Penance

Penance, in its most fundamental sense, is interior penance: a conversion of heart toward God and away from sin, which implies the intention to change one's life because of hope in divine mercy (CCC 1431). External acts of penance — fasting, prayer, and almsgiving — give visible expression to this interior movement (CCC 1434).

Interior Penance

The Catechism describes interior repentance as a radical reorientation of the whole life — a return to God with all one's heart, an end to sin, a turning away from evil, accompanied by a desire and resolution to change one's life (CCC 1431). This is not merely emotional remorse but a genuine conversion of will, sustained by hope in God's mercy and trust in his grace.

External Acts of Penance

Jesus' call to conversion does not aim first at outward works, but interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance (CCC 1430). The tradition names three principal acts: fasting, which disciplines the flesh and opens the heart; prayer, which turns the soul toward God; and almsgiving, which expresses love of neighbor and detachment from possessions.

The Sacrament of Penance

The Sacrament of Penance (also called Reconciliation or Confession) is the liturgical celebration of God's forgiveness of sins. It consists of the acts of the penitent — contrition, confession of sins, and satisfaction — together with the absolution of the priest (CCC 1448). The Catechism calls it the sacrament of conversion, of forgiveness, and of reconciliation (CCC 1423–1424).

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Catholics required to do penance? Yes. The fourth precept of the Church obliges Catholics to observe certain penitential practices on prescribed days, particularly fasting and abstinence during Lent and on Fridays (CCC 2043). More broadly, penance is an ongoing dimension of the Christian life.