RESERVED SINS ACCORDING TO THE CCEO AND LATAE SENTENTIAE CENSURES ACCORDING TO THE CIC IN RELATION TO THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE A COMPARATIVE JURIDICAL AND PASTORAL ANALYSIS Vinson JOSEPH A Dissertation Submitted to the Chair of Canon Law in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Fribourg for Obtaining the Degree of Doctorate under the Direction of Professor Astrid KAPTIJN 2015 RESERVED SINS ACCORDING TO THE CCEO AND LATAE SENTENTIAE CENSURES ACCORDING TO THE CIC IN RELATION TO THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE A COMPARATIVE JURIDICAL AND PASTORAL ANALYSIS Vinson JOSEPH Director Prof. Astrid KAPTIJN A Dissertation Submitted to the Chair of Canon Law in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Fribourg for Obtaining the Degree of Doctorate Fribourg/Freiburg – 1700 SWITZERLAND 2015 CONTENTS Contents .................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. xi Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... xiii General Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Chapter I A THEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL APPRAISAL OF THE POWER TO ABSOLVE SINS AND THE REGULATION OF THIS POWER IN THE CHURCH Introduction ................................................................................................................ 7 Part I - The Power of the Church to Absolve Sins 1.1.1. Biblical Foundation .......................................................................................... 8 1.1.1.1. Jesus as Founder of the Sacrament of Reconciliation ............................ 8 1.1.1.2. Jesus Himself is Sent by God the Father ............................................... 10 1.1.1.3. Transmission of this Power of Forgiveness to the Apostles .................. 10 1.1.1.4. The Apostolic Period ............................................................................. 13 1.1.2. The Theology of the Power of the Keys .......................................................... 14 1.1.2.1. Early Fathers of the Church on the Theology of the Power of the Keys 15 1.1.2.1.1. Tertullian: The Power of the Keys Belongs to Peter Alone ........ 16 1.1.2.1.2. Cyprian of Carthage ..................................................................... 18 1.1.2.1.3. Origen .......................................................................................... 19 1.1.2.1.4. Augustine of Hippo ...................................................................... 20 1.1.2.1.5. John Chrysostom ......................................................................... 21 1.1.2.1.6. Ambrose of Milan ........................................................................ 22 1.1.2.1.7. Leo the Great ............................................................................... 23 1.1.2.1.8. Gregory the Great ........................................................................ 24 1.1.2.2. Early Councils on the Power of the Keys .............................................. 25 1.1.2.2.1. First Council of Carthage ............................................................. 25 1.1.2.2.2. The Council of Ancyra ................................................................ 26 RESERVED SINS AND LATAE SENTENTIAE CENSURES ii 1.1.2.2.3. The Great Council of Nicaea ...................................................... 26 1.1.2.2.4. Council of Laodicea .................................................................... 27 1.1.2.2.5. The Third Council of Toledo ...................................................... 28 1.1.2.3. Early Documents on the Power of Keys ............................................... 29 1.1.2.3.1. Apostolic Decree ......................................................................... 29 1.1.2.3.2. The Shepherd of Hermas ............................................................. 30 1.1.2.3.3. Didaskalia Apostolorum ............................................................. 31 1.1.2.3.4. Three Church Orders ................................................................... 32 1.1.2.4. Lateran Council IV ................................................................................ 34 1.1.2.5. Scholastic Theologians on Power of Keys ............................................ 35 1.1.2.5.1. Peter Abelard ............................................................................... 35 1.1.2.5.2. Peter Lombard ............................................................................. 36 1.1.2.5.3. Hugh of St. Victor ....................................................................... 37 1.1.2.5.4. Richard of St. Victor ................................................................... 37 1.1.2.5.5. Thomas Aquinas ......................................................................... 38 1.1.2.5.6. Duns Scotus ................................................................................. 39 1.1.2.6. Council of Trent .................................................................................... 40 1.1.2.7. Vatican Council II ................................................................................. 42 Part II - Development of the Faculty to Forgive Sins in the History of Penance 1.2.1. Bishops as Ordinary Ministers in the Early Centuries .................................... 44 1.2.2. Extra-Ordinary Ministers in the Ancient System ............................................ 46 1.2.3. The Priest Penitentiary in the Eastern Church ................................................ 47 1.2.4. Twenty Five Priests of Titles .......................................................................... 48 1.2.5. Spiritual Men as Minister of the Sacrament According to Origen .................. 49 1.2.6. The System of Private Penance led the Priest to be the Ordinary Minister .... 49 1.2.7. Episcopal Consultation Replaced by Penitentials ........................................... 51 1.2.8. The Conflict in the Case of Faculty in the Early Middle Ages ....................... 52 1.2.9. Lateran Council IV Grants Ordinary Faculty to the Parish Priests ................. 55 1.2.10. Cum ad aures of Innocent XI ........................................................................ 55 1.2.11. Council of Trent Confirms the Ordinary Faculty of Priests .......................... 55 1.2.12. Current Legislation on the Faculty ................................................................ 56 1.2.13. Why are two Powers needed? ....................................................................... 58 RESERVED SINS AND LATAE SENTENTIAE CENSURES iii Part III - Restrictions on the Power to Absolve Sins in the History of Penance 1.3.1. Restrictions in the Early Church ...................................................................... 59 1.3.1.1. Sins Reserved to God: Idolatry, Adultery and Murder .......................... 59 1.3.1.2. Remissible and Irremissible Sins According to Tertullian .................... 60 1.3.1.3. Incurable Sins According to Origen ...................................................... 61 1.3.1.4. Relaxation in the Cases of Irremissible Sins.......................................... 62 1.3.1.5. Capital Crimes and Council of Illiberris ................................................ 63 1.3.2. Restriction Based on the Number of Times: Once per lifetime ....................... 64 1.3.3. Restriction by the Time of Reconciliation: Capital Sins after a Longer Period of Penance or at the Approach of Death ............................................... 64 1.3.4. John Chrysostom on Liberty of the Penitent .................................................... 66 1.3.5. Restriction Based on the Gravity of Sins: Public Penance for Capital Sins .... 67 1.3.6. Restrictions Based on the Public or Private Nature of Capital Sin .................. 68 1.3.7. The First Reservation of Sin in History ........................................................... 69 1.3.8. Wide Reservations of Sins in the Middle Age ................................................. 70 1.3.9. Reservation of Sins According to Council of Trent ......................................... 72 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 73 Chapter II RESERVED SINS ACCORDING TO THE CCEO (cc.727-729) Introduction ................................................................................................................ 75 2.1. The Minister of the Sacrament of Penance in CCEO (c.722) ............................. 76 2.1.1. Two Roles of the Minister of Penance ...................................................... 77 2.1.2. The Priest as the Minister of the Church .................................................. 78 2.1.3. The Absolution by a Priest ........................................................................ 78 2.2. Power of Order and Power of Jurisdiction .......................................................... 79 2.3. The Power of Jurisdiction in the Sacrament of Penance ..................................... 81 2.3.1. The Council of Trent on the Jurisdiction of Penance ............................... 82 2.3.2. Terminological Difference in the new Legislation: Faculty ..................... 82 2.3.3. The Lack of Faculty affects the Validity of the Sacrament ...................... 84 2.4. The Means to Obtain the Faculty to Absolve Sins (cc.722-725)