Posługa spowiednika wobec penitentów obarczonych nałogami
The Ministry of a Confessor toward Penitents Suffering from Addictions

Summary/Abstract: The Sacrament of Penance is the Church’s solution to the personal tragedies of people suffering from addictions and a way of fighting with various vices. It serves as a place to experience the healing and liberating grace of God. The minister of this Sacrament, acting in persona Christi, is frequently the first person to be trusted to hear stories of addicted penitents who struggle with various difficulties. This implies the necessity of proper intellectual and psychological preparation of confessors. The starting point of the article is a specification of the common features of addicted penitents, along with particular difficulties which may accompany them during the Sacrament of Penance. The author concentrates on the competencies of confessors who minister to addicts and on the healing aspect of the confessor’s ministry. The final part is dedicated to the importance of cooperation between confessors and various social groups working to rehabilitate addicts and prevent the emergence of addictions.

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