Like all the sacraments, Penance was instituted by Christ. It is the means He left to His Church whereby He would be able to remit sin for all time. This sacrament is also called Confession and Reconciliation. The form of this sacrament is the absolving words of the priest, “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

For Further Discussion: The Scriptural Basis of Penance; History of the Sacrament of Penance; Parts of the Sacrament; The Rite of Penance; Frequent Confession; Examination of Conscience; Sacred Oil in the Old Testament; Christ the Physician; Healing in the New Testament and Church History; Form and Matter; Proper Minister of the Sacrament; Last Rites; Exorcism