Reconciliatio et paenitentia
Reconciliatio et paenitentia ( Latin : reconciliation and penance) is the name of the post-synodal apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II , which he promulgated on December 2, 1984 . It is a summary of the deliberations of the 6th Ordinary Synod of Bishops , which was held in Rome from September 29 to October 29, 1983 . The document is subtitled: “Reconciliation and Repentance in the Mission of the Church Today”. The letter is addressed to the bishops , priests and deacons and to all the faithful.
Topic selection
The bishops had recognized the crisis of the sacrament of penance for some time and wanted to deal with this development, which was clearly evident in some parts of the world. Their aim was to highlight the sacrament of penance from the proclamation and to promote its appreciation. The reasons for the sharp decline in the practice of confession, which the Pope describes in paragraph 18, seem to be anchored in a lack of awareness of guilt and sin.
Contents overview
“ To speak of reconciliation and repentance means an invitation to the men and women of our time to rediscover in their language those words with which our Savior and Master Jesus Christ wanted to begin his preaching ”, these are the greetings and opening words of the Pope.
introduction
In the introduction the Pope goes into the "origin and meaning of the document", he describes the longing for reconciliation in this "torn world" and records the "direction of the synod ".
First part
This is followed by the first part with the topic “Reconciliation and Penance: Mission and Commitment of the Church ”. In the first chapter, beginning with the parable of the prodigal son ( Lk 15 : 11-32 EU ), the Pope leads over to the “parable of reconciliation” and then leads in the second chapter to “to the sources of reconciliation”. He explains the meaning of "reconciliation through the church" and the "reconciled church". In the third chapter, the Pope addresses the “initiative of God and the service of the Church”, declaring that “reconciliation proceeds from God” and that “the Church is the great sacrament of reconciliation”. The Church is sent to proclaim reconciliation and to be its sacrament in the world, but, the Pope adds, there are also “other ways and forms of reconciliation”.
Second part
The second part, beginning with a word from the Apostle John : "When we say that we have no sin , we are leading ourselves astray and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just ; he forgives us our sins "( 1 Jn 1,8f EU ), leads the reader to contemplation on sin. The second part is headed with the words: "Love is greater than sin". John Paul II turns to the “mystery of sin” in the first chapter and classifies sins by dividing them into:
- Disobedience to God
- the separation between the brothers
- the personal sin - social sin and ultimately
- the mortal sin - the venial sin.
He also complains about the "loss of awareness of sin", only to move on to the topic of the "mystery of faith" in the second chapter. Here he emphasizes that the “ mystery or sacrament of faith is Christ himself”, which, however, cannot be realized without the efforts of the Christian.
third part
In the third part the Pope goes into the " pastoral care of penance and reconciliation" and in the first chapter describes the task of the church, which lies in the "promotion of repentance and reconciliation". It deals with the nature of this pastoral task and defines two essential features:
- the ways and means used by the church to promote repentance and reconciliation
- the very sacrament of penance and reconciliation
The dialogue and the catechesis describes John Paul II. As a first resort and the first way to encourage repentance and reconciliation, as a second means he calls the sacrament .
The second chapter is headed “Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation” and turns to the most important dimensions of this sacrament. The basic reality is mentioned in the holy books of the Old and New Testaments when it says: “ Whom you forgive sins, they are forgiven; to whom it refuses to forgive, it is refused ”. In further consideration, the Pope turns to the forms of penitential services and repeats the instructions of the Second Vatican Council . This also includes the “celebration of the sacrament with general absolution ”.
Final part
Pope John Paul II ends this Apostolic Exhortation with a “final wish”.
Individual aspects of fundamental importance
Complex of sin
In sin, according to the Pope, man denies his Creator and thus the fulfillment of his own being. Sin is therefore more than breaking an ethical rule. It is one of God's dark secrets that the confirmation of human freedom is possible even against God's will. However, as a result of the Synod of Bishops, Pope John Paul II has re-emphasized the importance and ongoing relevance of the distinction between mortal sins and venial sins, according to the tradition of the Church.
To mortal sin
That sin is called mortal sin that has grave matter as its object, e.g. B. murder , adultery , aggravated theft , and which is committed with full awareness and deliberate consent. Where any of these three conditions are absent, there is venial sin. Mortal sin is to be equated with turning away from the divine communion; complete reconciliation and repentance are assured to the sinner through ardent repentance.
The Council of Trent obliges the faithful to confess all deadly sins, the terminology speaking between “serious” and “deadly sin”. The German bishops write in "Repentance and Reconciliation in the Life of the Church":
"For this reason, a distinction was made early on between two forms of sin: One speaks of 'serious sins' or 'deadly sins' when a fundamental refusal to accept the claim to divine grace and love destroys the new life given in baptism."
Personal and social sin
In the apostolic letter, the Pope differentiates between personal and social sin. It is clearly stated that sin is always an act of the person that must not be passed on to structures and systems. Social sin is now seen as the accumulation of many personal sins. The Pope specifies in No. 31 that every sin is personally attributable and that the talk of “social sin” is therefore an analogous term. It is about “fruit, knots and agglomeration of personal sins” (ibid. No. 16).
Duties and Responsibilities of Confessors
After the Apostolic Letter "has every priest in the years in the seminary of Penance parallel to the service of administering study of dogmatic theology , moral and pastoral theology are prepared (which is always a single theology is), to the human sciences , the method of dialogue and especially of the pastoral discussion ”(No. 29). The Pope asks the priests to underline the importance of regular confession by receiving it regularly, because, the Pope continues: “ With a priest who no longer confesses or only confesses poorly, his priestly existence and actions would be very great soon suffer, and the church of which he is the Shepherd would also notice ”(n. 31).
See also
Misericordia Dei of Pope John Paul II "On some aspects of the celebration of the sacrament of penance"
literature
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau, 2006, ISBN 3-451-29078-2