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9. The Quality of Confession

1. Confession of sins is to be made with true supernaturalsorrow and sincerity of heart. Otherwise, the absolution of thepriest cannotbe effective. Nor does the effect of absolutiontake place in a penitent who confesses without sorrow andafterwards repents.

2. Confession is to be entire; that is, all mortal sins inkind and number, according as they are remembered by the penitent,are to be confessed. Otherwise, the confession would savor ofhypocrisy. And even one remembered mortal sin left unconfessedwould keep the soul from union with God, and it would render theconfession sacrilegious.

3. Confession is made by the penitent sinner in person,not by sending another as agent or proxy, or by mailing a letter.The penitent is to confess his own sins, manifesting them to thepriest in some intelligible manner.

4. The requisite qualities of confession, therefore, arethat it should be humble, sincere, and entire.

"A single act of uniformity with the divine will suffices to make a saint."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"Let no one wear a mask, otherwise he will do ill; and if he has one, let him burn it."
St Philip Neri

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"Those who love God are always happy, because their whole happiness is to fulfill, even in adversity, the will of God."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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