Folia Theologica et Canonica 11. 33/25 (2022)
Ius canonicum
MANDATORY REPORTING LEGISLATION AND THE SEAL OF CONFESSION... 139 to the Church Fathers is “essentially the lifting of the excommunication from the sinner and his incorporation into the grace-dispensing community of the Church.”75 St. Ambrose (339-397) rejects Novatian’s notion of the unforgivable sin76 (Heb 6: 4-6; Mt 12: 31-32).77 He teaches that the sacrament of Penance confers the sacramental grace again, even in case of the greatest sins, provided that sinners have contrition (repentance) and make confession and satisfaction.78 Furthermore, St. Ambrose tirelessly defends the Church against the revival of paganism and against the Arian heresy, and addresses the abuses committed by the civil authorities of his time. He says to the Arians that they are the worst of all heretics because “they were willing to surrender to Caesar the right to rule the Church.”79 Defending the Church’s independence from the civil authorities he said: “Palaces are a matter for the emperors concern, but churches belong to the bishop. The emperor is within the Church, and not above it.”80 The Bishop of Milan courageously imposed public penances on Emperor Valentinian I concerning his abuse of power and severity of rule and on the Emperor Theodosius for massacre in Thessalonica (390);81 the latter is a particularly valuable resource in understanding the form of public penance of that time. St. Augustine, Bishop of Carthage (t430) gives us the clearest picture of ecclesiastical penance of that time.82 He underlines that “the sacramental act 75 Poschmann, B., Die Kirchliche Vermittlung der Sündenvergebung nach Augustinus, in Zeitschrift für Katholische Theologie 45 (1921) 498. 76 “For it is impossible, in the case of those qwho have once been enlightened, who have tasted 'the heavenly gift, and shave shared in the Holy Spirit, and *have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and “then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since "they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” 77 See Two Books on Repentance. Introduction', http://www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/index.htm (consulted: 9/30/2022). 78 “Therefore most evidently are we bidden by the teaching of the Lord to confer again the grace of the heavenly sacrament of those guilty even of the greatest sins, if they with open confession bear the penance due to their sin.” Ambrose, De Paenitentia, II: 3; cf. Willis, J. R., Teachings of the Church Fathers, 422. 79 Hughes, Ph., The History of the Church, I. 217. 80 Ibid. 217. 81 See Life of St. Ambrose: http://www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/index.htm (consulted: 9/30/2022). 82 “This is a more grave and more mournful penance, and those engaged in it are properly called penitents in the Church. They are even kept from participation in the sacrament of the altar, lest in receiving unworthily they eat and drink unto condemnation. This penance is accordingly the mournful type. There is a serious wound: perhaps adultery has been committed, perhaps homicide, perhaps some act of sacrilege. The matter is grave, bringing about a grave, deadly and death-bearing wound.” Serm. 352: 3, 8: PL XXXIX. 1558; cf. Hubbard, B. L, St. Augustine’s Notion of Penance and Reconciliation with the Church, 42. Riga, P., Sin and Penance, 91.
