Act of Contrition
Also known as: Actus contritionis
English Text
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
Translation tradition: Traditional English (Baltimore Catechism)
Latin Text
Deus meus, ex tota mea corde paenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum,
eaque detestor,
quia peccando,
non solum poenas a te iuste statutas promeritus sum,
sed praesertim quia offendi te,
summum bonum,
ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.
Ideo firmiter propono,
adiuvante gratia tua,
de cetero me non peccaturum
peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum. Amen.
Scripture: Psalm 51:3–4; Luke 15:18–19
When to pray: Required during the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession); recommended nightly as part of examination of conscience.
History & Background
Acts of contrition — expressions of sorrow for sin directed to God — have been part of Catholic devotional practice since the early Church. The specific form used today in the English-speaking world descends from formulas developed through the Council of Trent (1545–1563), which distinguished between perfect contrition (sorrow arising from love of God) and imperfect contrition or attrition (sorrow arising from fear of punishment), and decreed that perfect contrition, with the intention of confessing, suffices for reconciliation in cases of necessity. The traditional English form was codified in the Baltimore Catechism (1885) and remained normative in the United States through the 20th century. The Catechism of the Catholic Church treats contrition at §§ 1450–1453.
The Meaning of the Act of Contrition
What Is Contrition?
The Act of Contrition is not merely a formula recited at the end of Confession — it is the prayerful expression of an interior movement that the Church regards as the very heart of the sacrament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that 'among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place,' defining it as 'sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again' (CCC 1451). Every line of the traditional prayer maps directly onto this definition: sorrow ('I am heartily sorry'), detestation ('I detest all my sins'), and firm purpose of amendment ('I firmly resolve... to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin').
Perfect Contrition and Imperfect Contrition
The Church distinguishes two forms of genuine contrition, and the distinction matters practically. Perfect contrition arises from love of God above all things — grief over sin precisely because it offends the God who is infinitely good and deserving of all love. The Catechism teaches that such contrition 'remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible' (CCC 1452). This is the contrition expressed in the traditional prayer when it says sins are detested 'most of all because they offend thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love.'
Imperfect contrition — also called attrition — is sorrow rooted in a consideration of the ugliness of sin or the fear of eternal punishment. The Catechism is careful to affirm that this too is 'a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit,' and that it 'can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution' (CCC 1453). Many penitents approach Confession with a blend of both motives; the Church accepts imperfect contrition as sufficient for valid reception of the sacrament, while always inviting the soul toward the purer love that marks perfect contrition.
Role in the Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Rite of Penance identifies three acts required of the penitent: contrition, confession, and satisfaction (penance). The Catechism frames this Tridentine formula as integral to the sacrament's integrity: 'Penance requires... the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction' (CCC 1450). The Act of Contrition fulfils the first of these acts aloud and personally. In practice, the penitent prays it after confessing and receiving the priest's counsel, and before absolution is given — making it the pivot between the confession of sins and the moment of sacramental forgiveness. Some approved forms are addressed directly to God; others to the priest as witness. Both are valid.
Scripture Behind the Prayer
The prayer's spiritual roots run deep into Scripture. Psalm 51, the great penitential psalm of David, cries out: 'Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions' (Ps 51:3). The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 captures the movement the prayer enacts: the son, 'coming to his senses' (Lk 15:17), resolved to return and to say, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you' (Lk 15:18) — an act of contrition in narrative form. Interior repentance of this kind is what the Catechism describes as 'a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart' (CCC 1431).
Approved Versions of the Prayer
There is no single liturgically mandated wording for the Act of Contrition in the Roman Rite. The Rite of Penance (1973) provides sample formulas but explicitly permits others, inviting the penitent to use the offered prayer 'or similar words.' In the English-speaking world, several versions are widely used: the traditional Baltimore Catechism form ('O my God, I am heartily sorry...'), which dates to the American bishops' catechetical work of 1885 and is rooted in Tridentine theology; a shorter, more contemporary form often taught in parish religious education programs ('My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart...'); and the simple prayers of the penitent printed in the rite and in most missals, such as 'Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' The Church requires that the prayer express genuine sorrow, a firm purpose of amendment, and — for it to suffice for mortal sin outside the sacrament — a resolution to confess. Any sincere expression of these elements is acceptable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to say the Act of Contrition in Confession?
Yes, some act of contrition is required as part of the sacrament of Penance. The Rite of Penance calls for the penitent to express sorrow before absolution is given. The exact wording is not prescribed - any sincere prayer expressing sorrow for sin and a firm purpose of amendment is sufficient - but omitting contrition altogether would leave the sacrament incomplete, since the Catechism teaches that among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place (CCC 1451).
What is the difference between perfect and imperfect contrition?
Perfect contrition is sorrow for sin motivated by love of God above all else; it can obtain forgiveness of mortal sins even outside Confession, provided the person intends to confess as soon as possible (CCC 1452). Imperfect contrition - also called attrition - is sorrow rooted in fear of punishment or recognition of sin's ugliness. It is still a genuine gift of God and the Holy Spirit and is sufficient for valid Confession, but by itself it cannot forgive grave sins outside the sacrament (CCC 1453).
Can you say the Act of Contrition outside of Confession?
Yes, and the Church encourages it. Praying the Act of Contrition daily - for example, as part of a nightly examination of conscience - is a classic Catholic devotional practice. In cases of urgent danger of death when Confession is not possible, an act of perfect contrition (sorrow motivated by love of God) together with the intention to confess restores the soul to grace, as the Catechism teaches (CCC 1452).
Which version of the Act of Contrition is correct?
There is no single official text required by the Roman Rite. The Rite of Penance (1973) provides sample formulas but expressly allows others, inviting the penitent to pray them 'or similar words.' The traditional 'O my God, I am heartily sorry' (from the Baltimore Catechism) and the newer 'My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart' are both widely approved. Any sincere prayer that expresses genuine sorrow, detestation of sin, and a firm purpose of amendment fulfils the Church's requirement.
Related Prayers
Source
https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html verbatim