Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of repentance for sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. It also plays a part in confession among Anglicans and Methodists, in which it is a rite,[1][2] as well as among other Protestants.
The word penance derives from Old French and Latin paenitentia, both of which derive from the same root meaning repentance, a sincere change of heart and feeling of remorse (contrition). Penance and repentance, similar in their derivation and original sense, have come to represent conflicting views of the essence of repentance, arising from the controversy in the Protestant Reformation as to the respective merits of "faith" and "good works".
According to dictionary definitions, the primary meaning of penance is the deeds done out of penitence. Like the latter, repentance refers to the genuine interior sorrow for one's hurtful words or actions. Only repentance implies a purpose of amendment, the resolve to avoid such hurtful behavior in the future. The words "true" and "firm" might be added to all but penance, to specify the depth of change in one's hurtful attitude. Contrition is the state of feeling remorseful, and can describe both the show of deepest regret and the firmest sorrow for one's wrongdoings.
- ^ Brackney, William H. (28 January 2010). Studying Christianity: The Critical Issues. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 9781441177315.
Notably among Protestants, the Church of England practices a non-sacramental rite of penance.
- ^ Kidder, Annemarie S. (1 March 2010). Making Confession, Hearing Confession: A History of the Cure of Souls. Liturgical Press. p. 381. ISBN 9780814657294.
The rite of private confession in the Episcopal Church incorporates and combines elements of both Lutheran and Roman Catholic practices.