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CHICAGO STUDIES
7) The celebrant is to remind the penitents that if they are conscious of any personal serious sins they are to confess them in a future confession, even though these sins will be remitted in the present celebration of the Sacrament. He should also recall for them the spiritual value that can be derived from confessing sins that have been forgiven in the past. 8) The faithful are then invited to make an examination of conscience in silence. The one· presiding can help them in this by interjecting some questions on how in fact they have responded to the love of God in their lives. 9) All then would kneel or bow and at the direction of the one presiding recite a general confession of ·sins: "I confess to almighty God .... " 10) A Prayer of the Faithful would follow this general confession. The Lord's Prayer would always conclude the Prayer of the Faithful. 11) After the Our Father the celebrant would remind the faithful of the obligation of restitution if anyone has committed an injustice as well as the obligation of making fitting satisfaction for their sins. Extending his hands over the kneeling or bowed faithful. he would impart the general absolution by using, in plural·form, one of the formulas of absolution given above in the individual celebration of this Sacrament. The faithful would respond "Amen" to this formula. 12) The faithful would be dismissed with a formula such as: "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward and give you peace. Amen." 13) The rite could conclude with a hymn of thanksgiving. These revisions will satisfy, substantially, the requests of many in the Church for changes in the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance. They bring out more clearly the personalist as well as the communal aspect of this Sacrament. They give the stamp of full official approval to many practices that are already taking place, very frequently with the approval of the local bishop, e.g. the communal celebration of Penance with individual confession of sins. These revised rites allow for some flexibility in their celebmtion in regard to the place for the administration of the Sacrament, the choice of readings and prayers, and, if the