PENANCE 143 



Perfect contrition, coupled with a desire to receive the 

 Sacrament of Penance (contritio cum voto sacramenti) , 

 is sufficient to effect the forgiveness of sins not merely in 

 cases of necessity, or when it reaches the highest possible 

 degree of intensity, but of itself and always. Imperfect 

 contrition (attrition), on the other hand, can produce this 

 effect only in connection with sacramental confession. 9 

 Hence perfect contrition is not an essential requisite of 

 Penance, but attrition suffices for the valid reception of 

 this Sacrament, provided, of course, that the penitent is 

 resolved to sin no more and confidently trusts in the 

 mercy of God. 



However, though there is no obligation to make an 

 act of perfect contrition in preparing for confession, the 

 faithful should be exhorted to do so, to the best of their 

 ability. 



Broadly speaking it is safe to assume that imperfect 

 contrition always includes an act of at least incipient 

 love (amor initialis), while perfect contrition is rarely 

 without an admixture of fear (timor filialis). 10 



Cone. Trident., I. c. — Cfr. Prop. tit peccata mortalia seu hominem 



Baii Damnat., prop. 31, 32, 70, 71 non iustificat nisi cum voto confes- 



(Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 1031, 1032, sionis, peccata enim remitti non pos- 



1070, 1071). — Gury, /. c, n. 335: sunt nisi per medium a Christo insti- 



"Contritio perfecta hominem iusti- tutum. . . . SufRcit autem votum im- 



ficat per se, etiam extra sacramen- plicitum, votum enim explicitum ne- 



tum poenitentiae. (1) Constat ex que requiritur natura contritionis 



ratione, etenim contritio includit ne- perfectae, utpote quae per se solam 



cessario caritatem perfectam; porro iustificare potest, neque ex prae- 



amare Deum perfecte est cum Deo cepto divino, siquidem nullum 



coniungi, amor enim in unione con- ostendi potest." 



sistit; porro coniunctio cum Deo ne- 10 Cone. Trident., Sess. VI, c. 6: 



cessario disiunctionem a peccato ope- "In spem eriguntur illumque 



ratur, quum non possit quis unum [Deum] tamquam omnis iustitiae 



extremum amplecti quin ab extremo fontem diligere incipiunt." (Den- 



opposito totaliter recedat. Ergo. zinger-Bannwart, n. 798). — Cfr. J. 



(2) Constat ex Scriptura Sacra E. Pruner, Kath. Moraltheologie, 



(Prv. viii, 17; Ioa. xiv, 21; 1 Pet. iv, Vol. II, 3rd ed., p. 374. 

 8). Contritio perfecta non remit- 



