Reconciliation

What is Reconciliation?

Reconciliation, also called Confession or Penance, is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.

During the sacrament, a person (called the penitent) confesses his or her sins to a priest. The priest (called the confessor) then gives the penitent a small penance to carry out and offers forgiveness (called absolution).

Priests are bound by the Seal of Confession to never reveal the contents of a person's confession, under penalty of excommunication, which can be removed only by the pope himself. Various civil governments recognize the confessor-penitent privilege, in the same way that they recognize an attorney-client privilege.

Style notes:

The terms "Reconciliation," "Confession," and "Sacrament of Penance" can all be used interchangeably when referring to this sacrament.