There is no person who has not committed a single sin in his life, because we all tend to make mistakes. But not all of us commit only daily sins; sometimes, succumbing to emotions, seeing no other way out of the situation, a person commits a mortal sin, which he soon begins to regret. In order to at least somehow atone for his sin and get relief, a person can ask the priest to impose penance - this is a kind of punishment that a Christian will have to bear for some time.
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Church ministers interpret penance as a spiritual medicine rather than a punishment, so this measure can be very useful for a person who wants to atone for his guilt before God. To understand what penance is, when and for what period it can be imposed, and what the punishment may be, it is worth considering this issue in more detail.
The essence of the concept
The definition of what penance is is not difficult to find today.
This is a type of church punishment that involves assigning the laity to perform some action for a certain time as a “payment” for sins committed.
Only a confessor can impose penance on a person, and not any first priest he meets.
We also note that, predominantly in all cases, only that servant of the Lord who has chosen a specific measure of “punishment” for a layman can remove it.
Modern priests often talk about what penance is, and they define this term not even as punishment, but as a way to atone for one’s guilt before the Lord and a way to heal the soul. Depending on the severity of a person’s misdeeds, one or another penance will be imposed, which he will have to adhere to for the time specified by the priest.
Note! As a rule, after confession of grave sins, confessors impose penance. It can last several months, a year or three years (the latter is the maximum). During this period, it is necessary to strictly adhere to all orders of the confessor; moreover, it will not be possible to confess until the expiration of its validity period. In individual cases, the priest can facilitate penance.
Adulterers – from 3 to 15 years
As follows from the rules of one of the Church Fathers, Basil the Great, women for adultery were punished with 15 years of penance, while in the church they were forbidden to stand next to other parishioners, which increased the moral censure of the shameless woman.
For male adulterers, the penance was milder. As stated in the “Canons of the Orthodox Church” by Grabbe, those caught in adultery or unwittingly exposed in it are necessarily subject to penance, but its duration is determined by the priest. The one who forcibly took as his wife the intended wife of another and forcibly molested her received 9 years, and the one who married without the consent of her father received only 3 years. Penance was also imposed on those who remarried. For a broken first marriage and a desire to marry again, the sinner was excommunicated from communion for a year or two. The triplets were punished with five years of penance.
Penance at different times
Confessors knew about what penance is in Orthodoxy both hundreds of years ago and now, but their interpretations are slightly different from each other.
In the old days, this word really meant punishment, and often it could be very harsh and even unbearable for a layman.
The whole point was that the people of the past were more turned to the Lord and were careful about their words, actions and the consequences that they could have.
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As for modern times, it becomes more difficult to understand what this penance is. It all depends on the severity of the offense committed by the layman. If it is small or was not carried out on purpose, accidentally or in a state of passion, the “collection” will be very small.
Moreover, if the confessor sees that the person truly repents and regrets what he has done, the penance will be extremely short and simple.
Penance for sins committed as a relapse is a completely different matter.
It is important here that the layman understands that over and over again he does evil.
Therefore, his punishment will be determined with the hope that in the near future he will understand that he was wrong.
But in both the first and second cases, the modern definition of this term does not have the former “cruel” and strict connotations.
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Distribution of canons
Gradually, the collection spread throughout the Byzantine Church, and then a number of its adaptations or independent collections of a similar nature appeared. They were called "penitential nomocanons." Around the same period, such collections appeared in Slavic countries, where they were translated and began to operate in church practice.
During the Soviet era, the science of church law practically ceased to exist, and instead of the laws dictated by it, priests began to follow traditions. Therefore, today there are no specific regulations that would establish the measure of responsibility for sins determined by the Church.
Like many other matters, this area is entirely governed by custom, which may vary from parish to parish. But in any case, today in the Orthodox Church penance is sanctions that are ascetic in nature (such as observing additional fasting, additional prayers and bows), as well as excommunication from the Eucharist for a short time.
What is penance?
Of course, the punishment will be determined depending on the specifics of the crime. You can find out what you have sinned based on the Ten Commandments, in which everything is clearly stated.
Let's list the possible measures of correction, or rather, spiritual healing, which can be attributed to a sin of one kind or another:
- Pronouncing prayer texts over a long period of time (as a rule, you will have to read a very long prayer every day).
- Maintaining a very long fast (most often you will have to give up meat).
- Providing alms, especially to those people who truly need it.
- Obligatory bowing during the service.
- Long-term abstinence (even in the presence of a legal marriage).
The type and duration of the punishment will depend on what, in fact, it is determined for. For minor sins, people are most often required to fulfill one of the vows within 40 days.
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If the atrocities are extremely serious, the confessor may prescribe a very long correctional period with mandatory attendance at church.
In what cases are the laity condemned to penance?
The time has come to find out why penance is imposed and what you should be afraid of when living your life. Many are sinners, but only a few ask for forgiveness. If you have turned to the Lord and decided to confess, be prepared to undergo a series of “corrective works” before you continue on your worldly path.
In most cases, this terrible word means penance for all aborted children. There is no single measure of punishment for committing such a sinful act, since the laity are people who live not only within the framework of Orthodox canons, but also in a secular society, which also leaves a significant imprint on their actions.
