Forgiveness

 BASIC R.C.BELIEF

In Roman Catholic thought, forgiveness of sin is achieved through the Sacrament of Penance (Rite of Reconciliation). The person must make an Act of Contrition, have Intention to perform the penance and receive priestly absolution.absolution. The sins are then forgiven and eternal punishment is remitted. Some of the temporal punishment still remains.

Outside of the Sacrament of Penance, sins can be forgiven by an Act of Perfect Contrition, which remits all punishment. Mortal sins thus forgiven must be confessed to a priest before receiving any other Sacraments.

An Act of Imperfect Contrition (Attrition) can also bring about forgiveness of venial sins but doesn't take care of temporal punishment.

SECULAR JOURNALS

From the Los Angeles Times, 12/12/84. "No Forgiveness 'Direct from God,' Pope Says. Rebutting a belief widely shared by Protestants and a growing number of Roman Catholics, Pope John Paul II on Tuesday (Dec. 11, 1984) dismissed the 'widespread idea that one can obtain forgiveness directly from God' and exhorted Catholics to confess more often to their priests.

"Officially called an 'apostolic exhortation,' the 138-page papal document focuses on...confession - an obligation of all Catholics that has increasingly fallen into disuse, especially in industrialized countries.

"The apostolic exhortation was defined by Cardinal Martini of Milan as an 'authoritative papal pronouncement."

CHRISTIAN COMMENT

The Roman Catholic Church knows nothing of complete removal of sins (Psalm 103:12) and forgiveness (I John 1:9).