Penance for what sins. Can a priest remove a penance imposed by another priest? Types and possible options for penance

Penance(from the Greek ἐπιτιμία, "punishment", "special obedience") - a spiritual medicine, performed by a confessed Christian, by appointment of a priest who received the sacrament of repentance, certain deeds of piety. Penance is a spiritual and corrective measure aimed at correcting a person; it is a means of helping the penitent in the fight against sin. Under the penance in Orthodox ascetic literature, it is also customary to understand Divine punishments in the form of sorrows and illnesses, the enduring of which frees a person from sinful habits.

In the Orthodox Church

Since penance is not considered God's satisfaction for sins, it can not be imposed on a penitent who sincerely repents and promises not to repeat sins. At present, in Orthodoxy, penance is rarely imposed and mainly on those who are “ready for any penance,” and if the priest is convinced that penance will not lead to despair, laziness and carelessness. The imposed penance cannot be beyond the capabilities of a person. Orthodox canon law defines penance not as a punishment or punitive measure for committed sins, but as "spiritual healing." At the same time, it is important to take into account that penance is not an unconditional necessity when making confession. The degree and duration of penance is determined by the severity of sinful crimes, but depends on the discretion of the confessor. Severe penances provided for by the ancient canons (long-term excommunication from communion, even the prescription to pray not in the temple, but on the porch, etc.) are not currently used. A special “Prayer for what is permitted from the prohibition” is read over the one who performed the penance, through which he is fully restored in his “church rights”. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there was, in addition, penance imposed by a civil court on the basis of criminal laws for apostasy, sacrilege, false oath and some serious moral crimes. Unlike the penance prescribed by the confessor, it had a certain meaning of punishment. The methods of its execution and control were carried out by the diocesan authorities, who received a court decision.

The monastic penance was known under the name "exile to the monastery under the beginning." The time of exile was indicated for a certain period - for a year or two, or an indefinite one - "until the decree", "until he comes to his senses." Those guilty of marital affairs were also subjected to the same punishment. The most common and widespread penance of the first half of XIX century, appointed by the consistory, there were bows. The number of bows was different (from 150 to 1000), but at one time it was necessary to do no more than 100. Condemned to bows, they had to put them on the altar of the cathedral or city in whose county he lived.

Excommunication from Holy Communion

In Orthodoxy, penance, consisting in excommunication from the Holy Mysteries, was appointed for sins that were obvious and more important. There was such an indication of the rules of the holy fathers regarding the terms of excommunication:
. heretics and schismatics - until they renounce their errors,
. bloodsuckers - for 12 years,
. adulterers - from 9 to 15 years,
. killers - up to 25 years,
. males - up to 15 years,
. cattle breeders - up to 15 years or until the end of life,
. perjurers - up to 10 years,
. wizards - up to 25 years old,
. grave diggers - for 10 years.

In the Catholic Church

In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, penance is appointed by the priest to the penitent, as a rule, during each confession. Except in special cases, penance consists in reading a certain number of prayers.

St. Basil the Great says that the purpose of penance is to “draw those who have sinned out of the evil one’s net” (Basil the Great Rule 85) and to “overthrow and destroy sin in every possible way” (Basil the Great Rule 29). The term of penance, in his opinion, is not something important in itself, but is entirely determined by the spiritual benefit of the penitent. Penance should extend only as long as it is needed for the spiritual benefit of the sinning person, healing should be measured not by time, but by the way of repentance (Rule 2). St. Gregory of Nyssa says: “As in bodily healing, the goal of medical art is one - the return of health to the sick, and the way of healing is different, because according to the difference in ailments in each disease, a decent method of healing is applied; so also in mental illnesses, due to the multitude and variety of passions, a diverse healing care becomes necessary, which, according to the illness, produces healing. The time of penitential penance in itself and for St. Gregory of Nyssa has no specific meaning. “In every kind of crime, first of all, one should look at the disposition of the one who is being healed, and consider not time sufficient for healing (for what kind of healing can be from time?), But the will of the one who heals himself with repentance” (Gregory of Nyssa Rule 8). He who has been healed of a sinful disease does not need penance. St. John Chrysostom teaches that a confessor is a father, but not a judge, confession is a doctor's clinic, not a judgment seat, in order to atone for sin, one must confess it. He advises healing passion by exercising in the opposite virtues.

Archimandrite Nectarios (Antonopoulos):
How Six teaches Ecumenical Council"Sin is a sickness of the soul." Therefore, penances sometimes come as punishments, sometimes as a medicine, a kind of course of treatment for a disease of the soul. They are imposed mainly so that a person realizes the scale of sin and repents of it sincerely.
In addition, penance is not some kind of tribute that we pay as a ransom for sins, as if for a "letter of absolution" or in order to free ourselves from remorse. They in no way “ransom” us and do not justify us before the Lord, who is not a ruthless dictator demanding redemptive sacrifices. By and large, penances are not punishments. These are spiritual medicines and spiritual hardening, which are extremely useful to us. Therefore, they should be accepted with gratitude and observed with care.

