C. About these Ways of Taking the Term with Respect to Penitence as Sacrament

25. About penitence as a sacrament I say that those three are in no way parts of it because, as was said in distinction 14 [n.195], penitence as a sacrament is ‘absolution by a priest done with certain words etc.’ But no part of this is contrition, which is something spiritual in the soul; nor is it confession, because confession is not anything of the sentence itself of the priest, but an act of the guilty party accusing himself; nor is it satisfaction, but satisfaction follows the sacramental absolution.

26. However these three are required as preparatory to, or following from, the sacrament of penitence, so that it may be worthily received.

For confession is simply required, because the priest does not absolve by his sentence unless the guilty party has first accused himself in that forum [of the sacrament].

Nor even is the absolution useful unless some contrition or attrition precede in the one confessing. Now the reason for this distinction is plain from what was said above [n.9, d.14 n.62]; for it suffices that some displeasure, although unformed, precede, and then he is capable of sacramental absolution, and through it contrition comes to be.

Now satisfaction ought to follow the sacrament of penitence so that the sacrament be effective, and this effectiveness I understand to be in reality or in will - unless the judge could make assessment that the preceding other penalties were sufficient for payment of the whole penalty. Now this judgment of the priest gives absolution in such a way that, however, it still binds: it absolves from the debt of eternal penalty, but it binds for the payment of temporal penalty, unless this already be sufficiently paid. Also, this judgment either does not absolve at all, or at least not efficaciously, if the guilty party is not in himself disposed in the due way; because the sacrament is a sign of interior absolution, and the interior absolution does not accompany the sacrament unless there be a due disposition in the mind of the one who is to be interiorly absolved.