Special formulae for acts of contrition are in use in the Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed Churches.
(The original quote is from the sixteenth century English antiquarian William Camden; the more familiar version is from Graham Greene's 1938 novel Brighton Rock.)
Within the Catholic Church, the term "act of contrition" is often applied to one particular formula, which is not given expressly in the handbook of Indulgences.
Born of fear of eternal damnation or other penalties, it is nonetheless sufficient to inspire a valid Act of Contrition.
[6] There are different versions of the Act of Contrition, but all generally include an expression of sorrow, an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a promise to amend one's life and avoid sin.
Sacrosanctum concilium (the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) called for the revision of the Rite of Penance so that it more clearly express both the nature and effect of the sacrament.
In the Church of England Reconciliation of a Penitent the Act of Contrition "expresses the desire and intention before God to turn away from sin and walk in newness of life.
The first (for use at Matins and Evensong) is: The second (for use during Holy Communion) is: ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, judge of all men; We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us.