Priest Mikhail Vorobyov:
Penance is a special obedience that a confessing priest offers to perform to a penitent sinner for his spiritual benefit. As a penance, a ban on communion for a certain time, an increase in daily prayer rule, additional to the rule, reading the psalter, canons, akathists with a certain number of prostrations. Sometimes, as a penance, an increased fast, a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Church, almsgiving, and concrete help to one's neighbor are appointed.

In the early Christian era, penance was appointed in the form of public repentance, a temporary excommunication from the fullness of church life. At the same time, penitent sinners were divided into four categories: weeping, who stood at the entrance to the temple and weepingly asked for the forgiveness of their sins; those who listened, who stood in the porch and listened to the reading of the Holy Scriptures and went out together with the catechumens; those who knelt down, who were allowed into the temple, were there during the Liturgy of the faithful and, falling on their faces, listened to the special prayer of the bishop; standing together, who were present in the temple along with everyone, but were not allowed to take communion. Canonical rules approved Church Councils, determined the duration of penance for each type of sin, and for some sins lifelong excommunication from Communion was provided, with the exception of the case of impending death.
Penance was imposed on sinners of all classes. Saint Ambrose of Milan church repentance Emperor Theodosius the Great for cruelty in suppressing a popular uprising. Penance was laid on the Emperor Leo the Philosopher for his fourth marriage. The Moscow Tsar Ivan the Terrible was subjected to the same punishment for a similar crime against morality.

The understanding of penance solely as a church punishment intended to atone for sins in earthly life was characteristic of medieval Catholicism. It can be said that in the Roman Catholic Church this attitude towards penance has been preserved to this day.

On the contrary, in Orthodox Church penance is not a punishment, but an exercise in virtue, designed to strengthen the spiritual forces needed for repentance. The need for such an exercise stems from the need for a long and stubborn elimination of sinful habits. Repentance is not a simple enumeration of sinful acts and desires. True repentance consists in a real change in a person. A sinner coming to confession asks the Lord to strengthen his spiritual strength for a righteous life. Penance, as an integral part of the Sacrament of Penance, helps to gain these powers.

The Sacrament of Repentance really frees a person from the sin revealed at confession. This means that a confessed sin will never again be blamed on a repentant sinner. However, the validity of the Sacrament depends on the sincerity of repentance, and the penitent sinner himself is not always able to determine the degree of his sincerity. The tendency to self-justification prevents the sinner from determining the true reasons for his actions, does not allow him to get rid of the hidden passions that make him repeat the same sins.

Penance helps the penitent to see his true face, to feel disgust for what until recently seemed attractive. Exercise in prayer, non-hypocritical fasting, reading the Holy Scriptures and patristic books make one feel the joy of truth, goodness, and strengthen the desire to live according to the gospel commandments.

In the journal Neskuchny Sad No. 1 (48) for January 2010, there is an article about penance, where readers ask questions:
What is penance? Someone thinks that after you repent, the priest can impose some kind of penance on you, and then no one, except this priest, will be able to remove it. What happens if you don't do it?"

The article is called "Medicine for a sick conscience"
Text: Kirill MILOVIDOV

Indications for use

For many Orthodox people, penance is some kind of disciplinary sanction imposed on the offender. This interpretation is only partly correct. The word itself came to us from Greek, where it sounded like penance, with an emphasis on the penultimate syllable, and really meant, including punishment, punishment. But in the spiritual sense, this is not a punishment, but rather a medicine so that the wound left by sin heals faster. A medicine that a person is looking for himself, denounced by his conscience. “Penance is born from a certain urge to the right action, which would cross out his past,” explains the confessor of Moscow, rector of the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God in Krylatskoe Archpriest Georgy Breev. Do you remember the gospel episode with the publican Zacchaeus? The Lord said to him: “Today I need to be in your house” (Luke 19:5). The publican in the eyes of the faithful people of that time was a contemptible person, completely lost his conscience and rejected by God. And now, realizing how blessed he is, Zacchaeus suddenly says: "Lord, I will give half of my property to the poor, and if I have offended anyone, I will repay fourfold." The Lord did not advise him or order him anything. I just visited him, and a reciprocal feeling was born in the publican. Because he looked at his past - yes, indeed, it is worthy of condemnation. Indeed, it is impossible to live with such a heavy burden. God came to meet him, visited his house, exalted him, and naturally arose in him holy desire change your life. Some kind of justice demanded from him that he bear some kind of penance, and he proclaims it to himself.

Penance is such a means that a person, having a deep faith in God and understanding his unrighteousness before Him, additionally takes upon himself to show that his repentance is not superficial. That he thanks God for mercy, but wants to additionally bear some righteous retribution for his deeds.

