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Clifford Longley |
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It sounds as if, right now, quite a few Members of Parliament are feeling up a creek without a paddle. The "creek" they are up consists of public revulsion at their sometimes extravagant and possibly even fraudulent claims for expenses and allowances. The "paddle" they are without is simply what to do about it: how to recover their self- respect and peace of mind, not to mention their good name.
They say confession is good for the soul, and perhaps that's a clue. More than one psychiatrist has observed that what goes on inside the confession box is soundly based on human psychology. Confession is practised in some churches of the Church of England and more generally in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, though it's fallen into decline in recent years for reasons too complex to go into. Despite that, it clearly meets a human need.
There are resemblances between church confessional practice and the way criminals are dealt with under common law. But some aspects of it crop up in all sorts of situations, such as when we sometimes hear people say "there's no point in saying sorry unless you really mean it," or even "there's no point in saying sorry if you intend to do it again."
Those are indeed central features of the rite of confession, now called "reconciliation", in Church practice. In confession the individual accuses him or her self out loud, and has to admit fully and thoroughly why the action in question was wrong - "contrition".
Such remorse can be emotionally painful. The admission of guilt and acceptance of blame has to be made to the community which has been harmed - in the church case through its representative, the priest or minister. There has to be a sincere promise not to repeat the act in question, and to avoid temptation in future. That's called a "firm purpose of amendment".
Then there is "reparation", which means repairing the wrong as far as possible, which could involve compensation. And there has to be penance, technically known as "satisfaction", which means, in effect, repaying one's debt to society over and above the compensation due.
The latter is necessary medicine to heal a wounded soul, which is why getting away Scot free doesn't really work.
When confession occurs in a church setting, the priest gives absolution in the name of Christ; but there is still real value in the process even if we strip out the sacramental and supernatural elements, and leave just the natural. That is why psychiatrists have praised it as psychologically beneficial. But "feeling better" isn't quite the point, nor is getting rid of guilt. It's more about justice and forgiveness - about restoring a moral equilibrium that has been upset. Unless they see that happening, people are usually not yet ready to forgive.
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