Times Of Forgiveness

Multiplex misericordia Dei ita lapsibus subvenit humanis, ut non solum per baptismi gratiam, sed etiam per poenitentiae medicinam spes vitae reparetur aeternae, ut qui regenerationis dona violassent, propio se judicio condemnantes, ad remissionem criminum pervenirent: sic divinae bonitatis praesidiis ordinatis, ut indulgentia Dei nisi supplicationibus sacerdotum nequeat obtineri. Mediator enim Dei et hominum homo Christus Jesus hanc praepositis Ecclesiae tradidit potestatem, ut et confitentibus actionem poeniteniae darent, et eosdem salubri satisfactione purgatos, ad communionem sacramentorum per januam reconciliationis admitterent. Cui utique operi incessabiliter ipse Salvator intervenit, nec umquam ab his abest quae ministris suis exsequenda commisit, dicens, Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem saeculi: ut si quid per servitutem nostram bono ordine et gratulando impletur effectu, non ambigamus per Spiritum sanctum fuisse donatum. Si autem aliquis eorum pro quibus Domino supplicamus, quocumque interceptus obstaculo, munere indulgentiae praesentis exciderit, et priusquam ad constituta remedia perveniat, temporalem vitam humana conditione finierit, quod manens in corpore non recepit, consequi exutus carne non poterit. Nec necesse est nos eorum qui sic obierint merita actusque discutere, cum Dominus Deus noster, cujus judicia nequent comprehendi, quod sacerdotale ministerium implere non potuit, suae justitiae reservaverit: ita potestatem suam timeri volens, ut hic terror omnibus prosit, et quod quibusdam tepidis aut negligentibus accidit, nemo non metuat. Multum enim utile ac necessarium est ut peccatorum reatus ante ultimum diem sacerdotali supplicatione solvatur. His autem qui in tempore necessitatis et in periculi urgentis instania praesidium poenitentiae et mox reconciliationis implorant, nec satisfactio interdicenda est, nec reconciliatio deneganda: quia misericordiae Dei nec mensuras possumus penere, nec tempora definire, apud qum nullas patitur vaniae moras vera conversio, dicente Spiritu Dei per prophetam: Cum conversus ingemueris, tunc salvus eris. Et alibi: Dic tu iniquitates tuas prior, ut justificeris. Et iterum: Quia apud Dominum misericordia est, et coposia apud eum redemptio. In dispensandis itaque Dei donis non debemus esse difficles, nec accusantium se lacrymas gemitusque negligere, cum ipsam poenitendi affectionem ex Dei credamus inspiratione conceptam, dicente Apostolo: Ne forte det illis Deus poenitentiam, ut resipiscant a diaboli laquies, a quo captivi tenentur ad ipsius voluntatem. Unde oportet unumquemque Christianum conscientiae suae habere judicium, ne converti ad Deum de die in diem differat, nec satisfactionis sibi tempus in fine vitae suae constituat: quia periculose hac se conditione fragilitas et ignorantia humana concludit, ut ad paucaruum horarum se reservet incertum; et cum possit pleniore satisfactione indulgentiam promereri, illius temporis angustias eligat, quo vix inveniat spatium vel confessio poenitentis, vel reconciliatio sacerdotis. Verum, ut dixi, etiam talium necessitati ita auxiliandum est, ut et actio illis poenitentiae, et communionis gratia, si eam, etiam amisso vocis officio, per indicia integri sensus postulant, non negetur. At si aliqua vi aegritudinis ita fuerint aggravati, ut quod paulo ante poscebant, sub praesentia sacerdotis significare non valeant, testimonia eis fidelium circumstantium prodesse debebunt, ut simul et poenitentiae et reconciliationis beneficium consequantur; servata tamen regula canonum paternorum circa eorum personas qui in Deum a fide discedendo peccarunt. Sanctus Leo Magnus, Epistula CVIII, Ad Theodorum Forojuliensem Episcopum

The manifold mercy of God so helps folk in their falls that not only by the grace of baptism but also by the medicine of penitence is the hope of eternal life repaired, that they who have violated the gifts of regeneration, in their own judgment condemning themselves, may come to forgiveness of their errors, the provisions of the Divine Goodness having ordained that God's indulgence cannot be obtained without the supplications of priests. For the Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, has given this power to those that are set over the Church, that they should both grant a course of penitence to those who confess, and, when they are cleansed by salutary correction, admit them through the door of reconciliation to communion in the sacraments. In which work assuredly the Saviour Himself unceasingly takes part and is never apart from those things which He has committed to his ministers to perform, saying: 'Behold, I am with you all the days even to the end of the age,' 1 so that whatever is accomplished through our service in good order and with satisfactory effects we doubt not that it has been given through the Holy Spirit. But if any one of those for whom we pray to God be prevented by some obstacle and he be cut off from the gift of immediate absolution, and before he come to the remedies appointed, the time of his life in human state is brought to an end, that which he did not receive while in the body he will not be able to obtain stripped of the flesh. And there is no need for us to weigh the merits and acts of those who have thus died, when the Lord our God, whose judgments cannot be comprehended, has reserved for His own judgement that which our priestly ministry could not fulfill, for He wishes His power to be so feared that this fear may benefit all, that all we be in fear of what happens to the tepid or negligent. It is most useful and essential that the guilt of sins should be loosed by priestly supplication before the last day of life. And yet to those in the time of their need and in pressing danger who implore the aid of penitence and then reconciliation, neither amendment nor reconciliation must be forbidden, because we cannot place limits on God's mercy nor set times for Him with whom true conversion suffers no delay of forgiveness, as the spirit God says by the Prophet, 'When you have turned and lamented, then will you be saved.' 2 And elsewhere, 'Tell your iniquities beforehand, that you may be justified.' 3 And again, 'For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.' 4  And so in dispensing God's gifts we must not be severe, nor neglect the tears and groans of those who accuse themselves, when we believe the very affection of penitence is inspired by God, as the Apostle says, 'Lest perhaps God will give them repentance that they may save themselves from devil's snares, by whom they are held captive at his will.'  5  Hazardous as deathbed repentance is, the grace of absolution must not be refused even when it can be asked for only by signs. Hence it befits each one to attend to the judgment of his own Christian conscience, lest he defers the day of conversion to God and fix the time  at the end of his life, for it is very dangerous for human frailty and ignorance to enclose itself in  the uncertainty of a few hours and instead of gaining indulgence by fuller amendment to choose the narrow limits of that time when scarcely space is found for the penitent's confession or the priest's absolution. But truly, as I said, even such folk's needs must be so assisted that the act of penitence and the grace of communion be not denied them, even if they demand it when their voice is lost by the signs of an undamaged intellect. And if they are so distressed by the force of of their sickness that they cannot signify in the priest's presence what they had just been asking for, the testimony of the faithful standing near must be theirs that they may obtain the benefit of penitence and reconciliation simultaneously, insofar as the regulations of the canons of the Fathers are observed concerning those who have sinned against God by forsaking the faith. Pope Leo the Great, from Letter 108, to Theodore, bishop of Forum Julii 1 Mt 28:20 2 Is 30.15 LXX  3 Is 43.26, LXX  4 Ps 129.7  5 Tim 2:25-26