The sacrament of penance and reconciliation as a sacrament of healing

Abstract

The sacraments of healing enliven the grace of God or - when through his own fault man has lost it - they restore it. Owing to them, the community of the People of God continually renews itself in sanctifying grace and becomes more closely connected to its Saviour - Jesus Christ. This is effected particulary by the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, the great significance and usefulness of which in the spiritual life of a christian was asserted by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In this sacrament the contrite sinner comes back into unity with the divine persons and the community of the Church. In experiencing God's mercy, the sinner regains soundness and strength to fulfil the mission of Christ, who through the ministry of the Church unites people around His Father.