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Question

Dear Father Angelo, good evening.

My name is Michele, I taught Catechism classes for several years in my parish in…

I’m writing to kindly ask you a clarification on a matter of faith that I’ve been struggling with these last few days: if one of the faithful approaches the sacrament of Confession after having performed a thorough examination of conscience and with true repentance, is the absolution they receive absolute and valid even though the consequences of his/hers sin might, for some particular reason, not be completely erased on the practical level?

Some examples I thought of: somebody steals from another person, he repents and confesses the sin, but  doesn’t  give back what was stolen simply because the owner is a stranger and it would be objectively hard to track him down… Or somebody falsely testifies against another, thereby blemishing his reputation; he sincerely regrets it and confesses the sin, however, because he feels ashamed or for some other reason, he can’t bring himself to publicly declare to have falsely testified against the injured person, so doesn’t contribute to restoring the victims’ “status”.

I’ve been wondering about this because, usually, the priest — or rather God through him — gives absolution without requiring us to take further actions, aside from praying and having a sincere conversation with Christ as “penitence”.

These are some of the circumstances that came to mind, but I’m sure you understand what I mean and how, in everyday life, we might encounter similar situations.

Trusting in your kind reply, I thank you and remember you in my prayers.

Michele

Priest’s answer

Dear Michele,

  1. Repentance must go hand in hand with the resolution to eliminate the consequences of sin, especially those who injured or took something from others.
    When it comes to the 7th commandment and sins contrary to the virtue of justice, the commitment to give back to the other person that which has been damaged or taken from them is required at the moment of repentance.
    If this purpose is absent, there is no true repentance.
  2. It is for this reason that an old precept of moral theology sounds like this: non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum (the sin is not forgiven if that which has been taken is not given back).
    If someone does not recognize this obligation, they cannot be absolved.
  3. Sometimes, even if we are truly repentant, we might find ourselves in the impossibility to actually return what has been taken.
    This impossibility, however, must be accompanied by sadness at what we have done and by the commitment to, sooner or later, carry out the restitution. 
  4. When restitution is not possible because the injured person is dead or for other reasons, we should still free ourselves of what doesn’t belong to us or try to make up for the sin we committed through prayer and intercession.
  5. The Priest must remind the penitent of these obligations during Confession.
  6. The penitence given doesn’t condone the evil committed, but further purifies the individual from the sin they have committed, which disordered their soul.
    We should remember here as well that grace (communion with God) doesn’t override the obligations of justice, but helps to fulfill them. 

I wish you well, I recommend you to the Lord and bless you.

Father Angelo