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Robert Craig wrote:

Hi, guys —

Recently, we have noticed some priests hearing Confessions without wearing a stole.

I was brought up with the teaching that a priest cannot celebrate the sacraments if he is not wearing his garment. Many times, in the past, a priest would tell you to wait until he went and got his stole, as it was not possible to proceed without it.

  • Are the sacraments valid if he does not wear this?
  • Also, what are the rules on this, both the old ones and new ones?

Robert

  { Is a Confession valid if a priest does not wear his stole and what are the old and new rules on this? }

Mike replied:

Hi, Robert —

Thanks for the question.

You said:
Many times, in the past, a priest would tell you to wait until he went and got this stole, as it was not possible to proceed without it.

  • Are the sacraments valid if he does not wear this?

Yes, if a priest does not wear his stole for the sacrament of Confession, it is still valid.

For a Confession to be valid:

  • the priest must be validly ordained
  • use the correct form and matter for the sacrament, and
  • have the intention to do what the Church wants him to do for that sacrament

For more clarity and detail, this is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church states on this topic:

The sacrament of forgiveness.
.
.
1448 Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements:

  1. On the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction;
  2. On the other, God's action through the intervention of the Church. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion.

1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church:

God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and the resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

(Ordo Paenitantiae 46: formula of absolution. and (On Reconciliation and Penance) Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (188-189), December 2, 1984)

VII. The Acts of the Penitent

1450 "Penance requires . . . the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction."

(Roman Catechism II,V,21; cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1673.)



(The Acts of the Penitent.)

Contrition

1451 Among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again. (Council of Trent (1551): DS 1676)

1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called perfect (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental Confession as soon as possible. (cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1677)

1453 The contrition called imperfect (or attrition) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance. (cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1678; 1705)

1454 The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God. The passages best suited to this can be found in the Ten Commandments, the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings. (cf. Matthew 5-7; Romans 12-15; 1 Corinthians 12-13;  Galatians 5; Ephesians 4-6; etc.)

The confession of sins

1455 The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.

1456 Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance:

"All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in Confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."

(Council of Trent (1551): DS 1680 (ND 1626); cf. Exodus 20:17; Matthew 5:28)

When Christ's faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know.

(Council of Trent (1551): DS 1680 (ND 1626); cf. St. Jerome, In Eccl. 10,11:PL 23:1096)

1457 According to the Church's command, after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year. (cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 989; Council of Trent (1551): DS 1683; DS 1708.) Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to Confession. (cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1647; 1661; Code of Canon Law, Canon 916; Corpus Canonum Ecclisarum Orientalium, Canon 711) Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time. (cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 914)

1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1680; Code of Canon Law, Canon 988 § 2) Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful: (cf. Luke 6:36)

Whoever confesses his sins . . . is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two realities: when you hear "man" - this is what God has made; when you hear "sinner" - this is what man himself has made. Destroy what you have made, so that God may save what he has made. . . . When you begin to abhor what you have made, it is then that your good works are beginning, since you are accusing yourself of your evil works. The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to the light.

(St. Augustine, In Jo. ev. 12,13:PL 35,1491)

Satisfaction

1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. (cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1712) Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must make satisfaction for or expiate his sins. This satisfaction is also called penance.

1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent's personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, provided we suffer with him. (Romans 8:17; Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:1-2; cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1690)

The satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of Him who strengthens us. Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ . . . in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth fruits that befit repentance. These fruits have their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the Father, and through him they are accepted by the Father.

(Council of Trent (1551): DS 1691; cf. Philippians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 1:31; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Galatians 6:14; Luke 3:8)

You said:

  • Also, what are the rules on this, both the old ones and new ones?

The rules for the sacrament of Confession, as with the other sacraments, can be found in the Code of Canon Law.

  • The older version was first promulgated in May 1917.
  • The newer version was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in January 1983.

Here is a the current 1983 version of the Code of Canon Law:

Hope this helps,

Mike

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