Review article

The Theological-Pastoral Currentness of Sacramental Confession

Anton Tamarut ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

In the first part of this article the author exhibits and analyses the official teachings of the Church about sacramental confession. He reflects particularly on the era after the Second Vatican Council and documents that vitally repeat and confirm the teachings of the Tridential Council where individual and complete confession is the only regular way that a believer conscious of a serious sin can reconcile with God and the Church. Insisting on individual and complete confession in more recent Church documents is primarily a reaction to tendencies to abandon personal confession together with the illegitimate option of »general« or »group« absolution in some regions.
In the second part of the article the author warns of the discrepancy between clear and firm principles, that is the teachings of the Church and concrete pastoral practise that is largely conditioned with modem social and spiritual circumstances. When referring to sacramental confession it is vital to keep account of these circumstances, to consider teachings within a concrete social and spiritual space, to attempt to see how and to what measure direct secular and historical circumstances are reflected on the understanding of the faithful of the actual sacrament, that is, sacramental confession where there are barriers and where it is suspected that sacramental confession can be comprehended not only as »evidence« of one's sins but simply »listing« them but also to confess belief in Christ the redeemer and expressing one's »repentant love«, with confidence that the source of everything is the God of love which makes everything new.
In the end the author does not make a conclusion keeping in mind the permanent tension between sacramental teaching and practise in light of biblical-theological paradigms instead he presents several presumptions which according to his thinking, needs to be taken into account so that believers today, Christians, can »once again uncover the beauty of the sacrament of reconciliation«. The sacrament of reconciliation should be preserved as a personal encounter that leads to healing and renewal of personal integrity and dignity and this requires an individual and not general approach and wholeness, not as a psychological torment but as a merciful, sincere commitment. This wholeness should not be comprehended merely as the fruit of our careful internal research of individual sin and its circumstances of exposure to the light of God's love and mercy who wishes to completely encompass and fill us. It is extremely important that in speaking about individual and complete sacramental confession we do not think about is in a juridicial-formal or legal category that needs to be met but as a personal-communicative category of mercy and truth that have reached us through Jesus Christ and thanks to the Fathers unconditional love in the Holy Spirit we can open up, receive him and become sons and daughters of mercy and the truth. The entire sacramental path and procedure in each sacrament - including this one - are primarily an event of grace and occur primarily thanks to the Father's will, his merciful view, that is, the Spirit who never ceases to follow us even when we have decided to turn away from his face, hide in the dark, surround ourselves in the night, and to just use the images of Psalm 139.
However this may sound paradoxical, the author amongst else considers that it is very important today not to abandon the Gospel sacrament of reconciliation in fact it should be all the more stronger and complete in today's complicated and often contradictory social and spiritual circumstances.

Keywords

sacramental confession; individual confession, complete confession, mortal/grave sin; personal encounter; reconciliation; mercy

Hrčak ID:

22550

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/22550

Publication date:

12.12.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 3.681 *