Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation in Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Metropolitan Church sui iuris in Slovakia – unity in diversity

Abstract

The sacrament of penance and reconciliation signifi cantly infl uences the religious life and moral formation of the faithful of the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Metropolitan Church sui iuris in Slovakia. The article shows common features, as well as differences in the understanding of the sacrament of penance in these communities. The research perspective adopted and the methods of analysis and synthesis used made it possible to show the different emphases discernible in understanding the sacrament of penance in Western and Eastern traditions. The Western Church emphasizes the judicial dimension of confession, while the East accentuates its healing character, which is evident in the celibacy of the sacrament. An important issue also relates to the diffi culties concerning the absolution of the sin of abortion in interdenominational confession, an issue that has changed in importance with the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy being experienced in the Church.