CHAPTER II

THE TREATMENT OF PENITENTS IN DIFFERENT EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES

74. The Confession of Children.

The confessor must devote special care to the confessions of children, for this is a matter of much importance.[936] As with adults, so with children, confession exercises a great influence upon the spiritual life, and forms a factor in their education which cannot be estimated too highly. For even a child can commit sins with full advertence or malice, and hence requires the Sacrament of Penance in order to recover the lost life of grace, and to obtain the necessary assistance in preserving itself from future sin. The child also has its temptations; evil inclinations and passions awaken in the child’s soul. Who does not know that many a child is entangled in a net of evil habits and occasions of the worst kind? In truth, the child stands much in need of supernatural strength in order to preserve its most precious treasure of innocence. This strength conferred by grace is more necessary to the child than all exhortations and instructions. A good confession will eradicate obstinate faults and evil habits which have long defied all the arts and wisdom of educational systems. Confession is in many cases the sole means of discovering in the child hidden and ruinous habits and of correcting them, thus safeguarding its innocence and purity. Even when parents and the other agencies of education, home influence and the school, fail in their duty, attaching importance only to the cultivation of the intelligence and to outward morality and propriety, the confessional can still be the child’s salvation by shielding its heart from evil. This great and fundamental significance of the confessional for the child and its education must be realized by the confessor. He will then readily undergo the labor involved in the preparation of children for confession, and the confessions themselves. Here, preëminently, he will scatter the good seed from which he may expect an abundant harvest. Here he is the true representative of the divine Friend of children, of Him who suffered the little children to come unto Him, of Him who uttered the momentous words: “He that shall receive one such little child in My name, receiveth Me” (Matt. xviii. 5; xix. 13-15).

I. The first consideration is the admission and the preparation of the children for confession.

In the admission to confession, age must certainly be considered, but not chiefly; the mental capacities and development must be taken into account. The declaration of the IV. Council of the Lateran that a child is bound to receive the Sacrament of Penance as soon as it has reached the years of discretion (_anni discretionis_) is based on the nature of the case. But when this period arrives cannot be precisely stated in years and days; it depends much on individual circumstances. The seventh year is generally regarded by theologians as the limit, and they teach that a child who has completed the seventh year is bound to receive the Sacrament of Penance. And if a child has average mental capacity, has received religious training at home, and from the sixth year regular religious instruction at school, it _can_, and generally _should_, go to confession when it is seven years old, or even before this, as would be desirable if such a child were seriously ill, or if there were reasons for supposing that it had committed grave sin. In the latter event the child would be bound, in order to comply with the precept of the Church, to confess within a year.[937] But as it happens that very many children are not sufficiently developed and instructed so early, it follows that the regular admission is left to the judgment of the priest. St. Charles Borromeo gave his clergy the following precept on this head: _Qui ad septem aut octo annos pervenerint, pro modulo de necessitate et virtute sacramenti illudque frequentandi instruentur_.[938] And the Cologne Provincial Council of the year 1860 decrees that the first confession of children _shall not be put off longer than the ninth year_. The priest should certainly not delay the preparation of a child for his first confession any longer, unless its incapacity is demonstrated. With the seventh or eighth year the children should be admitted to instruction for confession, and if a child shows in the course of this instruction that it has arrived at a sufficient understanding of the Sacrament of Penance, it should be immediately prepared for it. But those children who are not qualified should take part in the preparation for the next (second) confession of the course, in order that they may be admitted then, or later, in any case as soon as possible, to this holy Sacrament. For the zealous priest will not only instruct the children concerning the Sacrament at the beginning of every school year, as is the regulation in many dioceses, but each reception (at least in the children’s first years) will be preceded by a solid preparation consisting in a general repetition of the essential truths. If the less gifted children are present at these instructions and preparations, and if special attention is given to them, they will soon be in a condition to make a good confession. The final decision concerning the capacity or incapacity of a child to receive absolution, or, in other words, concerning its dispositions, must be left to the confessor, who will and must arrive at some settled judgment on this point, and give absolution conditionally or unconditionally, or postpone it, as he shall find necessary.

The special instruction which precedes the children’s confession must be given according to a definite and practical plan, and with great care and prudence.[939] At the outset the children must be solemnly admonished that they are shortly to be admitted to their first confession, and that for this purpose they are to receive a special instruction. The importance of this instruction must be impressed upon them as an initiatory preparation for the reception of the Sacrament, thus encouraging them to diligent application and attention. There is probably no religious instruction which more attracts little ones and more wins their interest, than the instruction for confession, on account of the exceedingly beautiful truths which are here discussed. It must be emphasized and brought home to the children that it is a great happiness, an unmerited favor to be cleansed from sin in the holy Sacrament of Penance; it would be ill timed to represent confession as something hard or difficult or as a kind of punishment. One must rather awaken enthusiasm within them, so that they may take pleasure in preparing themselves for it carefully, and they must be assured that the confessor will make easy everything which they think will be difficult in the confessional if only they show good will. Admission to confession must also be represented to them in the light of a distinction, and as a reward of diligence and attention.

