Chapter 7
(123) As our Seraphic Father, all aflame with the active charity of Jesus Christ, desired nothing more ardently than the glory of God and the salvation of souls, we, in order to follow his example, must spend our sweat and labor in the vineyard of the Lord so as to promote effectively, together with our own sanctification, that of our neighbor. Consequently, we declare that where the spiritual good of the people requires it and obedience demands it, the priests of our Order, who have been approved by the Provincial Superiors and the Ordinaries of the places, may hear the confessions of the laity, not only in other churches, but also in our own 1.
(124) Let the Brothers appointed to hear confessions remember that in exercising their ministry they fulfil the role of judge and physician, and that they are established by God as ministers both of His justice and His mercy, in order to procure divine glory and the salvation of souls 2.
Consequently, it is necessary that all virtues should shine forth in their person, especially a great love of God and an ardent zeal for souls; a wholly paternal charity so as not to act with harshness nor to show impatience or annoyance; strength and firmness, because however excellent mercy may be, it must not, according to Saint Augustine, be exercised to the detriment of justice; an exemplary modesty and an angelic chastity, so as not to tarnish the purity of their own soul while wiping away the stains of others; and finally, consummate prudence, in order to choose, to the greatest honor of their own office, the suitable and effective means of turning souls away from evil and leading them to God.
(125) Let the local Superiors exercise attentive vigilance over the confessors who depend on them, and if they notice in their conduct anything at all that is not in keeping with the dignity and sanctity of the priest, they shall warn them in a paternal manner; and if these do not amend themselves, they shall inform the Provincial Superior so that he may correct and punish the guilty according to the gravity of the case. And let the Provincial Superiors, before designating their subjects to hear the confessions of women, be well informed about the qualities of those they choose.
As a general rule, this ministry should not be entrusted to religious who are too young, and likewise, even for older religious, it should not be done habitually if their conduct gives rise to any doubt about their ability to fulfil it properly and in a holy manner.
(126) But for our Brothers, let the Provincial Superior delegate in each house, in proportion to the number of religious, several confessors with the power to absolve even from the reserved cases in our Order 3; and let them all be enlightened, wise, and full of charity.
(127) In order to provide for the greatest spiritual good of the Brothers, we declare and grant, now and for all time, that our priest-religious, approved in their Province to hear the confessions of the Brothers, may, licitly and validly, when they are traveling and when they pass through or remain in a house outside their Province, hear the confessions of all our Brothers and absolve them from the cases reserved in the Order.
(128) Let the Brothers confess at least once a week 4, freely choosing whichever of the designated confessors pleases them most; but once this choice is made, let them avoid changing it too easily. By this we do not forbid Brothers who desire it for the peace of their conscience to confess to a priest outside the Order, approved by the Ordinary of the place, and to receive from him absolution even of the sins and censures reserved in the Order 5.