i8o 



THE MEANS OF GRACE 



A penitent lacks the right disposition if he: 



a) is ignorant of the principal dogmas of the 

 Catholic religion; 



b) shows no real sorrow for his sins or evi- 

 dently lacks the required purpose of avoiding mor- 

 tal sin and its voluntary proximate occasions ; 



c) refuses to restore ill-gotten goods to their 

 rightful owner, or to repair public scandal given, 

 or to become reconciled to his enemies. 8 



In a word, absolution must be denied to all who 

 are unwilling to comply with some serious ob- 

 ligation. 



Before the confessor discharges a penitent un- 

 absolved, however, he should try by all means 

 in his power to dispose him for the worthy recep- 

 tion of the Sacrament. 9 



When a penitent is properly disposed, and capable of 

 receiving absolution, but guilty of some sin that makes 

 his case one reserved to higher authority, he cannot be ab- 

 solved without special faculties. 10 



3. When Absolution Should Be Reserved. 

 — As a rule absolution may be reserved or 



8 Rit. Rom., tit. 3, c. I, n. 22: 

 "Quotes [incapaces] sunt, qui nulla 

 dant signa doloris, qui odia et inimi- 

 citias deponere aut aliena, si pos- 

 sunt, restituere aut proximam pec- 

 candi occasionem deserere aut alio 

 modo peccata derelinquere et vitam 

 in melius emendare nolunt, aut qui 

 publicum scandalum dederunt, nisi 

 publice satisfaciant et scandalum tol- 

 lon«." 



8 Cfr. Leo XII, Constit. "Caritate 

 Cliristi," Dec. 25, 1825. 



10 Rit. Rom., I. c: "[Sacerdos] 

 neque etiam eos absolvat, quorum 

 peccata sunt superioribus reservata." 

 — Cfr. Linsenmann, Lehrbuch der 

 Moraltheologie, pp. 222 sqq.; Hilar- 

 ius a Sexten, Tract, de Censuris Ec~ 

 cles., Mayence 1898, pp. 20 sqq. 