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Undoubtedly, a woman who at least once got rid of her unborn child will begin not only with health problems, but also with the psyche, attitude, as well as with matters that seem to be unrelated to this issue.
Punishment for aborted children is imposed based on their number, as well as the severity of the circumstances in which the offense was committed.
After all, it is worth taking into account not only the sin itself, but the laws of society. After all, it often happens that a woman is forced to have an abortion by circumstances (lack of money) or by her man.
This sin is special in that only those people who are legally married can commit it.
By agreeing to live with your spouse for the rest of your life, a person also agrees to be faithful.
Breaking this promise amounts to a very serious sin.
Penance for adultery will be assigned based on the number of betrayals, as well as based on the motives for betrayal.
If it was a one-time mistake, the measure of atonement for the sin will be simple and brief. But penance for adultery committed due to fornication will become the basis for imposing a very harsh and long punishment.
It differs from the previous offense in that absolutely anyone can commit it. Moreover, this word refers to various sexual pleasures that do not fit into the framework of marital duty.
The following phenomena can be considered as fornication:
- homosexuality,
- adultery,
- debauchery
Based on the individual case, the confessor will prescribe the punishment. As a rule, the punishment for such sins is short, but the sacrament itself will require a lot of effort from the guilty person.
Moreover, we note that for the sin of fornication, penance can be assigned more than once.
If a person is devout, but has a habit of returning to his sin, he will have to constantly atone for it by spending days and nights in prayer.
For Russia, this problem is most acute. For drunkenness, punishment is imposed in accordance with the frequency of consumption of alcoholic beverages, as well as the severity of the sins that are committed under their influence.
The Old Testament contains rules that allow people to drink wine without getting drunk from it. Exceeding the specified dose leads to committing a sin, for which you will have to pay for a long time.
Note! Drunkenness, like any other sin, is condemned only by your personal spiritual mentor. He, knowing the peculiarities of your life, character and personality as a whole, will be able to give one or another punishment that will help not only temporarily get rid of mental illness, but also completely overcome it. It is this person who will subsequently remove the penance and guide him on the true path, so that in the future the layman will live in complete harmony with his inner world.
Methods of disposal
The sacrament of repentance, that is, confession, completely delivers a Christian from the sin committed. The person will no longer be guilty of the confessed offense. But in reality, the degree of repentance can be different. If passions are not completely eliminated in the soul, the repentant sinner commits the same unrighteous acts again and again.
Penance, in particular excommunication from communion, helps a person realize the degree of his moral and spiritual decline, overcome attachment to sin, and feel disgust for it. Self-justification, characteristic of fallen human nature, does not allow the repentant sinner to fully realize the depth of his fall. Therefore, practicing good deeds such as fasting, prayer, almsgiving and abstinence helps one realize the degree of sinfulness of one’s deeds and strengthens repentance.
Prayers
Very often, as penance, the confessor prescribes an extended prayer rule or reading the Gospel. For example, it is prescribed to read the canon of repentance, Our Father or other prayers for a certain period. In addition, prayer can also mean other acts of reverence and piety.
Charity
Alms and help provided to neighbors well cleanse a person’s heart from sins and passions. She instills love in the heart, makes sinners repent of their sins towards themselves and their neighbors. Almsgiving can be not only material, but also spiritual.
Long fast
By abstaining from pleasing his flesh, keeping it in strictness and fasting, the repentant sinner cleanses and refines his soul. This helps him see his sins more clearly, realize them, and bring deep repentance.
Fasting includes not only food restrictions, but also other methods of mortification and self-affirmation.
Worship during worship
Prostration is a means of regaining the lost connection with God. He symbolizes the prodigal son, who returned home and fell on his knees before the Heavenly Father, asking for forgiveness and return to his native abode. With such a bow-fall we plunge ourselves into the abyss of repentance, where the merciful God will certainly extend his hand to us to save us from sins.
Abstaining from marital debt
There are days in the church calendar when communication between spouses in their family bed must be limited for spiritual purposes. If a husband and wife violate this instruction, the priest may assign them penance in the form of a temporary renunciation of marital duty.
As a rule, the passion that dominates a person’s soul is cured by the opposite action or virtue.
Penance today
The confessors of the modern world have the right to assign to especially serious sinners much more cruel and severe penances than those described above. If a layman repeatedly commits a very serious sin, which even amounts to breaking the law of the country in which he lives, his punishment will be no less light.
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However, everything depends on the characteristics of the person who comes to confession, as well as on his life environment. His personal confessor, who determines the measure of mental healing, must not just issue an ultimatum, but wisely and wisely provide the opportunity to atone for sin and become better before his own eyes and before the eyes of God.
What to do if penance was imposed by an unknown priest?
Penance can be prescribed by a confessor or priest.
Penance assigned by a confessor, or a priest to whom a person confesses more or less regularly, must be fulfilled unconditionally. It often happens that penance is imposed by an unknown priest, for example, during a pilgrimage. You need to tell your confessor about this, who will judge what to do next.
The prayer of permission for a person who has performed penance must be read by the same priest who appointed it. In the event of his death, another priest is allowed to read the prayer of permission.
