Abstract

DE KLERK, Barend J.. Pastoral ministry on the confession of guilt and reconciliation through liturgical acts. In Skriflig (Online) [online]. 2015, vol.49, n.3, pp.1-9. ISSN 2305-0853.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ids.v49i3.1894.

God's gift of his Son, through Whom he established redemption of sins and reconciliation with man, is central to the Christian confessions. In the ministry of pastoral care and in the liturgical acts the common goal is to re-establish relationships, reconcile with God, the other and the self. This leads to the question examined in this article, viz. what the relation between the pastoral ministry of confession or guilt and reconciliation and the performing of liturgical acts is. Attention is given to the following aspects: the pastoral care the community should give to each other, the relationship between pastoral care and liturgy, the power of rituals and an overview of the ritual of the confession of guilt and reconciliation, a few examples of sins a congregation may confess and subsequently the pastoral ministry through rituals of contrition and humiliation, confession of sin and guilt, forgiveness, absolution and reconciliation. The conclusion of this article is that the communicative act of confession of guilt and reconciliation as an independent act in the liturgy of the congregation, could be a powerful pastoral tool to the congregation as a whole and to members individually.

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