One of the most significant features in modern Church life is no doubt the interest taken by the laity in the liturgy. The liturgies of the Mass and of the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Orders and Extreme Unction in particular invite us by the variety of their ceremonies and texts to follow them in all their details and, in fact, are well known in both their historical development and their present form. There is perhaps one lacuna in this liturgical discussion. Apart from the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, no Sacrament is more frequently received by us than is the Sacrament of Penance; and yet we rarely hear of the liturgy of this Sacrament and its history. In fact, some Catholics might be surprised at the application of the term ‘liturgy’ to the Sacrament of Penance.

In his Encyclical The Mystical Body of Christ, the Holy Father has complained of a neglect, at present found in many countries, of the Sacrament of Penance.