PRACTICE of the CONFESSOR

Sant'Alfonso Maria de Liguori Pratica del confessoreIntra

CHAPTER 1: On the OFFICE of the CONFESSOR 

CAPITOLO I - DEGLI OFFICI DEL CONFESSORE

2. There are four offices a good confessor must exercise: that of  father, doctor, teacher, and judge. I will speak in this chapter of each office in detail.

2. Quattro sono gli offici che deve esercitare il buon confessore: di padre, di medico, di dottore e di giudice. Parleremo in questo capitolo di ciascun officio in particolare.

[1] THE CONFESSOR AS FATHER

§ I - Circa l'officio di padre

[3] The confessor, to be a kind father, should be full of charity. This charity should be shown, in the first place, in the way every-one is welcomed: It does not matter whether they are poor, rough-mannered, or sinners.

3. Il confessore, per adempire la parte di buon padre, dev'esser pieno di carità. E primieramente deve usar questa carità nell'accogliere tutti, poveri, rozzi e peccatori.

Some priests wish only to hear the confessions of the devout or of people with social standing, because they will not be con-fronted with the need to send them away. If some poor sinner comes, they reluctantly hear their confession and then send the person away in an abrupt manner. As a result it happens that a troubled person, who has made a great effort to go to confession, develops a hatred for the sacrament and is frightened to go again because of the rude reception and dismissal. Having no confidence about finding someone to help and give absolution, they give themselves over to an evil life and to despair.

Alcuni confessano solamente l'anime divote o solo qualche persona di riguardo, perché non avranno l'animo di licenziarla; ma se poi s'accosta un povero peccatore, lo sentono di mala voglia, ed infine lo licenziano con ingiurie. E quindi succede che quel miserabile, il quale a gran forza sarà venuto a confessarsi, vedendosi così mal accolto e discacciato, piglia odio al sagramento, si atterrisce di più confessarsi, e così, diffidando di trovar chi l'aiuti e l'assolva, si abbandona alla mala vita ed alla disperazione.

Good confessors act differently. When a person of this type comes, there is an open-hearted welcome. There is a victorious sense of joy because of the prize that has been won, seeing the good fortune of having snatched a soul from the hands of the evil one. These good confessors know precisely that this sacrament was instituted more for sinners than for pious people. Indeed, the smaller sins do not need sacramental absolution to be forgiven; they can be wiped out in many different ways. They know what Jesus meant when he said: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mk 2:17).

   Non fanno così i buoni confessori: quando si accosta un di costoro, se l'abbracciano dentro il cuore e si rallegrano quasi victor capta praeda,1 considerando di aver la sorte allora di strappare un'anima dalle mani del demonio. Sanno che questo sagramento propriamente non è fatto per l'anime divote, ma per li peccatori, giacché le colpe leggiere, per essere assolte, non han bisogno dell'assoluzione sagramentale, ma possono cancellarsi in diversi altri modi. Sanno che Gesù Cristo si protestò dicendo: Non veni vocare iustos, sed peccatores 2 (Marc. 2, 17).

That is why confessors, clothed with compassion as the apostle Paul urges, should act in this way: The deeper they find that a person has sunk into the mire of sin, the greater the love they will show in order to draw the soul back to God. These or similar words should be used: “Come on now, be happy”; “Make a good confession”; “Say everything with a sense of freedom, don’t be embarrassed about anything”; “It doesn’t matter if you haven’t fully examined your conscience; it is enough to answer whatever questions I put to you”; “Say thanks to God who has been waiting until now for you to come; now your life is to be changed”; “Be happy, God certainly forgives you if you have the proper intention. Indeed, God has been waiting just to be able to forgive you.”

   E perciò, vestendosi di viscere di misericordia, come esorta l'Apostolo, quanto più infangata di peccati trovano quell'anima, tanto maggior carità cercano d'usarle, affin di tirarla a Dio, con dirle per esempio: Orsù allegramente, fatti ora una bella confessione. Di' tutto con libertà; non pigliar rossore di niente. Non importa che non ti sei a pieno esaminato, basta che mi rispondi a quel che io ti dimando. Ringrazia Dio che ti ha aspettato finora. Mo hai da mutar vita. Sta allegramente, che Dio ti perdona certo, se hai buona intenzione: a posta t'ha aspettato, per perdonarti. Di' su allegramente.

[4] THE CONFESSOR AS JUDGE

§ IV - Circa l'officio di giudice

The final role of the confessor is that of judge. This involves the following. A judge is first bound to hear the facts, then examine the merits of the case, and, finally, pass sentence. In the same way, the confessor ought first to become aware of the penitent’s state of conscience, then examine the penitent’s disposition, and afterward impart or deny absolution.

