General Confession Explained
The General Confession is a prayer of contrition in various Christian denominations, including Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Methodism, and Roman Catholicism.
Lutheranism
In the Lutheran Churches, General Confession occurs during the Penitential Act of the Mass.[1] During the Penitential Act, the Confiteor is recited by all and the priest pronounces absolution.[1]
Anglicanism and Methodism
In Anglicanism, the "General Confession" is the act of contrition in Thomas Cranmer's 1548 order of Communion and later in the Book of Common Prayer.[2]
In Methodism, the General Confession is the same act of contrition in The Sunday Service of the Methodists and Methodist liturgical texts descended from it. It is taught to probationary members seeking full membership in Methodist connexions, being included in The Probationer's Catechism.[3]
Roman Catholicism
As understood by St. Ignatius of Loyola, General Confession is a form of Confession whereby one spends 3 to 10 days preparing for a confession of all one's 'sins up to that time.'[4] The main goal of the "general confession" is to turn one's life from one of sin to a more devout one.[5] The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius have done much to popularise this form of confession, with such a confession being the significant end-point of the First Week of his Spiritual Exercises.
St. Francis de Sales, in his Introduction to the Devout Life, also addresses General Confession.[6]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: The Sacraments of the Lutheran Church . Christ The King Lutheran Church . 14 May 2023 . English. The Sacrament of Holy Absolution has two forms: the General Confession (known as the Penitential Rite or Order of Confession of Sins) that is done at the beginning of the Divine Service. In this case, the entire congregation says the confession, as the pastor says the absolution. Private Confession - done privately to a pastor, where the penitent confesses sins that trouble him/her and pleads to God for mercy, and the pastor announces God's forgiveness to the person, as the sign of the cross is made. Private confession is subject to total confidentiality by the pastor. In historic Lutheran practice, Holy Absolution is expected before partaking of Holy Communion. General confession, as well as Private Confession, are still contained in most Lutheran hymnals. Two works which are part of the Book of Concord lend support to the belief that Holy Absolution is for Lutherans the third sacrament. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession acknowledges outright that Holy Absolution is a sacrament, referring to it as the sacrament of penitence. In the Large Catechism, Luther calls Holy Absolution the third sacrament..
- Web site: Wohlers. Charles. The Order of the Communion, 1548. The Book of Common Prayer. Society of Archbishop Justus. 15 February 2014.
- Book: Kirby . James E. . Rivera . Feliciano . Rowe . Kenneth E. . Richey . Russell E. . The Methodists . 1996 . Greenwood Publishing Group . 978-0-313-22048-7 . 223 . en.
- O'Malley, J W 1993, 'The First Jesuits', Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. p. 24
- O'Malley, J W 1993, 'The First Jesuits', Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. p. 39
- Book: de Sales . St. Francis . Introduction to the Devout Life . 2010 . Saint Benedict Press . Gastonia, NC . 9780895552280 . 16.
