An overview of the History of the Sacrament of Confession, and what each age of the Church can teach us. First, a reminder of the three acts of the penitent: Contrition (sorrow for sin and resolve to never sin again), Confession (naming our sins, and all mortal sins according to name and number), and Satisfaction (performing our penance, and living a penitential life).
The early Church teaches us that true contrition and a firm resolve never to sin again are the most important aspect of confession.
The early Church also teaches us of the joy of reconciliation of the sinner with God and with the Church.
The monastic period teaches us that penance is important.
The scholastic period and early modern period teach us of the importance avoiding occasions of sin.
The current age of the Church seems to focus primarily on the "nuts and bolts" of the method of confession, the naming of sins and the memorization of the formulae. While this is important, we must remember that the most important part of confession is to be truly sorry for our sins and to be firmly resolved never to sin again.
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