaven; that He knows and sees everything, that if we obey Him, He will take us to Himself in heaven, etc. They should beware of frightening their children by threats of hell and of the devil, lest they inspire them with a repulsion for religion, also of allowing them to imbibe false ideas, for if later on they find they have been deluded, they will not believe anything. Parents must instruct their children in the law of God, as Tobias did. He taught his son from his infancy to fear God and to abstain from sin (Tob. 1:10), and when he thought his death was near, he gave him godly admonitions (Tob. 4). They should endeavor to stifle evil propensities in their children, and bring them up in the discipline and correction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). They should teach them to pray, beginning with the sign of the cross and the invocation of the holy name, and proceeding to the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Creed. The children’s daily prayers should be very short, so as not to become wearisome to them. Furthermore parents should set their children a good example. We all know how much more influential example is than precept, and that what is seen makes a far more lasting impression than what is heard. The actions of the father and mother are the lesson books of their children; how careful should they therefore be not to let them see them do anything blameworthy, and also to warn the servants not to say or do anything in the presence of the children which they ought not to see or hear. For the imitative faculty is strong in children; they are sure to do what they see their elders do. Let parents remember Our Lord’s words: “He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6). Those who neglect this warning will have reason to tremble, for if the soul of the child is lost through the parents’ fault, they will hear the voice of God saying: “I will require his blood of thy hand” (Ezek. 33:8). In training their children parents should combine kindness and firmness. Too great severity is a fault; for rebukes and punishments are a medicine, which if administered too frequently or in too strong doses, does harm instead of good. It is not by incessant beating with the hammer that the goldsmith fashions the most elegant ornaments. To be always finding fault is a great mistake, but it is no less a one to let the children’s wrong-doing pass unpunished, to pamper and spoil them through ill-regulated affection and false kindness. He that spareth the rod hateth his son (Prov. 13:24). “Give thy son his way, and he shall make thee afraid” (Sir. 30:9). To allow a child to have his own will in all things is highly reprehensible; he should be firmly, not sternly compelled to yield.
Of all parental duties, that of training their children in the fear of God is the most important; for on the manner in which it is discharged the temporal and eternal happiness both of parents and children will depend.223
The education of their children ought to be for parents a matter of such moment, that nothing should grieve them so much as to see them turn out badly, or rejoice them so much as to see them walking in truth (2 John 1:4). The religious training of the child devolves principally on the mother, as his earliest years are spent at her knee. The father, engaged in the occupations of his calling, has little time and less inclination for the work of instruction. The father and mother supplement each other. The father, by his position of command and force of character, represents the divine power and justice; the mother, with her gentle kindness and tender love, represents the divine attributes of bounty and compassion. It is the part of the father to confirm with his paternal authority what the mother teaches, and enforce the orders she gives. The future happiness of the child depends upon the early training he receives; for, as a rule, what he is in his youth that he is in his old age. Just as out of a piece of soft wax one may model an angel or a devil, so it is with the character of a young child. The first impressions are always the most lasting; they are never wholly effaced from the soul, any more than marks made in the bark of a young tree ever disappear; they do but widen with its growth. In later years the character cannot be molded afresh; as the sapling is bent, the tree is inclined. The land, if it is to yield a harvest in autumn, must be tilled in the early spring, not left uncultivated until the summer. The great majority of criminals in houses of correction are those whose training has been neglected in their childhood. Can it be supposed that if the souls of these culprits are lost, their parents are not to blame for it? Consider, O parents, what a responsibility rests upon your shoulders! Those who pay no heed to the bringing up of their children are more culpable than those who put them to death; for the latter only take the life of the body, whereas the former cause the destruction of the soul. Some parents are at great pains to amass wealth to bequeath to their children, but they do not care in the least how they are brought up. The temporal and eternal happiness of the parents also depends in a great measure on the training they give to their children. Those who bring them up badly are generally severely chastised by God in this world, and often it is their own children who are their scourge. By that wherein they have sinned, by that same they are punished. King David, through an exaggerated fondness for his son Absalom, did not correct him for his faults; and in after years he had cause bitterly to regret his weakness, when Absalom rebelled against him (2 Sam. 18.). Heli, the high priest, was too indulgent towards his wicked sons, and the chastisement foretold to him by God through the mouth of Samuel speedily overtook him; his two sons were slain in battle, and the old man, on hearing the sad tidings of Israel’s defeat, fell off his seat and died (1 Sam. 4:18). Nor can negligent parents expect to fare better in another world, for the Apostle compares them to unbelievers: “If any man have not care of his own, and especially those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8). On the other hand, a rich reward is promised hereafter to those who have brought up their children well. The eternal felicity of a mother depends on the manner in which she has trained her offspring (1 Tim. 2:15). The father of a good son will not be sorrowful at the approach of death, neither will he be confounded before his enemies (Sir. 30:5). Good parents who have conscientiously fulfilled their duties will, when they appear before God, be able to say: “Behold, those whom Thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost” (John 17:12).