The soul languishes and suffers from the wound inflicted by sin. Conscience convicts, and it becomes difficult for us to bear this burden. When we lament our sin, we go to confession to be forgiven. We believe that the Lord accepts our sincere repentance, but sometimes there is a need to do something else that would cleanse our soul and remove serious sin from it. “The practice of giving penance has existed since antiquity,” George explains. Such obligations are imposed on a person, the fulfillment of which would be within his power and correct him. The Holy Fathers said that the perfect sin is healed, as it were, by the opposite effect. That is, if you were mean - show mercy, if you were not chaste, then leave your former way of life and live chastely. For the sake of the latter, many even took upon themselves the feat of monasticism.

special instructions

Just like ordinary medicine, spiritual medicine should be prescribed only by a “doctor” who has the necessary competence and authority. “A priest who imposes penance must “experience the fruits of repentance and wisely manage a person,” if necessary, weakening and shortening the penance or, conversely, tightening it. Therefore, only the one who vigilantly monitors the spiritual state of the penitent, his confessor, can impose it, - explains Priest Dimitry Pashkov, senior lecturer in the Department of Church History and Canon Law of PSTGU. - If an unfamiliar priest imposed a penance on you, then you need to tell your confessor about it. The confessor will be able to assess the measure of her spiritual benefit and, accordingly, the expediency of her appointment. In practice, far from every penance serves the cause of healing the soul. First of all, perhaps, because it is prescribed not by the “attending physician”, but by the “trainee”, who accidentally looked into the ward. Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces, regularly encounters similar cases in his parish practice. “When penances are handed out right and left to people whom they see for the first time in their lives, this is simply savagery,” the priest believes. This summer, his parishioner Ivan N. went on a pilgrimage to the monastery and returned from there discouraged and confused. He wanted to take communion, but the confessing hieromonk not only did not allow him to take communion, but also imposed an unbearable penance - 300 prostrations daily. Ivan has a sick heart, and his strength is barely enough for one bow, and if you try to put all 300, his heart simply will not stand it. Father Demetrius himself sometimes gives such a penance: to read every day a chapter from the Gospel.

Caution should be given to penance for those who have recently come to the Church. “What kind of penance can we talk about if a person does not feel his sin? - talking about. Georgy Breev. - He needs more than one year to figure out whether he believes and how he believes, he needs to develop some kind of lively attitude to God, learn to pray. And only then, as a person gradually enters the spiritual life, he begins to see his untruth, the fall of his nature. Then a response is born in him - "I want to work hard." Some, after ten years, suddenly say: "I still want to go to the monastery to work." They have matured, they have seen. It is always very joyful, and for the benefit of the person himself. And those who have not yet joined the spiritual life rarely accept penance with humility. Although on their conscience they may have many grave sins for which, if approached formally, penance is due. According to Fr. George, such people should not be punished, but should be encouraged to work on themselves: “We need to help a person reach the point where, by reading Holy Bible praying, getting acquainted with the spiritual life, with the practice, he gradually opened himself to himself.

Overdose

“The concept of “I am a sinner” can vary from formal agreement with the fact to the deepest experience of oneself as a person clothed in fallen nature,” says Fr. George. “This is where God’s love for man is revealed, deep self-knowledge is revealed, virtue and a response in the soul are born: I don’t want to condemn anyone, because I see myself in a state worthy of any condemnation. This is how true repentance is born. This, in fact, is the ultimate goal of prayers of repentance and penance - to lead a person to the understanding that he is not only not a stranger to sin, but from the inside he does not correspond to the high destiny to which the Lord calls him as a Christian. But even if a person himself seeks a penance corresponding to a committed sin, this does not mean that he has grown up to it, Father George is convinced. “I usually stop such “enthusiasts”. You need to start small: correct yourself in thoughts, in words, take care of yourself. And only later, when a person feels some spiritual strength, he may be able to take on something more serious.
If the patient wants to be cured, he must follow the doctor's recommendations, even when he does not really like them. The situation is similar in spiritual healing: it is better to fulfill the penance imposed by the confessor. Only the confessor himself can remove it. “If penance is too much for you, discuss it with your confessor,” says Fr. George. – As a last resort, if for some reason it is impossible to talk with the confessor, you can turn to the bishop. He has the power to remove any penance imposed by a priest."

Tradition instead of law

The clergyman's handbook says that penance should help a sinning Christian, firstly, realize the extent of his sin and feel its seriousness, secondly, give him strength to stand up again, inspire him with hope for God's mercy, and thirdly, give him the opportunity to manifest determination in repentance. The Church did not arrive at such an understanding of penance immediately.

