PENANCE 



145 



be supreme, for to make it so is largely beyond our con- 

 trol; but we must by a combined act of the mind and 

 will abhor sin above all other evils. Theologians express 

 this technically by saying that sin must be detested as the 

 greatest of all evils, not affectively, but effectively 14 

 (non affective sed effective). 



d) Contrition must furthermore be universal, i. e., it 

 must cover all the mortal sins committed by the penitent. 

 As every mortal sin implies a complete turning away 

 from God, no one mortal sin can be forgiven without 

 the rest. 15 



It is not, however, necessary to make a special act of 

 contrition for each particular mortal sin. One general 

 act for all the sins committed {universe) will suffice. 



Venial sins can be forgiven severally, one without the 

 other, and hence it suffices to make an act of contrition 

 for one. When many venial sins are confessed, it is 

 advisable to elicit a more specific contrition for. the one 

 or other of them, because a too general contrition might 

 lack sincerity and efficaciousness. 16 To receive sacra- 

 mental absolution from a venial sin it is necessary to have 

 at least imperfect contrition for that particular offence. 



Being the proximate matter of Penance, contrition 

 must be brought into moral connexion with the Sacra- 



sibus subiecta sunt, magis quam 

 spiritualia nos afficiant. Quare 

 nonnulli interdum maiorem ex fili- 

 orum obitu, quam ex peccati turpitu- 

 dine doloris sensum capiunt." 



14 Cfr. St. Thomas, Summa 

 Theol., 3a, Suppl., qu. 3, art. 1-2. 



15 Cfr. Gury, op. cit., n. 328: 

 "Universalis, i. e., excludere debet 

 omnia peccata gravia, saltern impli- 

 cite vel ex motivo universali unico 

 out ex pluribus motivis particulari- 

 bus, quae, saltern simul sumpta, se 



extendant ad omnia mortalia com- 

 tnissa, etiam memoriae non occurren- 

 tia. Ratio est, quia nullum pecca- 

 turn actuate remittitur sine dolore, 

 unum autem mortale sine alio re- 

 mitti nequit, quum remissio fiat in- 

 fusione gratiae, quae cum nullo mor- 

 tali simul stare potest." — Cfr. St. 

 Thomas, Summa Theol., 3a, qu. 86, 

 ad 3. 



16 Cfr. Cat. Rom., P. II, c. 5, qu. 

 29 sq.; St. Alphonsus, Theol. Mot., 

 I. VI, n. 433. 438. 



