Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active The word penance derives from Old French and Latin poenitentia, both of which derive from the same root meaning repentance, the desire to be forgiven; (in English see (contrition)). Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Contrition (from the Latin contritus 'ground to pieces ie crushed by Guilt) is sincere and complete remorse (i Penance and repentance, similar in their derivation and original sense, have come to symbolize conflicting views of the essence of repentance, arising from the controversy as to the respective merits of "faith" and "good works. " Word derivations occur in many languages.
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Sacramental penance
In a sacramental understanding of the term, "penance" applies to the whole activity from confession to absolution. Louis the Pious (778 &ndash 20 June 840) also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and co-Emperor Generally speaking, however, it is used to characterize the works of satisfaction imposed or recommended by the priest on or to the penitent. Traditionally, penance has been viewed as a punishment (the Latin poena, the root of pen(it)ance, means "punishment"), and varying with the character and heinousness of the offences committed. In the feudal era "doing penance" often involved severe and/or public discipline, which could be both harsh and humiliating but was considered edifying. Public penances have, however, long been abolished. Traditional forms still include prayers, while corporal punishments such as the wearing of a cilice and public humiliations have become rare, even in monastic practice. Public humiliation was often used by local communities to punish minor and petty criminals before the age of large modern Prisons (imprisonment was long unusual as a punishment More recently, taking in account the insights of pastoral theology and psychology, penances have tended to move towards acts that positively or negatively reinforce the penitent's behaviour. In Operant conditioning, reinforcement is an immediate increase in the strength of a response following a change in environment
"Penance" also refers to acts that a believer imposes on him- or herself outside of the sacramental context. Penitential activity is particularly common during the season of Lent and Holy Week (mainly the Passion week, inspired by Christ's suffering; hence in some cultural traditions still including flagellantism or even voluntary crucifixion) and, to a lesser extent, Advent, when penance is often combined with acts of self-discipline, such as fasting, voluntary celibacy, or other privations. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter. Flagellants are practitioners of an extreme form of mortification of their own flesh by Whipping it with various instruments Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time Celibacy refers to the lack of participation in Sexual intercourse. In the Roman Catholic tradition especially, such acts of self-injury are sometimes called mortification of the flesh because of the belief that an unrestrained corporeal body endangers salvation, unless controlled by the spirit, serving to detach the penitent of his worldly passions, as to draw him into closer union with God. For the Christian metal band see Mortification (band. For the record label see Mortification Records. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of
Roman Catholicism
In the Catholic Church, the sacrament of Penance consists of three parts: contritio, confessio and satisfactio. In Roman Catholic teaching the Sacrament of Penance (commonly called Confession, Reconciliation or Penance) is the method given by
Contritio is in fact repentance as Protestant theologians understand it, i. e. love of God causing sorrow for sins committed, and long before the Reformation the schoolmen debated the question whether complete "contrition" was or was not in itself sufficient to obtain the Divine pardon. The Council of Trent decided, however, that no reconciliation could follow such contrition without the other parts of the sacrament, which form part of it (sine sacramenti voto, quod in ilia indudatur). The Council of Trent was the 19th Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Contrition is also distinguished from "attrition" (attritio), i. e. amoral repentance due to fear of punishment. It was questioned whether a state of mind thus produced would suffice for obtaining the benefits of the sacrament; this point was also set at rest by the Council of Trent, which decided that attrition, though not in itself capable of obtaining the justification of the sinner, is also inspired by God and thus disposes the soul to benefit by the grace of the sacrament.