As to the matter of the instruction,—the doctrine of the Sacrament of Penance must be treated thoroughly, clearly, attractively, and in a manner adapted to a child’s intelligence. Then the most important doctrines of the catechism with reference to confession must be repeated, especially the doctrine of God and His attributes; furthermore, the doctrine of sin and the Redemption. These truths are to be set forth in a manner at once easily intelligible to the mind and stimulating to the feelings. Particular care must be taken that the children learn to say correctly and with understanding the usual prayers before and after confession. It is very useful at the end of this instruction (of the remote preparation) and shortly before the confession, to make with the children an examination of conscience. In this manner as complete a confession as possible will result, and many abuses be prevented; especially will children not accuse themselves of things which they do not in the least understand and which they have not committed; while, at the same time, the suitable, intelligible, and becoming expressions for the different sins will be put into their mouths.[940] Furthermore, it is much to be recommended that the children should, in common, be incited to contrition and purpose of amendment (say in the Church, immediately before confession) by laying before them the motives for contrition, and this slowly, intelligibly, and in a manner adapted to children; afterwards repeating to them a short and forcible formula of contrition and purpose of amendment, concluding with another short exhortation to sincerity in confession and to gratitude to God after the confession.[941]

II. Treatment of children in the confessional.

If the children have been well prepared, the confessor’s work is much facilitated. But he must, nevertheless, always bear in mind the words of St. Alphonsus de Liguori: “_The confessor must expend all his love on the children, and treat them in the gentlest manner possible_.”[942]

But even when there has been careful preparation the confessor must: (1) see that the confession is a complete one, and supply any possible defects in it; (2) instruct the child, and, if necessary, dispose it for absolution; (3) judge of his disposition, and, according to this judgment, give absolution conditionally or unconditionally or defer it.

In addition to the rules already laid down and discussed, the following special remarks will be serviceable:—

1. If the confession of the child is _incomplete_ or vague, the confessor can easily discover the principal sins or at least sufficient matter by means of questions if the child has some little intelligence. He may ask the child if it has neglected daily prayers, if it has through his own fault missed Mass on Sundays or holidays (especially during vacation time); if it has behaved disrespectfully in Church, by laughing, talking, looking about, and disturbing others; if it has been disobedient and naughty towards his parents and superiors; if it has quarreled with his brothers and sisters and other children; if it has been angry or cursed in anger; if it has taken dainties by stealth or stolen; if it has lied and said untrue things of other children.[943] Where there are grave sins, he must, of course, ask the number, if it was not stated; and he must insist upon the child’s examining itself concerning the number, and stating it as precisely as possible. Everything connected with children’s confessions must claim the confessor’s attention, but he must be especially careful that they learn to confess well. Children will have great difficulty in giving account of their thoughts, desires, and the intentions by which they have been influenced, and the confessor may thus find himself obliged to put questions on these matters.

2. If the child has made a definite confession, but the confessor still believes that there has been insincerity,—from false shame or fear, or, perhaps, from inability to make the sin known, it often requires great prudence to detect the sin omitted.[944] It is mostly sins against the sixth and seventh commandments which, for the above reasons, children conceal. If the confessor therefore, suspects that a sin against the sixth commandment has been omitted, he must exercise prudence in two ways: first, that he does not, by unsuitable questions, make the child acquainted with sins of which it knows nothing, and that he does not put the questions in such a general way that they fail to disclose the sin. If the child confesses that it spoke immodest words, or did something immodest, or permitted it, the confessor must not at once conclude that he has to do with real sins against the sixth commandment; for sometimes children take unbecoming words, which are no sin against holy purity, for immodest words and confess them as sins; they also regard certain things as immodest actions which are by no means sinful,[945] but on the contrary necessary. There is ground for this supposition especially when an otherwise good child accuses itself of having very frequently committed such sins.... The confessor may also ask the child if it knows what impurity is. As he must not investigate the matter further he must form his judgment in accordance with the whole confession or suspend a definite judgment; and he should not forget that it is better to leave a confession doubtfully complete than to expose innocence to danger by asking questions. But if he discovers that the case is really so, and that the child suffers from _conscientia erronea_ on this point, he must suitably instruct it. If, however, it is clear the child has accused itself of sins against holy purity, and the confessor believes that real sins are in question,[946] let him not fail to investigate what led up to them—a sinful, necessary, or voluntary occasion, or a vicious habit. Not infrequently the confessor will discover the distressing fact that home and school, instead of being nurseries of that flower of the virtues, the child’s innocence, are the cause of its destruction, either with or without the fault of parents or superiors; and this through sleeping together, the bad example or open seduction of corrupted brothers and sisters, some imprudence on the part of parents, or the talk, buffoonery, and doings of some tainted child at school. Such circumstances will not only awaken deep and painful regret in the confessor, but also his endeavors as physician of the soul, to help and heal, and save the poor child from complete ruin. He must here apply with special care and prudence the rules concerning occasions and sinful habits. If the confessor perceives that a child suffers from _false shame_, or that it is immoderately timid, he must seek to induce it to candor and confidence by kind persuasion, affectionate encouragement, or also by serious exhortation.

