Penitential Act

In Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism, the Penitential Rite, also known as confession that takes place at the start of each Divine Service or Mass.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the ordinary form of the Mass was promulgated in 2000 as Third edition of the Roman Missal. In the ordinary form, the Penitential Act is part of the Introductory Rites. It follows the greeting in the order of Mass. The three formulas of the Penitential Act are:

The formula of absolution which concludes all three formulas.

Formula C, which allows freedom for the celebrant to formulate similar acclamations with a more eucharistic tone, is recommended by many prominent liturgist. They ask “why run the risk of individualizing members of the assembly in a penitential mode after they have gathered precisely as a worshipping community?”

The Penitential Act is followed by the Kyrie eleison chant (unless the third of the three formulas, which incorporates the Kyrie, has been chosen as the Penitential Act), the Gloria (if used), and the Collect, which concludes the Introductory Rites.

If certain celebrations are combined with Mass, then the Penitential Act and other parts of the Introductory Rites are omitted or performed in a different way. An example is the Mass of Ash Wednesday, in which the Penitential Act is replaced by the blessing and imposition of ashes after the homily.

"On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Penitential Act, from time to time the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water to recall Baptism may take place."

In the Tridentine Mass the Confiteor prayer is part of the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. The formula in Liturgical Latin is:

The others then, on their part, recite the Confiteor, replacing vobis fratres with tibi pater and vos fratres with te pater. The Misereatur is spoken by the priest replacing tui with vestri, tuis with vestris, and te with vos.

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