 L'officio finalmente che il confessore ha di giudice importa che come il giudice è tenuto prima a sentire le ragioni delle parti, poi ad esaminare i meriti della causa e finalmente a dar la sentenza, così il confessore per prima deve informarsi della coscienza del penitente, indi deve scorgere la sua disposizione, e per ultimo dare o negare l'assoluzione.

As regards the first task, which is to know the sins of the penitent. Although the obligation of the examination of conscience is primarily.with the penitent, nonetheless the following point should not be doubted, whatever may be the opinion of other theologians quoted by Lohner. If the confessor sees that the penitent has not made a sufficiently careful examination of conscience, the confessor himself is bound to make a personal inquiry. This inquiry is, firstly, about the sins that the penitent would have been likely to commit, and, afterward, about their species and number.

E circa il primo obbligo d'informarsi de' peccati del penitente, benché l'obbligo dell'esame principalmente al penitente s'appartenga, però (checché alcuni dd. si abbiano detto)52 non deve dubitarsi che 'l confessore, scorgerdo non essersi a sufficienza esaminato il penitente, è obbligato egli ad interrogarlo, prima de' peccati ch'ha potuto commettere, e poi delle loro specie e numero, come si

prova dal testo in c. Omnis utriusque sexus, de Poenit. etc., e dal Rituale Romano.

There are some points to be noted about this.

20. E qui bisogna avvertire più cose.

[1] Those confessors who send away uneducated persons so that they may make a better examination of conscience act in a mistaken way. Father Segneri, S J., calls this an intolerable error and quite correctly so.4 The reason is that people of this type, no matter how hard they try, find it difficult to examine their consciences or to do it as well as the confessor would be able to do. Besides, there is the danger that they become terrified about the difficulty of an examination of conscience arising from the fact of their dismissal. They will stay away from confession and become hardened in sin. With such people, the confessor should personally inquire about their sins, asking them according to the list of the commandments. This is especially the case with penitents who are servants, coach-drivers, mule-drivers, soldiers, attendants, inn-keepers, or the like.

Per I. che mal fanno quei confessori che licenziano i rozzi, affinch'essi meglio esaminino la loro coscienza. Ciò il p. Segneri54 lo chiama un errore intollerabile: e con ragione, perché questi tali, per quanto si affatichino, difficilmente si esaminano abbastanza e così bene come allora può esaminarli il confessore; ed inoltre, essendo licenziati, v'è pericolo che, atterriti dalla difficoltà d'esaminarsi, si ritraggano dal confessarsi e restino in peccato (6, 607, v. Notamus autem 1). Onde il confessore a questi tali dev'egli stesso fare l'esame, interrogandoli secondo l'ordine de' precetti, specialmente se sono garzoni, vetturali, cocchieri, servidori, soldati, birri, tavernai e simili persone

Such folk are in the habit of leading a life neglectful of their eternal salvation and are ignorant about spiritual matters. It is far from sermons and churches that they spend their time.

che sogliono vivere trascurate della salvezza ed ignoranti delle cose di Dio, perché poco si accostano alle chiese e tanto meno sentono prediche.

The mistake would be all the greater if the confessor sent away, because of a defective examination of conscience, an uneducated person who, out of shame, concealed some sin in the past. Even if this meant doubling back on the confessions of many years, it is worth doing because of the greater danger that the penitent would not return and would be lost.

E maggior errore sarebbe mandare indietro ad esaminarsi alcuno di tali rozzi che per rossore avesse lasciati i peccati, benché avessero a replicarsi le confessioni di molti anni, per lo maggior pericolo che allora vi è, cioè che costui non torni e si perda.

It should be noted, all the same, that the confessor should not examine such people in minute detail. Questions should be asked only about sins that could easily have been committed, judging from the condition and capability of the penitent.

Avverta però il confessore a non esser troppo minuto nell'interrogar questi tali; gl'interroghi solamente de' peccati usuali, secondo la loro condizione e capacità (Ibid. 3).

So, if the penitent, although uncouth, seems to already be sufficiently trained and diligent in confessing sins with their circumstances, according to his state and according to his ability (as conversely he is bound to examine one who is “genteel” – the opposite, as it were, of “uncouth”), then the confessor is not obliged to interrogate them.

