THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE IN THE MESSAGES OF JOHN PAUL II

VATICAN CITY, JUN 13, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, there was a press conference at which the book, "The Sacrament of Penance in the Messages of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Apostolic Penitentiary," was presented.

The volume, 95 pages long and written in Italian, is made up of a preface written by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, an introduction and 12 messages from the Holy Father. These are addressed to the Apostolic Penitentiary, the penitentiary fathers of Rome's patriarchal basilicas, the priests who every year take part in the course on the internal forum and, as the cardinal writes in his preface, to all priests and all the faithful of the world.

During the presentation of the book, in the presence of Cardinal William Baum, major penitentiary, Fr. Urbano Navarrete S.J., consultor of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, affirmed that "the Pontifical Magisterium's particular concern" for the sacrament of Penance was demonstrated in the pontificate of Pius XII, it intensified during the pontificate of Paul VI and "reaches its culmination in the Magisterium of John Paul II." The present pontiff "not only dedicates formal documents (to the subject of) reconciliation - such as the encyclicals 'Dives in Misericordia' (November 30 1980), 'Reconciliatio et paenitentiae' (December 2 1984), the apostolic letter 'Tertio millennio adveniente' (November 5 1994) and the bull of indiction of the Great Jubilee 'Incarnationis mysterium' (November 29 1998) - but also constantly (highlights the theme) in his daily Magisterium, especially in his lenten homilies and on the 'ad limina' visits of bishops." In all these cases he illustrates "the richness and efficacy of the sacrament as a means by which to tend towards Christian perfection, even when it is not necessary in order to re-acquire the state of grace."

"The variety of subjects covered, all concerning the sacrament of penance," said Fr. Navarrete, "offers the Holy Father the occasion to remind ministers of the sacrament of fundamental doctrinal points and to give, both to ministers and to penitents, enlightening and encouraging instructions and advice."
The 12 documents brought together in the book, concluded Fr. Navarrete, "constitute a 'vade mecum' for confessors that - without going into the details of every day cases - presents a synthesis, both of doctrinal principles on the Sacrament of Penance that confessors put into effect at each sacramental confession, and a great variety of specific directives and practical advice."

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