Penance
Penance or private confession is one of the most misunderstood pastoral rites in the Anglican Church. Many think it is synonymous with Rome's view of confession and, therefore, has no place in Anglicanism. Some argue that there is a precedent set by the historic Church. Others will point out that even the Reformers did not do away with confession and absolution. However, they viewed it differently than the scholastic Medieval approach of the Roman Church that is often portrayed in movies today.
While public confession was the norm for much of Church history up until the fourth Lateran Council in 1215, which made private confessions the norm, private confession had existed for a long time before that. In the third century, Christians were persecuted and many renounced their faith. After the persecution died down, some wanted to return to the church. The Novatian Heresy was that those who had lapsed could not come back. However, the Church ruled that they could return to the faith and set in place "penitential priests" to hear their confessions, rather than expose the penitent through public confession. While this never became the norm until later, many saw the benefit of private confession for extreme circumstances. Even Luther saw its importance and wanted to keep confession as a third Sacrament. And while Calvin did not favor private confession he said that a public confession of sin should be ordinary in the church. Indeed, in the previous "Ponderings" we have seen that public confession was not uncommon in England either. To get a better understanding of the Anglican position on private confession, or Penance, we need to look at what Scripture and the Prayer Book have to say.
Within Scripture, we are told to confess our sins to one another (James 5:46). And, in John 20: 21-23, Jesus tells the Apostles, “'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'” Again, in the Great Commission, Jesus gives his disciples the task to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost… and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations…" (Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:47). According to Scripture, we are to confess our sins. But the question becomes, to who and why? We need not look further than the Prayer Book to get our answer.
There are a few places throughout the Prayer Book that discuss confession. We of course have the general public confession in Morning and Evening Prayer, as well as Holy Communion. Here we are told that our confession is unto Almighty God. This, of course, is proper to all confession. It is God who forgives sins as the Psalmist says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases." But it is noteworthy that the BCP Absolution follows saying Christ "hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins." St. Paul says in 2 Cor. 2:10 "To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." The minister does not forgive sins by his power; rather, he is pronouncing the work of Christ, in the person of Christ. This concept is key to understanding the Anglican view of Penance.
The Exhortation likewise says that "if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort and counsel, let him come to me or to some other minister of God's word...for the quieting of his conscience and the removing of all scruple and doubtfulness." Confession, unlike Rome, is not seen as a legal transaction whereby you earn forgiveness, it is the pastoral proclamation of what Christ has done for the penitent.
This is why in the Visitation to the Sick, the rubric on page 313, reads, "Then shall the sick person be moved to make any special confession of his sins, if he feels his conscience troubled with any matter; after which confession, on evidence of his response, the Minister shall assure him of God's mercy and forgiveness." Again, the priest is there to proclaim the hope of the Gospel to those who are penitent.
Lastly, in the 39 Articles, we have "Penance" listed as a "commonly called sacrament," meaning not a Sacrament of the Gospel. In other words, it is a "sure witness, and effectual sign of God's grace..." but is not necessary for salvation. It is not necessary because the general confession or personal confession before God is sufficient. However, we all have times when we need to bring sin into the light and hear the words of forgiveness proclaimed to us.
Many more words could be written here about the spiritual benefit of private confession. However, I will end by saying that in Anglicanism, private confession is completely voluntary as witnessed in the adage "All may, none must, most should." But we need to also understand that Penance is a sacramental gift for your spiritual benefit, which increases grace, guarantees forgiveness of all sins, allows you to examine your conscience and soul— and seeks to amend your life from sin. By confessing your sins to the Priest, the penitent hears Christ's words of love, receives spiritual advice and counseling, and is given the assurance of the gift of forgiveness. There are few things, outside of the Sacraments of the Gospel, that are as spiritually beneficial and sanctifying as confession.
Praying for you to have a holy Lent,
Fr. Aaron