In the second half of the 4th century, after the persecution of Christians ceased and the Church was flooded with yesterday's pagans, the holy fathers began to develop certain norms and rules for communal life. Among other things, Basil the Great deduces a number of disciplinary canons showing what requirements are placed on a person who wants to improve. In those days, confession was public and concerned only the most important offenses (in contrast to modern confession, which often turns into a “revelation of thoughts”). It is the canons of the 4th century that are devoted to public confession. They provide for basically one type of impact - excommunication from communion for 10, 15 and even 20 years for murder, theft, adultery and similar grave sins. At the end of the 4th century, the institution of secret confession arose. Initially, the sanctions established by the canons continued to be used there, but gradually the approach to the penitent is softened. John Chrysostom, for example, in his works advises not to approach the appointment of penance formally, calls to be guided rather by the spiritual state of a person than by the severity of his sins.
The Trullo Council of 691, with its last (102nd) canon, also recommends an individual approach to confessors and consolidates the possibility of both tightening and softening the penance prescribed by the canons. "For the disease of sin is not the same, but different and manifold." At the turn of the 6th-7th centuries, a specific collection began to take shape - the canon icon, intended to regulate secret confession. He introduces two important innovations: on the one hand, the differentiation of sinful deeds according to their severity, on the other hand, the difference between the sinners themselves, depending on their individual characteristics. For example, he treats a married young man who has committed fornication more mildly than an adult man who has been married for many years. It is in the canonicon that there is a sharp reduction in the terms of excommunication from communion and the emergence of new forms of penance. For example, instead of ten years, the new rules prescribe excommunication for two years, but for these two years the penitent must observe a stricter fast, read prayers, bow down, etc.

The collection is gradually distributed in the Byzantine Church; in late Byzantium, a number of its revisions or independent collections of a similar nature (the so-called "penitent nomocanons") appear. At about the same time, these collections penetrate into the Slavic countries, are translated here and begin to be used in spiritual practice.
“In Soviet times, church law science practically ceased to exist, and tradition took the place of law,” says Albert Bondach, teacher of the history of sources of church law at PSTGU. —Today there are no clear prescriptions establishing the measure of church responsibility for sins. This area, like many other issues, is completely regulated by customs, which may differ from parish to parish. But, one way or another, penance, as a rule, comes down to sanctions of an ascetic nature (additional fasting, prostrations, prayer) and excommunication from communion for a short period. And such severe punishments as prolonged excommunication or anathematization are imposed only by the decision of the church court and only for offenses of such a level as organizing a schism.”

To each Orthodox person it is well known what penance means. What it is, they do not know, perhaps, those who rarely turn to the Lord and are not accustomed to forgive their sins. Today we will get acquainted with this sacred term and find out its meaning.

The definition of what penance is is not difficult to find today.

This is a type of church punishment, which consists in attributing to the laity the performance of an action for a certain time as a "payment" for the sins committed.

Only a confessor can impose a penance on a person, and not any first met priest.

We also note that in most cases, in all cases, only that servant of the Lord who has chosen a specific measure of “punishment” for a layman can remove it.

Modern priests often talk about what penance is, and they define this term not even as a punishment, but as a way to atone for one's guilt before the Lord and a way to heal the soul. Depending on the severity of a person's misdeeds, one or another penance will be imposed, which he will have to adhere to for the time indicated by the priest.

Note! As a rule, after confession of grave sins, confessors impose penance. It can last several months, a year or three years (the last term is the maximum).
During this period, it is necessary to strictly adhere to all the orders of the confessor, moreover, it will not be possible to confess until the expiration of its validity. In individual cases, the priest can facilitate penance.

Penance at different times

Confessors knew about what penance is in Orthodoxy both hundreds of years ago and now, but their interpretations are slightly different from each other.

In the old days, this word really meant punishment, and often it could be very harsh and even unbearable for a layman.

The thing was that the people of the past were more turned to the Lord and were attentive to their words, actions and the consequences that they could have.

As for the present, it becomes more difficult to understand what penance is. Everything depends on the severity of the offense committed by the layman. If it is small or was carried out not on purpose, by accident or in a state of passion, the "recovery" will be very small.

Moreover, if the confessor sees that a person truly repents and regrets what he has done, the penance will be extremely short and simple.

Quite a different matter is penance for sins committed in the order of relapse.

It is important here that the layman understands that time after time he does evil.

Therefore, the punishment will be determined for him with the hope that in the near future he will realize that he was wrong.

But both in the first and in the second case, the modern definition of this term does not have the former “cruel” and strict connotation.

What is penance?

Of course, the punishment will be determined depending on the characteristics of the deed. You can find out what you have sinned on the basis of the Ten Commandments, in which everything is clearly spelled out.

Let's list the possible measures of correction, or rather, spiritual healing, which can be attributed to a sin of one kind or another:

• Pronunciation of prayer texts over a long period of time (as a rule, read very long prayer will have to be daily).
• Maintaining a very long fast (most often you will have to give up meat).
• The provision of alms, and precisely to those people who truly need it.
• Mandatory obeisance during worship.
• Long-term abstinence (even in the presence of a legal marriage).

