Repentance

Repentance is the turning away from sin and toward God — sorrow for having offended God, a firm resolve not to sin again, and the intention to make amends. It is at the heart of the Christian life and the necessary condition for the Sacrament of Penance (CCC 1427–1431).

The Call to Repentance

Jesus began his public ministry with the call: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15). Repentance is not optional for the Christian — it is the ongoing posture of the soul before God: humble, aware of its own sinfulness, and always turning back to the source of all goodness and mercy (CCC 1427).

Interior and Exterior

True repentance must be interior — a genuine change of heart, not merely external observance. But it also expresses itself outwardly through acts of penance: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, works of mercy, and sacramental confession. The interior conversion must take visible form in a changed life (CCC 1430–1434).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between repentance and contrition? Contrition is the sorrow itself — the interior act of the will that detests sin and resolves to amend. Repentance is the broader movement of turning back to God — the whole disposition of which contrition is the heart. They are closely related and sometimes used interchangeably (CCC 1431).

Is remorse the same as repentance? No. Remorse is a feeling — the psychological pain of regret over a past action. Repentance is a choice of the will — the decision to turn away from sin and toward God. Repentance may accompany remorse, but it transcends it: what matters is the will, not the feeling (CCC 1431).