Editing Contrition (section)

==== Perfect contrition without the Sacrament of Penance ====

Early Church Fathers, including [[Clement of Rome]], [[Hermas (freedman)|Hermas]], and [[Chrysostom]], held that sorrow was effective for the remission of sins.<ref>([[First Epistle of Clement|Clement]] in P.G., I, 341 sqq.; and Hermas in P.G., II, 894 sqq.; Chrysostom in P.G., XLIX, 285 sqq.)</ref> Similarly, [[Scholastics]] such as [[Peter Lombard]], [[Thomas Aquinas]], and [[Bonaventure]] taught that perfect contrition, with the desire of receiving the Sacrament of Penance, restored a sinner to grace at once.<ref>(Peter Lombard in P.L., CXCII, 885; St. Thomas, In Lib. Sent. IV, ibid.; St. Bonaventure, In Lib. Sent. IV, ibid.)</ref> Later theologians came to emphasize the desire for the sacrament of penance over the sorrow itself, with the Council of Trent declaring that "though contrition may sometimes be made perfect by [[Charity (virtue)|charity]] and may reconcile men to God before the actual reception of this [[sacrament]], still the reconciliation is not to be ascribed to the contrition apart from the desire for the sacrament which it includes."

In Catholic theology, perfect contrition is held to forgive sins due to its connection with love. [[Bede]] writes: "What is love but fire; what is sin but rust? Hence it is said, many sins are forgiven her because she hath loved much, as though to say, she hath burned away entirely the rust of sin, because she is inflamed with the fire of love."<ref>(P.L., XCII, 425)</ref> Accordingly, [[Gregory XIII]] condemned [[Michel Baius|Baius]]'s proposition 32, which asserted "that charity which is the fullness of the law is not always conjoined with forgiveness of sins".

Catholic theologians argue that it was possible to recover grace after sinning under the [[Old Covenant]], citing Ezech. 33:11 ("As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.") They reason that the coming of Christ and the institution of the sacrament of penance could not have increased the difficulty of obtaining forgiveness. Therefore, equating this turning to God with perfect contrition, they conclude that the same method must still be effective.

A number of Catholic theologians have discussed what forms of love are sufficient to obtain justification. The general consensus is that pure, or disinterested love ({{lang|la|(amor benevolentiæ, amor amicitiæ}}) is effective, and purely selfish love ({{lang|la|amor concupiscentia}}) is not. There is not a general consensus on what motives can constitute perfect love. Some theologians hold that perfect love requires loving God for his great goodness alone; others argue that the love of gratitude ({{lang|la|amor gratitudinis}}) suffices.<ref>[[Hurter]], ''Theol. Dog.'', Thesis ccxlv, Scholion iii, no 3; [[Schieler-Heuser]], op. cit., pp.&nbsp;77 sq.</ref>