The type and duration of the punishment will depend on what, in fact, it is determined for. For minor sins, people are most often obliged to fulfill one of the vows for 40 days.

If the atrocities are extremely serious, the confessor can appoint a very long correctional term with mandatory attendance at the temple.

In what cases are the laity doomed to penance?

It's time to find out why they impose penance and what to fear while living your life. Many are sinners, but only a few ask for forgiveness. If you turn to the Lord and decide to confess, be prepared to go through a series of "correctional labor" before you continue your worldly path.

Infanticide

In most cases, this terrible word means penance for all aborted children. There is no single punishment for committing such a sinful act, since the laity are people who live not only within the framework of Orthodox canons, but also in a secular society, which also leaves a significant imprint on their deeds.

Definitely, a woman who at least once got rid of her unborn child will begin not only with health problems, but also with the psyche, attitude, and also with cases that, it would seem, are not related to this issue.

Punishment for aborted children is imposed on the basis of their number, as well as the severity of the circumstances in which this offense was committed.

After all, it is worth taking into account not only sin itself, but the laws of society. After all, it often happens that a woman is forced to have an abortion by circumstances (lack of money) or her man.

Adultery

This sin is special in that only people who are legally married can commit it.

By agreeing to live with one's spouse for the rest of one's life, one is also committing to be faithful.

Violation this promise equates to a very serious sin.

Penance for adultery will be assigned based on the number of betrayals, as well as based on the motives of betrayal.

If it was a mistake made once, the measure of atonement for sin will be simple and short. But penance for adultery committed due to fornication will become the basis for imposing a very harsh and long punishment.

Fornication

It differs from the previous offense in that absolutely everyone can commit it. Moreover, this word refers to various sexual pleasures that do not fit into the framework of marital duty.

As fornication, you can imagine such phenomena as:

• homosexuality,
• adultery,
• depravity.

Based on the individual case, the confessor will prescribe a punishment. As a rule, for such sins the term of punishment is short, but the communion itself will require a lot of effort from the guilty.

Moreover, we note that in the case of the sin of fornication, penance can be appointed more than once.

If a man is devout, but has a habit of returning to his sin, he will have to constantly atone for it, spending days and nights in prayer.

alcohol abuse

For Russia, this problem is most acute. For drunkenness, punishment is imposed in accordance with the frequency of drinking alcoholic beverages, as well as the severity of the sins that are committed under their influence.

IN Old Testament norms are prescribed that allow people to drink wine without getting drunk from it. Exceeding the specified dose leads to the commission of a sin, for which you will have to pay for a long time.

Note! Drunkenness, like any other sin, is condemned only by your personal spiritual mentor. He, knowing the features of your life, character and personality as a whole, will be able to give this or that punishment, which will help not only temporarily get rid of mental illness, but also completely overcome it.
It is this person who will subsequently remove the penance and set on the true path, so that in the future the layman would live in complete harmony with his inner world.

Penance today

Confessors modern world the right to assign especially serious sinners much more cruel and difficult penances than those described above. If a layman over and over again commits a very serious sin, which even amounts to a violation of the law of the country in which he lives, his punishment will be no less light.

However, everything depends on the characteristics of the person who comes to confession, as well as on his life environment. His personal confessor, who determines the measure of spiritual healing, must not only put forward an ultimatum, but reasonably and wisely provide an opportunity to atone for sin and become better before his own eyes and before the eyes of God.

Useful video

Summing up

Adhering to penance is the duty of everyone on whom it is imposed. After the end of the sentence, it is worth living according to new rules that will allow you not to commit past sins again and again. Penance is what allows people to cleanse their souls and become better, kinder, brighter and closer to the Lord.

Undoubtedly, the 21st century is a time of permissiveness, but true Christians are struggling with the harmful influence of the outside world and keep the covenants from the Bible, despite sidelong views.

Intimate relationships outside of marriage are sinful, adultery is even worse. Masturbation is a process that only one person knows about, it does not harm others and does not destroy marital relations. Then why Christianity considers masturbation a sin of fornication, it is necessary to understand.

Why masturbation is a sin

Masturbation is identical by definition with the concept of malakia. The meaning of the word comes from the Bible. In Orthodoxy, it is considered a serious sin, one of the varieties of fornication. Malachi is caused by prodigal fermentation, the pursuit of pleasure. This sin is unnatural because it occurs without contact with the opposite sex. Orthodoxy approves only sexual contact between legal spouses.

The Church believes that a person who masturbates is a slave to his lust, dependent on fornication. Passion overcomes him and he is unable to control it. Then everything reasonable is no longer a priority for the prodigal son. Orthodoxy calls malakia a perversion, because there is no relationship with the other sex. The bible itself says that fornicators, committed adultery and also the Malachis will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

By masturbating, a person defiles his soul, mind and body. And even the thought of such a thing is already a sin. Sin, whose name was influenced by the biblical character Onan, is one of the most terrible carnal sins that take away the right to eternal life.