In this Sacrament, the penitent (repentant sinner, known as confessant) accuses himself of his sins to an ordained priest (known as confessor). A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities The priest may then offer advice and imposes a particular penance to be performed. The penitent then prays an Act of Contrition, the priest administers absolution, thus formally forgiving the penitent of his sins, and finally sends him out with words of dismissal. The Act of Contrition is a Prayer recited by the penitent during the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Sacrament of Confession. Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Often, penitential acts consist simply of prayers, fasting, charitable work or giving, or a combination thereof. Such penance is frequently accompanied by a requirement for the penitent to be reconciled with anyone against whom he or she has sinned. The most common penances involve the recitation of standard prayers, such as the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary, meditation on particular scriptural passages, or praying the rosary with special penitential intentions. The Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is probably the best-known Prayer in Christianity. The Hail Mary or Ave Maria ( Latin) is a traditional Christian Prayer asking for the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, the The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "rose garden" or "garland of roses" is a popular traditional Roman Catholic devotion. The priest is bound by the seal of confession not to reveal or discuss a penitents sins with others. This article concerns a doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church only Violation of the seal of confession incurs the most severe ecclesiastical penalty of excommunication for the violating priest. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community
Eastern Orthodox Church
Penance, or the Sacred Mystery of Confession as it is usually called, in the Eastern Orthodox Church has more in common with a psychiatric session than it does with the sacramental equivalents of other Christian Traditions. The term sacred mysteries generally denotes the area of Supernatural phenomena associated with a Divinity or a religious ideology. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world In Roman Catholicism, the goal of the sacrament of Penance is reconciliation with God, through means of justification. However, in Orthodoxy, the intention of the sacramental mystery of Holy Confession is to provide reconciliation with God, but through means of healing.
Similar to the Eastern Catholic Churches, in the Eastern Orthodox Church there are no confessionals. Traditionally the penitent stands or kneels before either the Icon of Christ the Teacher (to the viewers' right of the Royal Door) or in front of an Icon of Christ, "Not Made by Hands". An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Acheiropoieta (Greek) literally "not-handmade" or Icons Not Made by Hand (and variants are a particular kind of Icon, ones that are alleged to have This is because in Orthodox sacramental theology, confession is not made to the priest, but to Christ; the priest being there as a witness, friend and advisor. On an analogion in front of the penitent has been placed a Gospel Book and a Crucifix. An Analogion (Άναλόγιον is a Lectern or slanted stand on which Icons, the Gospel Book or are placed for veneration by the faithful in the The Gospel Book, or Book of the Gospels ( Greek:, Evangélion) is a Codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels A crucifix (from Latin cruci fixus meaning "(one fixed to a cross" is a cross with a representation of Jesus ' body or corpus The penitent venerates the Gospel Book and the cross and kneels. This is to show humility before the whole church and before Christ. Once they are ready to start, the priest says, “Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages,” reads the Trisagion Prayers and the Psalm 50 (in the Septuagint; in the KJV this is Psalm 51). The Trisagion ('Thrice Holy' is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Eastern Psalm 51 ( Greek numbering Psalm 50) traditionally referred to as the Miserere, its Latin Incipit, is one of the Penitential psalms The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the
The priest then advises the penitent that Christ is invisibly present and that the penitent should not be embarrassed or be afraid, but should open up their heart and reveal their sins so that Christ may forgive them. The penitent then accuses himself of sins. The priest quietly and patiently listens, gently asking questions to encourage the penitent not to withold any sins out fear or shame. After the confessant reveals all their sins, the priest offers advice and counsel. The priest may modify the prayer rule of the penitent, or even prescribe another rule, if needed to combat the sins the penitent struggles most with. Penances, known as epitemia, are given with a therapeutic intent, so they are opposite to the sin committed.
Epitemia are neither a punishment nor merely a pious action, but are specifically aimed at healing the spiritual ailment that has been confessed. For example, if the penitent broke the Eighth Commandment by stealing something, the priest could prescribe they return what they stole (if possible) and give alms to the poor on a more regular basis. Opposites are treated with opposites. If the penitent suffers from gluttony, the confessant’s fasting rule is reviewed and perhaps increased. The intention of Confession is never to punish, but to heal and purify. Confession is also seen as a “second baptism”, and is sometimes referred to as the "baptism of tears".
