Roman Penance

Καὶ ἐν ταὶς κατὰ Δύσιν Ἐκκλησίαις φυλάττεται, και μάλιστα ἐν τῇ Ρωμαίων. Ἐνθάδε γὰρ ἔκδηλός ὀστιν ὁ τόπος τῶν ἐν μετανοίᾳ ὄντων· ἐστᾶσι δὲ κατηφεὶς, καὶ οἰονει πενθοῦντες. Ἤδη δὲ πληρωθείσης τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ λειτουργίας, μὴ μετασχοντες ὦν μύσταις θέμις, σὺν οἰμωγῇ καὶ ὀδυρμῷ πρηνεὶς ἐπὶ γῆς ῥίπτουσι σφᾶς. Ἀντιπρόσωπος δὲ δεδακρυμένος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος προσδραμὼν, ὁμοίως ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους πίπτει· σὺν ὀλολυγῇ καὶ τὸ πᾶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πλῆθος δακρύων ἐμπίπλαται. Τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ, πρῶτος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ἐξανίσταται, καὶ τοὺς κειμένους ἀνίστησι· καὶ ἧ προσῆκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμαρτηκότων μεταμελουμένων εὐξάμενος, ἀποπέμπει. Και ἑαυτὸν δ' ἑκοντὶ ταλαιπωρούμενος ἕκαστος, ἢ νηστείαις, ἢ ἀλουσίαις, ἢ ἐδεσμάτων ἀποχῇ, ἢ ἑτέροις οἶς προστέτακται, περιμένει τὸν χρόνον, εἰς ὅσον αὐτῷ τέταχεν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος. Τῇ δὲ προθεσμίᾳ, ὥσπερ τι ὅφλημα διαλύσας τήν τιμωρίαν, τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀνίεται, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ εκκλησιάζει. Ταδε μὲν ἀρχῆθεν οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἱερείς ἄχρι καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς φυλάττουσιν.   Ἑρμείος Σωζομενός, Ἐκκλησιαστίκη Ἱστορία, Τομ Ζ´ Κεφ ΙϚ´

Penance is observed by the Western churches, and especially at Rome, for there there is a conspicuous place for those penitent, where they stand downcast and silent, lamenting in their minds, until the divine service is over, for it is not lawful for them to participate in the mysteries, then with cries and wailing they cast themselves prostrate on the ground. Facing them, having wept, the bishop conducts the ceremony, and falls to the floor in like manner; and all the church overflows with weeping and groaning. After this the bishop rises first, and raises up those laying down, and he offers up prayer on behalf of the repentant sinners present, and so dismisses them. Each of the penitents voluntarily humbles himself, by fasting, or not washing, or by abstaining from meats, or by other prescribed means, for a certain time determined by the bishop. When the period is over, he is relieved of the debt of his sin, and he attends church with the people. These things from the beginning the Roman priests have carefully observed until our times. Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, Book VII, Chapter 16