Malaki in women and children

There is no mention of female masturbators in the Bible, but this does not mean that the Heavenly Father does not consider female masturbation a sin. It makes no difference who did the deed. Masturbation among women in Orthodoxy is condemned no less than men, because everyone is equal before God. This means that the harlot must also repent and strive for purity of thoughts and actions.

With children, things are somewhat different. Masturbation in boys and girls is mostly due to ignorance, unspoken questions, as well as itching in the genital area, too tight clothing, physical punishment, etc.

To protect the child from addiction, you need:

Church punishment

Now the church does not arrange penance for fornication. But there are certain methods. In order to be cleansed from sin, a person must perform certain austerities. For example, within 40 days to make 100 prostrations, as well as fasting to atone for your guilt.

You can not give up, it is possible to cope with the temptation. To eradicate within yourself sinful thoughts it was easier, you can refer to the tips:

Self-satisfaction is a mortal sin that should not be in the life of a believer. Only the desire to get rid of sinfulness, coming from pure heart, can become the basis for gaining spiritual purity. And the church will never leave a penitent person and will provide all possible help.

Those or other deeds of piety; is a moral and corrective measure. Penance is prescribed differently, according to the degree of sins, according to age, position and degree of repentance. Usually, those appointed by the priest to perform virtues are chosen opposite to the sins committed.

Since penance is not considered God's satisfaction for sins, then it can not be imposed on a penitent who sincerely repents and promises not to repeat sins. At present, penance is imposed rarely and mainly on those who are “ready for any penance,” and if the priest is convinced that penance will not lead to despair, laziness and carelessness. The imposed penance cannot be beyond the capabilities of a person. Orthodox canon law defines penance not as a punishment or punitive measure for committed sins, but as "spiritual healing." At the same time, it is important to take into account that penance is not an unconditional necessity when making confession. The degree and duration of penance is determined by the severity of sinful crimes, but depends on the discretion of the confessor. Severe penances provided for by the ancient canons (long-term excommunication from communion, even the prescription to pray not in the temple, but on the porch, etc.) are not currently used. A special “Prayer for what is permitted from the prohibition” is read over the one who performed the penance, through which he is fully restored in his “church rights”. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there was, in addition, penance imposed by a civil court on the basis of criminal laws for apostasy, sacrilege, false oath and some serious moral crimes. Unlike the penance prescribed by the confessor, it had a certain meaning of punishment. The methods of its execution and control were carried out by the diocesan authorities, who received a court decision.

Excommunication from Holy Communion

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See what "Penance" is in other dictionaries:

- (gr. epitimion, from epi over, and timi punishment). Spiritual punishment imposed by a priest on penitent sinners. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. PEPITIMIA Greek. epitimion, from epi, over, and timo,… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

PEPITIMIA- [Greek. ἐπιτίμιον], church punishment (prohibition) imposed on the laity. A similar punishment for clerics is defrocking. The main goal of E. is not to punish believers for criminal acts or to protect them from such (although ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

G. 1. = penance, = penance Church punishment, consisting in strict fasting, long prayers, etc. 2. movable; = penance, = penance Voluntary renunciation of something. Dictionary Efremova. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

Female spiritual punishment, punishment; correctional punishment by the church of the penitent sinner, esp. for offenses against the statutes of the church, to penance, to be in penance. Penance cf. state of penance. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dal. 1863 ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

penance- Penance, and, f and ((stl 8)) penance ((/stl 8)), and, f Church rite, which consists in the fact that the confessor determines the punishment of the penitent. Such a penance was imposed on him by the elder for the fact that yesterday, on a fasting day, he thirsted and drank kvass (A. N. T.) ... Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

penance- (meaning prohibition) is a church punishment for the sinner, who had to publicly repent and at the same time deny himself certain blessings of life. For new converts, penance was once a kind of mercy, a beneficence, so that ... ... Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary

penance- (Greek "punishment") religious measures moral education applied by a priest or bishop to those penitent Christians who, due to the severity of sins or the nature of repentance, need these measures. Penance may consist of a particularly strict ... ... Orthodoxy. Dictionary-reference

penance- (translated from Greek means "punishment") corrective measures that a priest or bishop takes to confess certain sins. Most often, penance consists in intense prayer, fasting, etc ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Church, prohibition, punishment for sins, other Russian. penance, ѥpitimiѩ, optimiѩ, Serbian. cslav. penance. From the Greek ἐπιτίμιον punishment; see Vasmer, IORAS 12, 2, 232 et seq.; Gr. sl. this. 59 ... Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language by Max Fasmer

Penance (inosk.) abstinence, penalty, punishment in general (which also consists in abstinence) a hint of church penance. Wed I do not write myself because now for a whole month I have imposed a penance of silence on myself. Zhukovsky. Letters. Wed ἐπιτιμία… … Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

Among the early Christians, according to the gospels, sins could be forgiven through apostolic mediation. Twelve possible major sins mentioned in the New Testament were listed. All of them were different violations of the Ten Biblical

Christians in early communities received forgiveness for these sins while practicing prayer, good works, fasting, and almsgiving. This penitential discipline in our time has been called public repentance or penance, which is sometimes erroneously confused with the public declaration of excommunication due to serious and social sin.