In Orthodoxy, Confession is seen as a means to procure better spiritual health and purity. Confession does not involve merely stating the sinful things the person does; the good things a person does or is considering doing are also discussed. The approach is holistic, examining the full life of the confessant. The good works do not earn salvation, but are part of a psychotherapeutic treatment to preserve salvation and purity. Sin is treated as a spiritual illness, or wound, only cured through Jesus Christ. The Orthodox belief is that in Confession, the sinful wounds of the soul are to be exposed and treated in the "open air" (in this case, the Spirit of God. Note the fact that the Greek word for Spirit (πνευμα), can be translated as "air in motion" or wind). The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath
Once the penitent has accepted the therapeutic advice and counsel freely given to him or her, by the priest then, placing his epitrachelion over the head of the confessant. The Epitrachelion (from the Greek, "around the neck" often called simply a stole in casual English-language usage is the liturgical Vestment The priest says the prayer of forgiveness over the penitent. In the prayer of forgiveness, the priests asks of God to forgive the sins committed. He then concludes by placing his hand on the head of the penitent and says, “The Grace of the All-Holy Spirit, through my insignificance, has loosened and granted to you forgiveness. ”
In summary, the Priest reminds the penitent what he or she has received is a second baptism, through the Mystery of Confession, and that they should be careful not to defile this restored purity but to do good and to hear the voice of the psalmist: “Turn from evil and do good” (Psalm 34:14). But most of all, the priest urges the penitent to guard him- or herself from sin and to commune as often as permitted. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The priest dismisses the repentant one in peace.
Symbol, not sacrament
Other Christian traditions also practice Penance, particularly traditions formed by a Calvinist or Zwinglian sensibility. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the The study of the theology of Huldrych Zwingli since the 1990s has been facilitated by a modern critical edition of his works The Reformers (e. g. Puritans), upholding the doctrine of justification by faith, held that repentance consisted in a change of the whole moral attitude of the mind and soul (Matthew 13:15; Luke 22:32), and that the divine forgiveness preceded true repentance and confession to God without any reparation of "works. " As Calvin says in his piece Of Justification By Faith: "without forgiveness no man is pleasing to God. " Rather, "God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance" (Romans 2:4, ESV); nonetheless, there has traditionally been a stress on reconciliation as a precondition to fellowship.
Penance in non-Christian faith traditions
In some religions of Indian origin, acts of hardship committed on oneself (fasting, lying on rocks heated by the Sun, etc. Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, ), especially as part of an ascetic way of life (as monk or 'wise man') in order to attain a higher form of mental awareness (through detachment from the earthly, not punishing guilt) or favours from (the) god(s).
Penance in art and fiction
- Colin Kapp Patterns of Chaos. Colin Kapp ( 1928 - August 3 2007) was a British Science fiction author.
Penance in movies:
- Penance (2004)
- Penance (1999)
- "I Confess". Warner Brothers, 1953. Alfred Hitchcock, Dir. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 Starring: Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter
- Sadhna (1958) aka "The Penance"
- The Bell of Penance (1912)
- A Daughter of Penance (1916)
- Who Killed Brett Penance? (1995) (VG)
- Proper Penance (1992) (V)
- Veruntreute Himmel, Der (1958)
- The Reckoning (2003)
- Fatima (1997) (TV)
- Constantine (2005)
- "Nightmare Cafe" (1992)
- An optional superboss in the international version of Final Fantasy X (2001)
- The Mission (film) (1986) - penance of Rodrigo Mendoza (played by Robert de Niro)
See also
- Order of Penitents
- Order of Penance, an early name for the Friars Minor
Sources and references
(incomplete)
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Edward Montgomery Clift ( October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American film actor Anne Baxter ( May 7 1923 &ndash December 12 1985) was an Academy Award -winning American actress The Reckoning is a 2003 Murder - mystery film set during the Medieval period Constantine is a 2005 American Film based on Vertigo Comics ' Hellblazer Comic book, with some A boss is a computer-controlled opponent which is found in Video games Their purpose is to test the skills that the player has accumulated over the course of a game is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) and the tenth installment in the Final Fantasy series The Mission is a 1986 British film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in Eighteenth century South America The Christian movement known as the Penitents goes back to the 4th century The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
- The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation(From the Catechism of the Catholic Church)
- IMDB
- John Calvin, Of JustificationFaith
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