PENANCE 147 



ture. A good resolution of the latter kind is 

 called virtual. 1 



The resolution to avoid sin and its proximate occasions 

 for a supernatural motive is an indispensable condition 

 of the valid reception of Penance. The controverted 

 question whether the Sacrament requires an explicit 

 (formal) resolution, or whether an implicit (virtual) pur- 

 pose of amendment suffices, may theoretically be decided 

 in favor of the latter opinion, though in praxi it is always 

 better to choose the pars tutior, i. e., to give explicit con- 

 sideration to the necessity of amending one's life and 

 make a formal resolution to do so. A really contrite 

 penitent will hardly ever fail to make an explicit purpose 

 of amendment. 2 



2. Properties. — The purpose of amendment, 

 being an essential part of contrition, is as neces- 

 sary for the valid reception of Penance as con- 



1 Gury, Comp. Theol. Mor., II, implicitum sufficere debet ad valorem 

 n. 342: "Propositum est vera vo- sacramenti, dummodo dolor elicia- 

 luntas non amplius peccandi de ce- tur ex motivo universali; 11a sen- 

 tero. Duplex est: (1) explicitum tentia affirmat, quia, licet dolor in- 

 seu formale, quo quis, de futuro cludat necessario propositum, atta- 

 cogitans, statuit non amplius peccare ; men propositum explicitum requiri- 



(2) implicitum seu virtuale, quod in tur a Tridentino dicente in defini- 



ipsa contritione includitur, quin fu- tione contritionis : cum proposito non 



turum tempus prae oculis habeatur." peccandi de cetero; Ilia sententia 



— Cfr. Cone. Trident., Sess. XIV, distinguit. Tenet non requiri propo- 



De Poenit., c. 4: "Propositum non situin explicitum, si poenitens non 



peccandi de cetero. . . . Cessatio a cogitet de futuro, ut contingit mori- 



peccato et vitae novae propositum et bundis; secus si ad futurum adver- 



inchoatio." (Denzinger-Bannwart, n. tat. In praxi tutior sententia se- 



897). quenda est ob auctoritatem theolo- 



2 Gury, op. cit., n. 345 : "An re- gorum, qui necessitatem propositi ex- 

 quiratur propositum explicitum in plicite adstruunt, quamvis speculative 

 contritione? Triplex sententia da- loquendo id parum probabile videa- 

 tur: la sententia communior et valde tur. Ceterum rarissime eveniat, ut 

 probabilior negat, quia propositum poenitentes vere contriti propositum 

 cum tota eius efficacia includitur in etiam explicitum omittant." — Cfr. 

 vera contritione; ergo propositum Noldin, Vol. Ill, pp. 312 sq. 



