Pozycja zadośćuczynienia za grzechy w sprawowaniu sakramentu pokuty i pojednania

Zbigniew Janczewski

doi:10.21697/pk.2026.69.2.01

Published: 2026-06-25

Vol. 69 No. 2 (2026)

The Position of Satisfaction for Sins in the Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

Zbigniew Janczewski

Prawo Kanoniczne

Section: Articles and dissertations

https://doi.org/10.21697/pk.2026.69.2.01

Abstract

The problem addressed: The place and position of satisfaction in the celebration of the sacrament of penance has undergone changes throughout the history of the Church. The forms of satisfaction for sins and their intensity have changed. The position of this essential condition for the forgiveness of sins within the structure of the sacrament has also changed. This article attempts to answer the questions of what specific changes have occurred over the course of 20 centuries and whether satisfaction should not be restored, at least in part, to its rightful place among the other acts of the penitent.

The aim of the research conducted: The aim of the research is to trace the changes taking place in the issue of satisfaction for sins and to analyze legal texts concerning the discussed matter in terms of differences in the approach to penance for sins in different eras of the history of the Church.

Methods: In this work, the dogmatic-legal, historical-legal, and theological method were applied.

The results of the research: Penance for sins, as an act of the penitent, has undergone significant modifications since the early days of the Church. The manner of its execution shifted from public to private and secret. The acts of penance themselves, previously lengthy and arduous, have become usually symbolic. The place of satisfaction in the structure of the sacrament has also changed; it was moved from a central position to a final one, often occurring some time after confession, and even after receiving Holy Communion.

The conclusions drawn from the research: After the shift in the position of satisfaction for sins within the structure of the discussed sacrament, it became not so much a sacrament of penance, but a sacrament of confession and reconciliation, of confessing and remitting sins. In the 21st century, when the sense of sin is significantly diminishing among some faithful, the marginalization of acts of satisfaction may lead to a worsening of the situation. There is a danger of concluding that, for example, a modest prayer can constitute satisfaction for serious sins; consequently, the evil associated with them is apparently not as significant or serious. Therefore, it is necessary to re-examine in the Church the position and essence of satisfaction within the entire structure of the sacrament of penance and reconciliation.

Keywords:

sacrament of penance and reconciliation, satisfaction for sins, forms of penance, penitent

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Janczewski, Z. (2026). The Position of Satisfaction for Sins in the Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Prawo Kanoniczne, 69(2), 5–29. https://doi.org/10.21697/pk.2026.69.2.01

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