Penance- this is repentance for sins, as well as the name of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran sacraments of repentance and reconciliation, confession. She also plays a large role in confession among Anglicans, Methodists and other Protestants. The word comes from the Latin word paenitentia, which means repentance, the desire to be forgiven.

With the sacrament of penance, the believer, if he sincerely repents, receives forgiveness of sins from God. This sacrament, which is necessarily carried out by a bishop or priest, is also called the name of reconciliation or confession. This is one of two sacraments called "healing" along with the anointing of the sick, because they are meant to relieve the suffering of the believer.

Penance as a religious attitude in Christianity

The Augsburg Confession divides repentance into two parts: “One is repentance, that is fear that strikes the conscience through the knowledge of sin, and the other is faith born of the gospel or the remission of sins. Faith that, for the sake of Christ, sins are forgiven, calms the conscience and delivers it from fear.

The attitude of penance can be as an externalization in the actions that the believer imposes on himself. These actions are themselves called repentance. Penitential activity is especially common during Great Lent and Holy Week. In some cultural traditions, this week of the Passion of Christ may be marked by penances and even voluntary pseudo-crucifixion.

In lighter acts of penance, time is devoted to prayer, reading the Bible or other spiritual books. Examples of more complex acts are:

• abstinence;
• abstinence from alcohol or tobacco or other deprivations.

In ancient times, self-flagellation was often used. Such acts were sometimes called mortification and were also associated with penance. In early Christianity, public penance imposed on the penitents whose severity varied according to the seriousness of their misdeeds. Today, an act of penance imposed in connection with the sacrament for the same therapeutic purpose can be established by prayers, a certain amount of bowing, or an act or inaction. The imposed act itself is called repentance or penance.

Repentance as a sacrament or rite in the Eastern Orthodox Church

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, repentance is usually referred to as the Sacred Mystery of Confession. In Orthodoxy, the intention of the sacramental mystery of Holy Confession is to secure reconciliation with God through repentance.

Traditionally, a penitent person kneels before the icon of Christ. This is because in Orthodox sacramental theology, confession is not made to a priest, but to Christ; the priest is present there as a witness, friend and adviser. By analogy, before the penitent is placed gospel book and crucifixion. The penitent honors the Gospel, the cross and kneels. Once they are ready to begin, the priest says, "Blessed is our God, always, now, and always, and forever and ever," recites the Three Holy Prayers and Psalm 50.

Then the priest advises the penitent that Christ is invisibly present and the penitent should not be embarrassed or afraid, but should open his heart and reveal his sins so that Christ can forgive them. The penitent then accuses himself of sins. The priest listens, asking questions to encourage the penitent not to hide any sins out of fear or shame. After the confessor reveals all his sins, the priest offers advice.

Penance is neither a punishment nor just a pious act, but is specifically aimed at healing a confessed spiritual ailment. For example, if a penitent broke the Eighth Commandment by stealing something, the priest could write, returning stolen goods, and giving charity to the poor on a more regular basis. Opposites are handled by opposites. If the penitent suffers from, the rule is revised and possibly increased. The intention of confession is never to punish, but to heal and cleanse. Confession is also regarded as the "second baptism" and is sometimes referred to as the "baptism of tears".

In Orthodoxy, confession and penance is seen as a means of securing a better mental health and purity. Confession does not involve simply pointing out the sinful things a person does; good deeds done by this person are also discussed. This approach is holistic, exploring the entire life of the confessor. good writings don't get saved but are part of the psychotherapeutic treatment to keep salvation and purity. Sin is seen as a spiritual sickness or wound, only healed through Jesus Christ. Orthodox faith is that in confession the sinful wounds of the soul must be exposed and healed in the "open air" (in this case, in the Spirit of God).

Once the penitent has accepted the therapeutic advice, the priest says a prayer of forgiveness over the penitent. In the prayer of forgiveness, priests ask God to forgive the sins they have committed.

Child and confession

It is believed that a child should confess at the age of seven, but you need to understand that even at six years old a child can have a clear consciousness responsible for actions. And it happens that a child, even at the age of eight, remains a child who does not understand anything. Therefore, under certain conditions, children can be admitted to confession a little earlier. It must be remembered that formalism in spiritual life should not be allowed, especially in relation to a child.

