Act of Contrition

For Battlestar Galactica episode, see Act of Contrition (Battlestar Galactica).

An act of contrition is a Catholic prayer that expresses sorrow for sins. It may be used in a liturgical service or be used privately, especially in connection with an examination of conscience.

Special formulas for acts of contrition are in use in the Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Churches.

The Catholic Church does not restrict the term "act of contrition" to any one formula. Its Handbook on Indulgences mentions as examples of approved formulas for an act of contrition the Confiteor, the Psalm De Profundis, the Psalm Miserere, the Gradual Psalms and the Penitential Psalms.

Absence from Missale Romanum of common translation

According to Father Timothy Johnson, a Roman Catholic Priest in the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota (USA), "the Act of Contrition," strictly speaking, is not part of the Roman Missal itself," while translations of certain snippets or segments of the latin text (see below) exist in wide variation, as published in the numerous distinct handheld missals that are distributed for reading and recitation by parishioners of Roman Catholic Churches throughout the English-speaking world. Discrepancies between certain lines of text in differing American & British English translations, such as relating to various reasons for detesting all one's sins: a.) "because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell," b.) "because of thy just punishments," etc., cause for great confusion amongst contemporary young Roman Catholic parishioners studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

A particular Latin formula and its English translations

Within the Catholic Church, the term "act of contrition" is often applied to one particular formula, which is not given expressly in the handbook of Indulgences. The Latin text and a number of English versions that approximate to the Latin text are given here.

Latin text

Deus meus, ex toto corde paenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum,

eaque detestor, quia peccando,

non solum poenas a te iuste statutas promeritus sum,

sed praesertim quia offendi te,

summum bonum, ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.

Ideo firmiter propono,

adiuvante gratia tua,

de cetero me non peccatorum peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum.

Amen.

Popular American English version

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.

Act of Contrition (modern)

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

Another popular American English version

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

Popular Canadian English version

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.

In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,

I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things.

I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.

Our Saviour Jesus Christ, suffered and died for us.

In His name, my God, have mercy.

Popular British English version

Oh My God, I am sorry very sorry for all my sins.

because they are despising oh lord, oh are.

I firmly intend, with your help of your son,

to make up for my sins and to love as I should.

Amen.

Irish version in use in 1960s

O my God, I am heartily sorry

for having offended Thee

and I detest my sins

above every other evil

because they displease Thee, my God,

Who, in Thy infinite wisdom,

art so deserving of all my love

and I firmly resolve

with the help of Thy grace

never more to offend Thee

and to amend my life.

Amen.

Other formulas for acts of contrition

The following are some formulas for acts of contrition that differ more considerably from the Latin text given above.

My Lord, I am heartily sorry for all my sins,

help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.

Amen.

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.

In choosing to do wrong, and failing to do good, I have sinned against You,

whom I should love above all things.

I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more,

and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.

Amen.

Oh my God, I am sorry that I have sinned against you.

Because you are so good, and with your help,

I will try not to sin again.

Amen.

Oh My God, because you are so good,

I am very sorry that I have sinned against you,

and by the help of your grace, I will try not sin again.

Amen.

O my God, I am sorry for my sins. In choosing to sin, and failing to do good, I have sinned against You and Your Church. I firmly intend, with the help of Your Son, to do good and to sin no more. Amen.

O my God, I am very sorry for all my sins because they offend You, Who are so good, and with Your help, I will not sin again. Amen.

Anglican General Confession

The Anglican Communion, which includes the Church of England, The Episcopal Church (in the United States) and other member churches, has its own act of contrition, referred to in the Prayer Book as the General Confession. This is said by the Congregation en masse during regular worship services. The original form in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is:

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father;

We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against thy holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;

And we have done those things which we ought not to have done;

And there is no health in us.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.

Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.

Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

Modernized forms can be found in other Anglican Prayer Books.

Lutheran formula

The Lutheran Church also has its own act of contrition, which is said during Holy Absolution. The following version, taken from the Lutheran Service Book (2006), says:

O Almighty God, merciful Father,

I a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities,

with which I have ever offended you and justly deserved your punishment now and forever.

But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them,

and I pray you of your boundless mercy,

and for the sake of the holy, innocent,

bitter sufferings and death of your beloved son, Jesus Christ,

to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.

External links

• Common Catholic Prayers
• An Act of Contrition