Imperfect contrition

In Christian theology, contrition or contriteness (from the Latin contritus 'ground to pieces', i.e. crushed by guilt) is repentance for sins one has committed. The remorseful person is said to be contrite.

A central concept in much of Christianity, contrition is regarded as the first step, through Christ, towards reconciliation with God. It consists of repentance for all one's sins, a desire for God over sin, and faith in Christ's redemption on the cross and its sufficiency for salvation (see regeneration and ordo salutis). It is widely referred to throughout The Bible, e.g. Ezekiel 33:11, Psalms 6:7ff, Psalm 51:1-12, Luke 13:5, Luke 18:9-13, and the well-known parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

The Council of Trent defined contrition as "sorrow of soul, and a hatred of sin committed, with a firm purpose of not sinning in the future". It is also known as animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).

The word "contrition" implies a breaking of something that has become hardened. St. Thomas Aquinas in his Commentary on the Master of the Sentences thus explains its peculiar use: "Since it is requisite for the remission of sin that a man cast away entirely the liking for sin which implies a sort of continuity and solidity in his mind, the act which obtains forgiveness is termed by a figure of speech 'contrition'." This sorrow of soul is not merely speculative sorrow for wrong done, remorse of conscience, or a resolve to amend; it is a real pain and bitterness of soul together with a hatred and horror for sin committed; and this hatred for sin leads to the resolve to sin no more. The early Christian writers in speaking of the nature of contrition sometimes insist on the feeling of sorrow, sometimes on the detestation of the wrong committed. Augustine includes both when writing: "Compunctus corde non solet dici nisi stimulus peccatorum in dolore pœnitendi".

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