Anglicanism

Private confession of sins to a priest, accompanied by absolution, has always been provided for in the Book of Common Prayer.

The status of confessions as sacraments is set out in Anglican formularies such as the Thirty-nine Articles. Article XXV includes it among "Those five commonly named sacraments" which "should not be counted in the sacraments of the gospel, because they have no visible sign or ceremony consecrated to God."

Despite the provision of private confession in every edition of the Book of Common Prayer, the practice of penance was often challenged during the ritualistic controversies of the late nineteenth century.

Methodism

In the Methodist Church, as with the Anglican Communion, repentance is defined by the articles of religion as such, which are usually called sacraments but are not considered sacraments of the gospel.

Many Methodists, like other Protestants, regularly practice confessing their sin to God himself, arguing that “when we confess, our fellowship with the Father is restored, he extends his parental forgiveness. He cleanses us of all unrighteousness, thereby removing the consequences of previously unseen sin. We are back on track to implement the best plan God has for our lives."

Lutheranism

lutheran church teaches two key parts of repentance (repentance and faith). Lutherans reject the doctrine that forgiveness is achieved through penance.

Roman Catholicism

Roman Catholic Church uses the term "penance" on several separate occasions:

• like a sacrament;
• as acts of satisfaction of faith.

as those specific actions appointed by the penitent confessor in the context of the sacrament.

They have general concept that the sinner must repent and, as far as possible, repay divine justice.

moral virtue

Repentance is a moral virtue, according to which the sinner is set to hate his sin as a crime against God. The main action in the exercise of this virtue is hatred of one's own sin. The motive behind this hatred is that sin offends God. Theologians, following Thomas Aquinas, consider repentance to be truly a virtue, although they disagree about their place among the virtues.

In repentance, the unworthiness of mankind in the face of God's condescension is proclaimed. For although sanctifying grace only forgives and cleanses sins from the soul, it is necessary that the individual consent to this work of grace through the work of repentance. Repentance helps to destroy sinful habits and acquire such as:

• generosity;
• humility;
• patience.

The Sacrament of Penance

The process of repentance and conversion was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son. IN catholic church the sacrament of penance (also called reconciliation, forgiveness, confession, and conversion) is one of two sacraments of healing. Jesus Christ willed that in this way the Church would continue, by the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation. Reconciliation with God is both the goal and the effect of this sacrament.

Through the priest, who is the minister of the sacrament, acting on behalf of God, the confession of sins is made for God, and remission of sins is received from God. In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, predicts in a certain way the judgment to which he will undergo at the end of his earthly life.

Essential to the sacrament are the actions of the sinner:

• consideration of conscience;
• repentance with determination not to sin again;
• confession to a priest;
• doing something to repair the damage caused by sin.

And a priest (definition of an act of reparation to be performed and absolution). Serious sins, mortal sins must be confessed for no more than a year and always before receiving the Sacred

The rite of the sacrament requires that the kind and degree of satisfaction correspond to the personal condition of each penitent. Anyone can restore the order he has broken and, through the appropriate remedy, heal the disease from which he suffered.

Penance for sins

In the 1966 Apostolic Constitution, Pope Paul VI said: "Repentance is a religious, personal act that has as its end the love of God: fasting, for God, not for oneself." The Church affirms the primacy of the religious and supernatural values ​​of repentance. It can be prayer, mercy, service to one's neighbor, voluntary self-denial and sacrifice.

The transformation of the heart can be expressed in many ways. “The Scriptures and the Fathers insist, first of all, on three forms: fasting, prayer and almsgiving, which express conversion towards to himself, God and others." It also mentions efforts to reconcile with one's neighbor and the practice of charity, which covers many sins.

For example, penance for adultery involves excommunication from the sacrament of communion for many years or months, with the reading of the canons, with prostrations. Appropriate penance for aborted children is appointed by the priest, but you have to remember that there is no "prayer for abortion" that removes sin. Age, state of health, degree of faith and other matters, including external circumstances. Prayer can be appointed if the abortion happened due to illness or an accident.

Penance is also imposed for such a sin as drunkenness. Drunkenness leads to the rapid degradation of a person, turning him into a honeycomb creature. Drinking tends to lead to the commission of other more serious sins, such as fornication, in which unmarried people allow physical intimacy.

Fornication is the second of the eight human passions and differs from adultery in that adultery is not committed during fornication. Just as in the case of other sins, penance for fornication is imposed at the discretion of the priest.

In the Liturgical year, during the Advent and Great Lent, such penitential exercises as voluntary self-denial are especially suitable. According to canon 1250 "Penitential days and times in the universal Church- every Friday of the year and season of Lent. Canon 1253 stated: "The Bishops' Conference may more precisely determine the observance of temperance, and also replace other forms of penance, especially charities and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for temperance and fasting."