1. Mixed marriages, by which is understood the marriage of Catholics to non-Catholics, have always been disapproved of by the Church.224
(1), Because in such marriages the proper training of the children is a matter of great difficulty, if not altogether impossible; (2), Because such unions are productive of no concord, no true happiness; (3), Because the Catholic is in great danger of losing his or her faith; (4), And besides, the non-Catholic may at any time obtain a divorce, leave his or her Catholic partner, and contract another marriage.
Even in the Old Testament mixed marriages were prohibited; the Jews were not permitted to make marriages with the Canaanites (Dent. 7:3), nor indeed with the Samaritans, although they kept the law of God and had the books of Moses, because of the heathen ceremonies they observed. In like manner in the present day the Church discourages the marriage of Catholics to non-Catholics, who, though they call themselves Christians, hold doctrines which are at variance with the teaching of Christ. The Church warns her children against such alliances, just as a loving father might warn his son against undertaking some journey which he knows will expose him to great perils. In early times parents who gave their daughter in marriage to a heretic were subjected to a five years’ penance. The dangers attendant on mixed marriages are these: The non-Catholic party, whether a Protestant or not a Christian, far from assisting in the education of the children, will be an obstacle to it, and will perhaps throw scorn and ridicule on Catholic faith and practice. And even if this is not the case, the example of the unbelieving parent will have the worst consequences for the children. And not unfrequently it happens that the non-Catholic, urged by the ministers of his religion, or by his relatives, who represent that it will be prejudicial to their temporal interests if his children are brought up as Catholics, yields to their persuasions, and departs from his promise that they should be so brought up. And what becomes of the children if their Catholic parent dies, and the other espouses a member of his or her own religion? A Catholic cannot do his children a more cruel wrong than by marrying one who is not of his own religion. Moreover, true happiness can hardly exist in such a marriage, where there is not union on the most important of all matters. Heartfelt affection and confidence between husband and wife are scarcely possible if they differ on a point which is all-important, namely religion. Mixed marriages are, moreover, fraught with no slight danger to the salvation of those who contract them. The wise and enlightened King Solomon took to himself heathen wives in his old age, and they prevailed over him so far, that from a worshipper of the true God he became an idolater, and allowed temples of the false gods to be erected in his kingdom. The influence of heretics who call themselves Christians is often more perilous than that of open unbelievers. If reading heretical books is apt to mislead, how much more is continual and close contact with heretics to be dreaded! Besides, we are far more ready to adopt the opinions of one to whom we are attached, for we are blinded by affection. The Holy Father declares that mixed marriages have the effect of obliterating the distinction between truth and error, and fostering the idea that all religions are equally good. Furthermore mixed marriages are most unfair for the Catholic party. The non-Catholic may at any time obtain a divorce and marry again; whereas the Catholic is bound not to take a second partner as long as the former lives. What an equivocal position is that of a divorced woman! She is married, and yet she has no husband; she has the mortification of seeing her rightful husband with another wife, while she is condemned to live a lonely life, looked down upon perhaps by the world; and worst of all, to be separated from some, if not all, of her children. Well then may the Church exhort Christian people to beware of entering into matrimony with those who are aliens to the faith they hold!
2. The Church tolerates mixed marriages on three conditions:225
(1), Both parties must promise that their children shall he brought up as Catholics; (2), The Catholic must promise to endeavor to bring the non-Catholic to the knowledge of the truth; (3), The non-Catholic must promise to allow the Catholic liberty for the free exercise of his or her religion. Without these three conditions the Church will not sanction a mixed marriage.
By tolerating or permitting mixed marriages the Church does not approve them; on the contrary she strongly disapproves of them and she insists so forcibly on the children being brought up in the Catholic faith, because this is the main object of matrimony. It has already been shown that the chief end of marriage is to train up children in the knowledge and fear of God; the aim of the Christian parent should rather be to leave behind him inheritors of the kingdom of heaven than heirs of his earthly possessions. Consequently it is the first duty of a Catholic, who has wedded one who does not hold the faith, to insure his child’s salvation in as far as he can. How deeply is that parent to be commiserated who destroys the soul of her offspring, by allowing the poison of error to be instilled into its mind! When the first glamour of an ill-regulated affection fades away, and conscience again makes its voice heard, the path of wedded life is beset with thorns. The birth of the first child, which ought to be an occasion of glad rejoicing, is a source of anxiety to the mother, for she fears that it will be taught to regard the true faith with hostility. How her conscience reproaches her! And each successive child, which ought to be welcomed as a blessing from the hand of God, is a fresh accuser, calling to mind her treachery. The Catholic party is also bound to bring the non-Catholic to the knowledge of the truth, not by coercion or persuasion, for proselytizing only adds to the number of nominal Catholics, not of the loyal children of the Church, and is abhorrent to the Catholic Church, who only desires the erring to be brought to her fold of their own free will, and through full conviction. Let them be won by prayer and good example: “Let the unbelieving husbands be won by the conversation of the wives” (1 Pet. 3:1). If the Catholic wife is seen to be modest, yielding, patient, faithful, etc., the non-Catholic husband will be led to reflect, and consider whether he may not judge of the tree by its fruits. At any rate he will gradually divest himself of all his former prejudices against our holy religion. He must not be pressed with arguments and instructions, but rather every word should be carefully avoided that might wound his susceptibilities. For those who are outside the Church are not to blame because they have not had the privilege of being born and brought up in the true faith. Furthermore the Catholic party must fearlessly observe his or her religious duties; the other will respect such observance. A man who is not devoid of good feeling will have no wish to oppose the pious practices of his wife; he will know himself to be a gainer, not a loser by them. Sometimes Protestants assert that they agree with Catholics on the fundamental truths of religion, and only differ in non-essentials; this is utterly false. What the Catholic holds most sacred, the Protestant despises; witness the holy sacrifice of the Mass, which Protestants regard as an act of idolatrous worship. In the face of differences so deep-rooted all idea of unity is a mockery.
