Chương 1. Cử Hành Bí Tích Sám Hối (Điều 960-964)

Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the sole ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and with the Church. Physical or moral impossibility alone excuses from such confession, in which case reconciliation may be attained by other means also.

§1 General absolution, without prior individual confession, cannot be given to a number of penitents together, unless:1° danger of death threatens and there is not time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents;2° there exists a grave necessity, that is, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available properly to hear the individual confessions within an appropriate time, so that without fault of their own the penitents are deprived of the sacramental grace or of holy communion for a lengthy period of time. A sufficient necessity is not, however, considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage.
§2 It is for the diocesan Bishop to judge whether the conditions required in
§1, n. 2 are present; mindful of the criteria agreed with the other members of the Episcopal Conference, he can determine the cases of such necessity. [An Explanatory Note of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, 8.IX.1996, clarifies that general absolution without prior individual confession is strictly an exceptional provision permitted only in cases where physical or moral impossibility makes individual confession truly unattainable (such as imminent danger of death or another grave necessity). The bishop alone must judge whether the strict conditions for such exceptional general absolution are met, and those who receive it must still intend to make an individual confession as soon as possible] [The m.p. Misericordia Dei, 7.IV.2002, further specifies the conditions required in
§1, n. 2, and forbids the artificial creation of situations of “grave necessity”]

§1 For a member of Christ’s faithful to benefit validly from a sacramental absolution given to a number of people simultaneously, it is required not only that he or she be properly disposed, but be also at the same time personally resolved to confess in due time each of the grave sins which cannot for the moment be thus confessed.
§2 Christ’s faithful are to be instructed about the requirements set out in
§1, as far as possible even on the occasion of general absolution being received. An exhortation that each person should make an act of contrition is to precede a general absolution, even in the case of danger of death if there is time.

Without prejudice to the obligation mentioned in can. 989, a person whose grave sins are forgiven by a general absolution, is as soon as possible, when the opportunity occurs, to make an individual confession before receiving another general absolution, unless a just reason intervenes.

§1 The proper place for hearing sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.
§2 As far as the confessional is concerned, norms are to be issued by the Episcopal Conference, with the proviso however that confessionals, which the faithful who so wish may freely use, are located in an open place, and fitted with a fixed grille between the penitent and the confessor. [An Authentic Interpretation of canon 964
§2, 7.VII.1998, allows the minister of the sacrament to require the use of a fixed grille even if the penitent requests otherwise]
§3 Except for a just reason, confessions are not to be heard elsewhere than in a confessional.