PENANCE 153 



or messenger. 6 The personal presence of the penitent is 

 required even when oral confession is impracticable 

 because the penitent is deaf or can speak no language 

 known to the confessor. In the former case the avowal 

 can be made by means of signs or in writing, in the latter, 

 through an interpreter. In case of necessity, when oral 

 confession is impossible, the penitent may manifest by 

 signs the nature of his sins, his sorrow for them, and his 

 wish to be absolved. 63, 



II. Properties. — The properties of confes- 

 sion flow from the nature and purpose of the Sac- 

 rament. They are: (1) Integrity, (2) Sincerity, 

 and (3) Clearness. 7 



1. Integrity. — Confession is entire or com- 

 plete if the penitent avows all the mortal sins he 

 has committed since Baptism or his last previous 

 confession, together with their number and spe- 



6 Cfr. St. Thomas, Summa Theol., "Sit simplex, humilis, confessio, 



3a, Suppl., qu. 9, art. 3; Decree of pura, fidelis, 



Clement VIII, June 20, 1602; Dec- Atque frequens, nuda, discreta, H- 



laration of Paul V, July 14, 1605 bens, verecunda, 



(Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 962, 963); Integra, secreta, lacrimabilis, acce- 



Cat. Rom., P. II, c. 5, qu. 45. — To lerata, 



the query whether absolution given Fortis et accusans, et sit parere pa- 

 by telephone (per telephonium) rata." 

 would be valid, and, in case of ne- 

 cessity, licit, the S. Congregation of Th. M. J. Gousset (Theol. Mor., II, 

 the Penitentiary replied: "Nihil 256) enumerates four: integritas, 

 esse respondendum" (July 1, 1884). simplicitas, humilitas, caritas. Gury 

 —Cfr. Pohle-Preuss, The Sacra- (Comp. Theol. Mor., II, n. 352) 

 ments, Vol. Ill, pp. 98 sqq. thinks that only two of these quali- 



6a No one is obliged to confess ties are essential: "Multae confes- 



either in writing or through an in- sionis dotes a variis auctoribus as- 



terpreter. Cfr. Noldin, Summa signantur, nempe ut sit Integra, 



Theol. Mor., Vol. Ill, pp. 318 sqq. dolorosa, humilis, prudens, simplex, 



1 St. Thomas mentions no less nuda, verecunda, brevis, secreta et 



than sixteen, but they can all be vocalis. Ex his confessionis doti- 



reduced to the three mentioned in bus duae priores tantum sunt essen- 



the text: tiales, reliquae pertinent ad eius mo- 



