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Objection 1: It would seem that confession cannot be lacking in
form. For it is written (Ecclus. 17:26): "Praise
[confession] perisheth from the dead as nothing." But a man without
charity is dead, because charity is the life of the soul. Therefore
there can be no confession without charity.
Objection 2: Further, confession is condivided with contrition and
satisfaction. But contrition and satisfaction are impossible without
charity. Therefore confession is also impossible without charity.
Objection 3: Further, it is necessary in confession that the word
should agree with the thought for the very name of confession requires
this. Now if a man confess while remaining attached to sin, his word
is not in accord with his thought, since in his heart he holds to sin,
while he condemns it with his lips. Therefore such a man does not
confess.
On the contrary, Every man is bound to confess his mortal sins. Now
if a man in mortal sin has confessed once, he is not bound to confess
the same sins again, because, as no man knows himself to have
charity, no man would know of him that he had confessed. Therefore it
is not necessary that confession should be quickened by charity.
I answer that, Confession is an act of virtue, and is part of a
sacrament. In so far as it is an act of virtue, it has the property
of being meritorious, and thus is of no avail without charity, which
is the principle of merit. But in so far as it is part of a
sacrament, it subordinates the penitent to the priest who has the keys
of the Church, and who by means of the confession knows the conscience
of the person confessing. In this way it is possible for confession to
be in one who is not contrite, for he can make his sins known to the
priest, and subject himself to the keys of the Church: and though he
does not receive the fruit of absolution then, yet he will begin to
receive it, when he is sincerely contrite, as happens in the other
sacraments: wherefore he is not bound to repeat his confession, but to
confess his lack of sincerity.
Reply to Objection 1: These words must be understood as referring
to the receiving of the fruit of confession, which none can receive who
is not in the state of charity.
Reply to Objection 2: Contrition and satisfaction are offered to
God: but confession is made to man: hence it is essential to
contrition and satisfaction, but not to confession, that man should be
united to God by charity.
Reply to Objection 3: He who declares the sins which he has,
speaks the truth; and thus his thought agrees with his lips or words,
as to the substance of confession, though it is discordant with the
purpose of confession.
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