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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 17, question 189
I know that the priest has the power of absolving from the sins committed after Baptism, because Jesus Christ granted that power to the priests of His Church when He said: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retai…
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 17, question 190
The priests of the Church exercise the power of forgiving sins by hearing the confession of sins, and granting pardon for them as ministers of God and in His name.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 17, question 191
To receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must do five things: 1. We must examine our conscience. 2. We must have sorrow for our sins. 3. We must make a firm resolution never more to offend God. 4. We must confess our sins to the priest. 5. We must accept the penance which the priest gives us.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 17, question 192
The examination of conscience is an earnest effort to recall to mind all the sins we have committed since our last worthy confession.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 17, question 193
We can make a good examination of conscience by calling to memory the commandments of God, the precepts of the Church, the seven capital sins, and the particular duties of our state in life, to find out the sins we have committed.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 17, question 194
Before beginning the examination of conscience we should pray to God to give us light to know our sins and grace to detest them.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 195
Contrition, or sorrow for sin, is a hatred of sin and a true grief of the soul for having offended God, with a firm purpose of sinning no more.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 196
The sorrow we should have for our sins should be interior, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 197
When I say that our sorrow should be interior, I mean that it should come from the heart, and not merely from the lips.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 198
When I say that our sorrow should be supernatural, I mean that it should be prompted by the grace of God, and excited by motives which spring from faith, and not by merely natural motives.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 199
When I say that our sorrow should be universal, I mean that we should be sorry for all our mortal sins without exception.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 200
When I say that our sorrow should be sovereign, I mean that we should grieve more for having offended God than for any other evil that can befall us.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 201
We should be sorry for our sins, because sin is the greatest of evils and an offense against God our Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer, and because it shuts us out of heaven and condemns us to the eternal pains of hell.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 202
There are two kinds of contrition: perfect contrition and imperfect contrition.
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Source Archive · CatechismCatholic
Baltimore Catechism · Lesson 18, question 203
Perfect contrition is that which fills us with sorrow and hatred for sin, because it offends God, who is infinitely good in Himself and worthy of all love.
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