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Objection 1: It would seem that it is never lawful to confess to
another than a priest. For confession is a sacramental accusation, as
appears from the definition given above (Question 7, Article 1).
But the dispensing of a sacrament belongs to none but the minister of a
sacrament. Since then the proper minister of Penance is a priest, it
seems that confession should be made to no one else.
Objection 2: Further, in every court of justice confession is
ordained to the sentence. Now in a disputed case the sentence is void
if pronounced by another than the proper judge; so that confession
should be made to none but a judge. But, in the court of conscience,
the judge is none but a priest, who has the power of binding and
loosing. Therefore confession should be made to no one else.
Objection 3: Further, in the case of Baptism, since anyone can
baptize, if a layman has baptized, even without necessity, the
Baptism should not be repeated by a priest. But if anyone confess to
a layman in a case of necessity, he is bound to repeat his confession
to a priest, when the cause for urgency has passed. Therefore
confession should not be made to a layman in a case of necessity.
On the contrary, is the authority of the text (Sent. iv, D,
17).
I answer that, Just as Baptism is a necessary sacrament, so is
Penance. And Baptism, through being a necessary sacrament has a
twofold minister: one whose duty it is to baptize, in virtue of his
office, viz. the priest, and another, to whom the conferring of
Baptism is committed, in a case of necessity. In like manner the
minister of Penance, to whom, in virtue of his office, confession
should be made, is a priest; but in a case of necessity even a layman
may take the place of a priest, and hear a person's confession.
Reply to Objection 1: In the sacrament of Penance there is not
only something on the part of the minister, viz. the absolution and
imposition of satisfaction, but also something on the part of the
recipient, which is also essential to the sacrament, viz. contrition
and confession. Now satisfaction originates from the minister in so
far as he enjoins it, and from the penitent who fulfills it; and, for
the fulness of the sacrament, both these things should concur when
possible. But when there is reason for urgency, the penitent should
fulfill his own part, by being contrite and confessing to whom he can;
and although this person cannot perfect the sacrament, so as to fulfill
the part of the priest by giving absolution, yet this defect is
supplied by the High Priest. Nevertheless confession made to a
layman, through lack of a priest, is quasi-sacramental, although it
is not a perfect sacrament, on account of the absence of the part which
belongs to the priest.
Reply to Objection 2: Although a layman is not the judge of the
person who confesses to him, yet, on account of the urgency, he does
take the place of a judge over him, absolutely speaking, in so far as
the penitent submits to him, through lack of a priest.
Reply to Objection 3: By means of the sacraments man must needs be
reconciled not only to God, but also to the Church. Now he cannot
be reconciled to the Church, unless the hallowing of the Church reach
him. In Baptism the hallowing of the Church reaches a man through
the element itself applied externally, which is sanctified by "the
word of life" (Eph. 5:26), by whomsoever it is conferred: and
so when once a man has been baptized, no matter by whom, he must not
be baptized again. On the other hand, in Penance the hallowing of
the Church reaches man by the minister alone, because in that
sacrament there is no bodily element applied externally, through the
hallowing of which grace may be conferred. Consequently although the
man who, in a case of necessity, has confessed to a layman, has
received forgiveness from God, for the reason that he fulfilled, so
far as he could, the purpose which he conceived in accordance with
God's command, he is not yet reconciled to the Church, so as to be
admitted to the sacraments, unless he first be absolved by a priest,
even as he who has received the Baptism of desire, is not admitted to
the Eucharist. Wherefore he must confess again to a priest, as soon
as there is one at hand, and the more so since, as stated above (ad
1), the sacrament of Penance was not perfected, and so it needs yet
to be perfected, in order that by receiving the sacrament, the
penitent may receive a more plentiful effect, and that he may fulfill
the commandment about receiving the sacrament of Penance.
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