This course is intended to help the students to have a better understanding and a more fruitful celebration of the sacred ministry in the confessional, a beautiful but a demanding apostolate. The required historical, theological, canonical and pastoral orientations will be given to the students. The students are slowly initiated to appreciate the beauty of this sacrament in the light of the Eastern and Western theological perspectives and to put it at the center of their future pastoral ministry. The entire course is divided into five parts. The introductory part will deal with the different dimensions of the contemporary crisis in and around the SR. The historical part will analyze the SR in its general historical context with special reference to the Eastern and East Syriac traditions. This part will also refer to the St. Thomas Christians tradition and present practice of the SR in the Syro-Malabar Church. The theological part will bring out the theology of the SR as a sacrament of mercy and healing. The canonical part will bring out the canonical aspects of the SR and finally in the Pastoral Part, the various pastoral questions related to the SR are explained to the students.
- Anikuzhikattil. M.. Ecclesial Response to the Negativity in Human Life, Liturgy and the Rites of Reconciliation among the St. Thomas Christians of India: A Study in Relation to Other Ecclesial and Liturgical Traditions (Kottayam. 1996).
- Häring. B.. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Middlegreen. 1980).
- John Paul II. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortations Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 02 December 1984.
- John Paul II. Motu Proprio Misericordia Dei. 07 April 2002.
- O’Loughlin. E, The Future of the Sacrament of Penance (New York, 2007).
- Borobio D„ “The Tridentine Model Confession in Its Historical Context”. Concilium 23:2 (1987), 21-40.
- Nikolasch E, “The Sacrament of Penance: Learning from the East”. Concilium 7/1 (1971) 65-75.