3. The Catholic who contracts a mixed marriage before a minister contracts no marriage at all, commits a mortal sin and cannot be admitted to the Sacraments.226
Catholics who act thus are declared to be guilty of mortal sin, because they sin through disobedience, by refusing to conform to the precepts of the Church; they give great scandal, and deny the faith; they turn their back upon the sacraments of the true Church and receive the rites of an heretical sect. Thus they give the preference to a false Church, or at least allow its equality with the true one. They cannot be re-admitted to the sacraments unless they manifest sincere contrition on account of their sinful union, and are ready to comply with the requirements of the Church. Many a one takes a just view of his conduct on his death-bed. Conscience often slumbers, like a volcano, which for long years shows no signs of activity, then suddenly bursts into flame; so conscience awakens at last, and the unhappy soul is consumed by the flames of remorse and despair. No one who firmly believes the Catholic to be the only true and saving faith will be content to see his children brought up in soul-destroying error; and it may safely be affirmed, that in the majority of cases, those who contract mixed marriages sooner or later heartily regret the step they have taken.
1. The unmarried state is better than the married, because those who do not marry have far more opportunity for attending to their spiritual welfare, and can attain a higher degree of glory hereafter.227
It is better and more blessed to remain in virginity or in celibacy than to be united in matrimony (Council of Trent, 24, 10). The state of virginity surpasses the married state in excellence as much as angels surpass men. It is as far above matrimony as the heavens are above the earth; it is as much superior to it as the soul is to the body. Marriage is honorable, but virginity is far more honorable. Such is the opinion of the Fathers. The heathen entertained a great respect for those who voluntarily embraced a life of celibacy and chastity; witness the reverence shown by the Romans for the vestal virgins. The richer and nobler the bridegroom, the more a bride is congratulated upon her espousals. How much the more ought those to be deemed happy, who by the practice of chastity have chosen Christ for their Spouse; and for His sake, like St. Agnes of old, despised every earthly suitor, however wealthy and powerful. The unmarried are more free to study the concerns of their soul; St. Paul says: “He that is without a wife is solicitous how he may please God; but he that is with a wife is solicitous how he may please his wife; and he is divided” (1 Cor. 7:32–34). The unmarried also can attain a higher degree of glory. St. John beheld a multi-tude “before the throne, who sang a new canticle, that no man could say but those a hundred forty and four thousand; for they were virgins” (Rev. 14:1–5).
2. Our Lord when on earth commended the state of virginity both by precept and example.228
Our Lord says that there are some who renounce matrimony for the kingdom of heaven’s sake, adding: “He that can take, let him take it” (Matt. 19:12). St. Paul also says: “He that giveth his daughter in marriage doth well, but he that giveth her not doth better” (1 Cor. 7:38). And again, speaking of widows, “more blessed shall she be if she so remain” (7:40). The apostles did not marry, and many of the saints took vows of perpetual virginity; of this the greatest example is given us in the blessed Mother of God, as we learn from her own words to the angel (Luke 1:34); it is also the opinion of the Fathers that St. Joseph did the same. Some of the saints, especially in the early ages of the Church, endured the most agonizing tortures and a cruel death rather than break their vow of virginity. It is related of St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, who before he received Holy Orders had been married and had a daughter, that while he was in exile he received a letter from his daughter, telling him she was grown up, and was about to be married. He wrote in answer to say that he was soon returning home, and would bring the portrait of another suitor; she could compare the two and choose between them. On his arrival he gave her a crucifix, and exhorted her to consecrate herself to Christ by a vow of virginity. This she did, and shortly after died a holy death. Just before she expired her father said to her: “Behold your celestial Spouse; He has come to take you to your eternal nuptials.” In the pages of hagiology we read of many saints who, although married, led a life of chastity.