▁the ▁sacr ament ▁as ▁" P en ance ", ▁" Re con c ili ation " ▁or ▁" P en ance ▁and ▁Re con c ili ation ", ▁many ▁lay people ▁continue ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁term ▁" Conf ession " ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁Sac r ament . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁the ▁intent ▁of ▁this ▁sacr ament ▁is ▁to ▁provide ▁he aling ▁for ▁the ▁soul ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁reg ain ▁the ▁grace ▁of ▁God , ▁lost ▁by ▁sin . ▁A ▁perfect ▁act ▁of ▁contr ition , ▁where in ▁the ▁pen it ent ▁express es ▁sorrow ▁for ▁having ▁off ended ▁God ▁and ▁not ▁out ▁of ▁fear ▁of ▁et ernal ▁pun ishment , ▁even ▁outside ▁of ▁conf ession ▁removes ▁the ▁et ernal ▁pun ishment ▁associated ▁with ▁mort al ▁sin ▁but ▁a ▁Catholic ▁is ▁obliged ▁to ▁conf ess ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁mort al ▁s ins ▁at ▁the ▁earliest ▁opportunity . ▁In ▁the ological ▁terms , ▁the ▁priest ▁acts ▁in ▁persona ▁Christ i ▁and ▁receives ▁from ▁the ▁Church ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁juris diction ▁over ▁the ▁pen it ent . ▁The ▁Council ▁of ▁Tr ent ▁( Session ▁Four teen , ▁Chapter ▁I ) ▁quoted ▁John ▁ 2 0 : 2 2 - 2 3 ▁as ▁the ▁primary ▁Script ural ▁proof ▁for ▁the ▁doctrine ▁concerning ▁this ▁sacr ament , ▁but ▁C athol ics ▁also ▁consider ▁Matthew ▁ 9 : 2 - 8 , ▁ 1 ▁Cor inth ians ▁ 1 1 : 2 7 , ▁and ▁Matthew ▁ 1 6 : 1 7 - 2