Contrition
Thomas Aquinas in his Commentary on the Master of the Sentences thus explains its peculiar use: "Since it is requisite for the remission of sin that a man cast away entirely the liking for sin which implies a sort of continuity and solidity in his mind, the act which obtains forgiveness is termed by a figure of speech 'contrition'.
The early Christian writers in speaking of the nature of contrition sometimes insist on the feeling of sorrow, sometimes on the detestation of the wrong committed.
Augustine includes both when writing: "Compunctus corde non solet dici nisi stimulus peccatorum in dolore pœnitendi".
"[3] The formal doctrine of the church, announced through the Council of Trent, declares that contrition has always been necessary to obtain pardon of one's sins.
John the Baptist sounded the note of preparation for the coming of the Messiah: "Make straight his paths"; and, as a consequence "they went out to him and were baptized confessing their sins".
"[12] In the case of imminent death, in which sacramental confession may not be possible, an act of perfect contrition is held to remove the guilt and eternal punishment due to mortal sin.
[8]: 1492 Catholic teaching holds that imperfect contrition does not produce justification, but does dispose the soul to receive grace in the sacrament of penance.
[6] The Council of Trent (1545–1563) held that while imperfect contrition is motivated by reasons such as "the consideration of the turpitude of sin or from the fear of Hell and punishment", it also is a gift from God.
"[6] Scriptures cited in support of imperfect contrition include: In his 1537 Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Philipp Melanchthon argued against the concept of imperfect contrition on the basis that it leaves the penitent person uncertain:[13] When, however, will a terrified conscience, especially in those serious, true, and great terrors which are described in the psalms and the prophets, and which those certainly taste who are truly converted, be able to decide whether it fears God for His own sake, or is fleeing from eternal punishments?In his 1537 Smalcald Articles, Martin Luther argued against the Catholic doctrine of imperfect contrition, arguing that "such contrition was certainly mere hypocrisy, and did not mortify the lust for sins; for they had to grieve, while they would rather have continued to sin, if it had been free to them."
"[14] In accord with Catholic tradition, contrition, whether perfect or imperfect, must be interior, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.
Peter told those to whom he preached in the first days after Pentecost that God the Father had raised up Christ "to give repentance to Israel" (Acts, v, 30 sq.).
vi), asked speculatively whether man if left to himself could elicit a true act of contrition, but no theologian ever taught that what makes for forgiveness of sin in the present economy of God could be inspired by merely natural motives.
On the contrary, all the doctors have insisted on the absolute necessity of grace for contrition that disposes to forgiveness (Bonaventure, In Lib.
In keeping with this teaching of the Scriptures and the doctors, the Council of Trent defined; "If anyone say that without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and without His aid a man can repent in the way that is necessary for obtaining the grace of justification, let him be anathema."
The Scholastics inquired into this question when they asked whether or not there must be a special act of contrition for every serious sin, and whether, in order to be forgiven, one must remember at the moment all grievous transgressions.
"[4] Contrition is not only a moral virtue, but the Council of Trent defined that it is a "part", and even more, quasi materia, in the Sacrament of Penance.
These, inasmuch as they are by God's institution required in the penitent for the integrity of the sacrament and for the full and perfect remission of sin, are for this reason called parts of penance."
Hence the precept of the Roman Ritual, "After the confessor has heard the confession he should try by earnest exhortation to move the penitent to contrition" (Schieler-Heuser, op.
Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, ... the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace (1431).For Catholics, where there is mortal sin, use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation must follow.
[15] Early Church Fathers, including Clement of Rome, Hermas, and Chrysostom, held that sorrow was effective for the remission of sins.
[16] Similarly, Scholastics such as Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure taught that perfect contrition, with the desire of receiving the Sacrament of Penance, restored a sinner to grace at once.
In Catholic theology, perfect contrition is held to forgive sins due to its connection with love.
"[18] Accordingly, Gregory XIII condemned Baius's proposition 32, which asserted "that charity which is the fullness of the law is not always conjoined with forgiveness of sins".
In danger of death, therefore, if a priest be not at hand to administer the sacrament, the sinner must make an effort to elicit an act of perfect contrition.
The obligation of perfect contrition is also urgent whensoever one has to exercise some act for which a state of grace is necessary and the Sacrament of Penance is not accessible.
Theologians have questions how long a person may remain in the state of sin, without making an effort to elicit an act of perfect contrition.
The Augsburg Confession, the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church, divides repentance into two parts: "One is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of absolution, and believes that for Christ's sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors.
"[21] Anglo-Catholic rector of St. Mark's Church in Philadelphia, Alfred Garnett Mortimer, pointed out that "feelings" are not an adequate gauge of contrition.
