The history of Confession APRIL 2011 "Not to oppose error is to approve it, and not to defend the truth is to suppress it" Pope St. Felix III Note: In this report I may occasionally use bold print, Italics, or word underlining for emphasis. This will be my personal emphasis and not that of the source that I am quoting.
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Would you be so kind as to gather information for me on the History of the Sacrament of Reconciliation? How did this sacrament evolve from Jesus to the current form? Include a timeline, bible, tradition and magisterium support. I will be using this information during presentations to nonpractising Catholics. God Bless, Tom Rohr
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Timeline
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"The Sacrament of Penance (also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession) is for spiritual healing. According to the Gospels, after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles, breathed on them, and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained,' (John 20:2223). Because He gave the apostles the power to forgive sins, he must have wanted them to use it. So the Sacrament of Penance has been the very will of Christ from day one."1 Circa first 100 years after Christ: "Confession came to designate the primitive penitential system which seems to have been in full observance between the second and fifth centuries. Those who were undergoing this discipline formed a class of public penitents, debarred in varying degrees from participation in the liturgy. The condition of public penance involved exclusion from Holy Communion."2 This was for what they then referred to as capital offenses, now referred to as mortal sins. Circa 258 "St. Cyprian (219258) says: I entreat you, beloved brethren, that each one confess his own sin while he who has sinned is still in this world, while his confession may be received." 3 Circa 417 "In some regions, it was common for a severe sinner (one guilty of apostasy, adultery, and murder) to be enrolled as a socalled public penitent. They would be dressed in sackcloth; a garment made of goat hair, and be covered with ashes to give visible symbol of separation from the faithful. During Mass, such persons were kept away from the Offertory, Prayers of the Faithful, and Eucharist; penitents also had to fast and contribute alms to the poor. They were reconciled according to Pope Innocent I (r. 401417) on the Thursday before Easter." 4 Circa 431 "St. Augustine (354431) said: Let none say I do penance secretly, I perform it in God’s sight and he who is to pardon me knows that I repent in my heart." 5 "459 Letter of Pope St. Leo I: It is sufficient, he affirmed, that the guilt which people have on their consciences be made known to the priest alone in secret confession." 6 This was the pope’s attempt to abolish public penance, sackcloth, ashes, etc.
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Catholicism for Dummies, ISBN: 0764553917, (2003), Rev. Fr. John Triglio, Ph. d, Th. d, and Rev. Fr. Kenneth Brighenti, Ph. d, Wiley Publishing, Inc., New York, NY., P. 124 2 CDROM 2.0 – Welcome to the Catholic Church, (1997), Harmony Media Inc., Gervais, OR., The Sacrament of Penance – The Early Church 3 CDROM 2.0 – Welcome to the Catholic Church, (1997), Harmony Media Inc., Gervais, OR., The Sacrament of Penance – The Early Church 4 Eternal Word Television Network Experts Forum – History of Confession, (May 2, 2003), answered by Matthew Bunson 5 CDROM 2.0 – Welcome to the Catholic Church, (1997), Harmony Media Inc., Gervais, OR., The Sacrament of Penance – The Early Church 6 CDROM 2.0 – Welcome to the Catholic Church, (1997), Harmony Media Inc., Gervais, OR., The Sacrament of Penance – The Early Church
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