E quando il penitente, benché rozzo, par che già bastantemente sia istruito e diligente nel confessarsi i peccati colle loro circostanze, secondo il suo stato e secondo la sua capacità (poiché d'altro modo è obbligato ad esaminarsi uno ch'è colto, d'altro chi è rozzo), allora il confessore non è tenuto ad interrogarlo d'altro (Ibid. 2).

Theologia moralis S. Alphonsi de Ligorio, Volume 1

 By Saint Alfonso Maria de' Liguori, Michel Heilig, Book 1, Tractatus 1, no. 11-12

THE SCRUPULOUS PERSON

We will now deal with the scrupulous conscience though this subject deserves a longer treatment than is offered here. A conscience is scrupulous when, for a frivolous reason and with-out rational basis, there is a frequent fear of sin even though in reality there is no sin at all. A scruple is a defective understanding of something. These are the signs of a scrupulous conscience:

[11] . — Agamus hic ultimo de conscientia scrupulosa, de qua longiofom oportet habere sermonein. Conscientia scrupulosa est ea, quae ob levia motiva absque rationabili fundamento (scrupulus enim est inanis apprehensio) sœpè formidat de peccato , ubi reverá non adest. Signa conscientiœ scrupulosœ haec sunt :

1. Obstinacy of judgment: The scrupulous person rejects the advice of the wise, consults various people but accepts the judgment of none of them. Indeed, the more the views heard, the more perplexed the scrupulous person becomes.

1. Pertinacia judicii, qua scrupulosus sapientum consiliis parère renuit, varios consulit, sed nullius judicio acquiescit ; imö quanti) magis plures audit, eo plus perplexus evadit.

2. Frequent changes of judgment, for frivolous reasons: Because of this there is a fickleness of action and a confusion of mind, especially with regard to external actions, such as the celebration of Mass, the recitation of the Hours, or the administration or reception of the sacraments.

2. Frequensjudiciimutatio ex levibus motivis; unde oritur inconstantia in agendo, mentisque perturbatio, prœsertim in operationibusexternis, putain celebratione missae, in horarum recitatione, aut sacramentorum administratione. vel perceptione.

3. Having irrelevant ideas about the various circumstances that were, or could have been, present in some action.

3. Habere reflexiones impertinentes plurium circumstantiarum, quae in actione adfuerint, vel adesse potuerunt.

4. A fear of sin in everything and obstinately holding out against advice, even against one’s own judgment. As a result, the scrupulous person is never happy with the statement of a confessor but is always asking whether it is possible to be free from sin when acting in accordance with the advice given.

4. In omnibus formidare de peccato; et mente hœrere contra sapientum , ac etiam proprium judicium , et ideo numquam contentum esse unâ confessarii assertione, sed saepiùs eodem actu eumdem exquirerc, an in agendo juxla consilium datum conscientia esse possit immunis à culpa.

The remedies to be applied to scrupulous people of this kind are as follows. Once the confessor sees from the signs mentioned above that the person is scrupulous he is to prescribe:

[12] 12. —Remedia autem pro hujusmodi scrupulosis adhibenda sunt liœc. Postquam confessarius ex signis suprà allatis jam perceperit pœnitentem esse scrupulosurn , prasscribat ei :

(1) that the virtue of humility be strongly cultivated, scruples often have their origin in the vice of pride;

1. Ut valdè humililatis vir'.ntem colat, sœpè enim scrupuliexsuperbiffivilio orlum habent.

(2) that the reading of books which provoke scruples be avoided as well as the company of scrupulous persons;

2. Ut rayent à lectione librorum scrupulos excitantium, et scrupulosorum conversationem evitet.

(3) that there should not be a long time given to the examination of conscience, especially about those things that are causing the greatest distress;

3. Ne diu morelur in examine conscientiœ , praesertim circa ea inquibus magis vexalur.

(4) that idleness be avoided, as it is because of this that the mind is often filled with worthless fears;

4. Ut fugia totium, ex quo saepe mens inanibus apprehensio'hibus impletur.

(5) that trust in God be cultivated vehemently, so as to receive help in obeying the advice of the director.

5. Ut instanter Deo se commendet, ad opem obtinendam parendi prœceplis sui directons;

This last is the most important of all. Indeed, it can be said that this is the only remedy for illness of this sort: to give oneself totally to the judgment of one’s superior or confessor, as all the Fathers, theologians, and spiritual experts teach.

hoc enim super omnia praecipuum , imö unicum polest dici remediuro hujusmodi infirmorum esse, omninö acquiescere judicio sui superioris sive confessarii, ut omnes docent patres, theologi, et spirituals magistri.