Whether Penance Should Last Till the End of Life?
Objection 1: It would seem that Penance should not last till the end
of life. Because Penance is ordained for the blotting out of sin. Now
the penitent receives forgiveness of his sins at once, according to
Ezech. 18:21: "If the wicked do penance for all his sins which he
hath committed . . . he shall live and shall not die." Therefore
there is no need for Penance to be further prolonged.
Obj. 2: Further, Penance belongs to the state of beginners. But man
ought to advance from that state to the state of the proficient, and,
from this, on to the state of the perfect. Therefore man need not do
Penance till the end of his life.
Obj. 3: Further, man is bound to observe the laws of the Church in
this as in the other sacraments. But the duration of repentance is
fixed by the canons, so that, to wit, for such and such a sin one is
bound to do penance for so many years. Therefore it seems that
Penance should not be prolonged till the end of life.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says in his book, _De Poenitentia_ [*De
vera et falsa Poenitentia, the authorship of which is unknown]: "What
remains for us to do, save to sorrow ever in this life? For when
sorrow ceases, repentance fails; and if repentance fails, what
becomes of pardon?"
_I answer that,_ Penance is twofold, internal and external. Internal
penance is that whereby one grieves for a sin one has committed, and
this penance should last until the end of life. Because man should
always be displeased at having sinned, for if he were to be pleased
thereat, he would for this very reason fall into sin and lose the
fruit of pardon. Now displeasure causes sorrow in one who is
susceptible to sorrow, as man is in this life; but after this life
the saints are not susceptible to sorrow, wherefore they will be
displeased at, without sorrowing for, their past sins, according to
Isa. 65:16. "The former distresses are forgotten."
External penance is that whereby a man shows external signs of
sorrow, confesses his sins verbally to the priest who absolves him,
and makes satisfaction for his sins according to the judgment of the
priest. Such penance need not last until the end of life, but only
for a fixed time according to the measure of the sin.
Reply Obj. 1: True penance not only removes past sins, but also
preserves man from future sins. Consequently, although a man receives
forgiveness of past sins in the first instant of his true penance,
nevertheless he must persevere in his penance, lest he fall again
into sin.
Reply Obj. 2: To do penance both internal and external belongs to the
state of beginners, of those, to wit, who are making a fresh start
from the state of sin. But there is room for internal penance even in
the proficient and the perfect, according to Ps. 83:7: "In his heart
he hath disposed to ascend by steps, in the vale of tears." Wherefore
Paul says (1 Cor. 15:9): "I . . . am not worthy to be called an
apostle because I persecuted the Church of God."
Reply Obj. 3: These durations of time are fixed for penitents as
regards the exercise of external penance.
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