For the Marvel Comics character, see Penance (comics).

Penance (from the Latin Poenitentia, the same root as penitence, which in English means repentance, the desire to be forgiven, see contrition; in many languages only one single word is derived) is

Catholicism

It is the actual name of the Catholic Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (formerly called Confession).

In this Sacrament, the penitent (repentant sinner, known as confessant) accuses himself of his sins to an ordained priest (known as confessor). The priest may then offer advice and imposes a particular penance to be performed. The penitent then prays an Act of Contrition, the priest administers absolution, thus formally forgiving the penitent of his sins, and finally sends him out with words of dismissal.

Penance, as

Penance also may be self-imposed, especially during the Lenten fast (mainly the Passion week, inspired by Christ's suffering; hence also flagellantism or even voluntary crucifixion) and Advent. Self-imposed penance, also called mortification of the flesh (because its natural weakness endangers the salvation of the soul unless duly controlled by the devout spirit), serves to detach the penitent of his worldly passions, as to draw him into closer union with God.

Elsewhere

Penance has also been practiced by various branches of Protestantism, such as Anglciabism and especially Puritanism.

• In eastern religions (Hinduism, etc.), acts of hardship committed on oneself (fasting, lying on rocks heated by the Sun, etc.), especially as part of an ascetic way of life (as monk or 'wise
  
  
  
  man') in order to attain a higher form of mental awareness (through detachment from the earthly, not punishing guilt) or favours from (the) God(s).

Public penanance

Performing penance in public, as oopsed to the privacy of the confessional chair, gives it the character of public humiliation, which is often more 'punishing' then the intrinsical pain or discomfort of the deed. In societies without separation of church and state, this can actually be a mode of judicial punishment, as the state cult is imposed by law and even submission to clerical imposition of penance can be. The common place for the humiliation is then the church, preferably during Sunday service, or altenatively the market, so the whole community can witness it, and hopefully be disuaded form sinning similarly. Thus certain churches were actually equipped with permanent stands for the public penitents, such as the cutty-stool in Scotland.

Another common elements are humbling prescriptions to wear such distinguising features as a white sheet (in England to be rented from the church warden!) and/or wand, being barefoot, barehead, even barelegged.

The practice is well reported from colonial Virginia and New England, where it was enforced by the officers of the law, sometimes even at pain of death- in fact the morally repentent nature of true penance is thus perverted to humiliation as a means of social coercion.

Penance in fiction

• Colin Kapp. 1972, 1973. Patterns of Chaos. New York: Award Books. No ISBN. Pp. 31-36.
• in movies :
  • Penance (2004)
  • Penance (1999)
  • "I Confess". Warner Brothers, 1953. Alfred Hitchcock, Dir. Starring: Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter
  • Sadhna (1958) aka "The Penance"
  • The Bell of Penance (1912)
  • A Daughter of Penance (1916)
  • Who Killed Brett Penance? (1995) (VG)
  • Proper Penance (1992) (V)
  • Veruntreute Himmel, Der (1958)
  • The Reckoning (2003)
  • Fatima (1997) (TV)
  • Confession (2005)
  • "Nightmare Cafe" (1992)
• An optional superboss in the international version of Final Fantasy X (2001)

Sources and References

(incomplete)

• Епитимия