In the preparatory instruction the confessor must specially accentuate the seal of the confession, and not fail to represent the confessor to the child as the substitute of Christ, who, like our divine Savior, receives children (and children who have sinned also) as a loving father, and as the Good Shepherd rejoices over the return of the child by a sincere confession.

3. If a child has concealed a sin against the seventh commandment, it is easier for the confessor to discover the insincerity. He must ask what was stolen, where and from whom it was stolen, if other things than eatables were stolen, what was done with them, etc. Stealing and eating dainties by stealth generally go together, as the longing for these dainties often makes the child a thief. Another form of theft is keeping back money when parents or others have sent the child to make purchases. Study and experience, especially in the cure of souls, and light from above, for which the confessor must always pray before confessions and during them in more difficult cases, will enable him to discover other points which cannot be here discussed.

The next task of the confessor is _to instruct the child, to prescribe remedies, and to dispose it for the absolution_. The sins which have been confessed will furnish the occasion for the instruction; but instruction concerning the necessary truths of faith may also be required, especially when absolution cannot be deferred. The confessor must particularly inform the child concerning the malice and hatefulness and evil consequences of its sins; then also concerning the beauty and rewards of virtue and the duties of its station. Nor should he fail to remind the children of their sublime pattern, the divine Child Jesus. The confessor should inspire them with love and confidence in the Blessed Virgin, their heavenly Mother, and teach them devotional practices in her honor and service. Finally, he should recommend to them, as a means of obtaining virtue, zealous and regular prayer, recollection of the presence of God, and avoidance of bad companions; and let him not tire of telling the children all this over and over again, and implanting it in their hearts. It will remain there, and in due time bring forth good fruit. Though he has imparted these precepts and exhortations during the religious instruction, he should repeat them at the confession in suitable form; they will be more effective there; but they must be adapted to the intelligence of the child and be short and forcible.

With the performance of this duty he must combine another, the healing of the wounds of the child’s soul. This healing begins with the acknowledgment of the evil in the examination of conscience and confession, is carried on by the sorrow, and completed by the absolution, through which grace is poured into the soul. By means of the instruction which the confessor gives the child, he will seek to move it to real sorrow and firm purpose of amendment. This is a principal task of the confessor in children’s confessions. How often and how easily the latter become invalid, or doubtfully valid, from the child’s having been too superficial and thoughtless in awakening sorrow and firm purpose, not having been properly attentive during the preparation, and having repeated an act of contrition and purpose of amendment more with the mouth than with the heart. The confessor must have due regard for this, and employ the necessary care for warding off such evil. If the immediate preparation for confession was a good one, he may set his mind at rest as regards most of the children; nevertheless he will here, once more, seek to move the child to sorrow and renewal of purpose in a few forcible words. But if the immediate preparation above described was entirely left to the individual children, and if the confessor has misgivings about it, he must supply what is wanting by short but earnest admonitions.

Let the confessor be persuaded that his endeavors are not in vain, and even if it should be his experience that the child has turned to no advantage these preparations for confession, let him not be disheartened. The child will recognize the representative of Christ in him better in the confessional than at the instruction, and if he speaks as such, inspired by a pure intention and a holy zeal for the love of Jesus, he may confidently expect that his words, aided by the grace of God, will make their way to the child’s heart, and there find fruitful soil. The child’s heart, though fickle and thoughtless, is not so insensible to contrition; the feeling of gratitude and love is there, and the love of God is more easily excited in it. Still easier will it be for the confessor to move the child to a firm purpose of amendment. In this work of healing he must pay special attention to certain sins, which often occur with children, and are particularly ruinous in them—lying, stealing, and impurity.

(_a_) If the child shows a tendency to lying, the confessor must first of all emphasize the sinfulness of lying, as it is often scarcely regarded as a sin and confessed as a matter of custom, in many cases, it must be feared, without due sorrow and purpose of amendment. He should point out to the child the particular hatefulness of lying, as expressed by the Holy Ghost in Holy Writ: “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs xii. 22), and that “a lie is a foul blot in a man” (Eccles.