First, we confess serious sins to a priest. Penance consists of
prayers, almsgiving, or if you like, invent your own.
God gives the Church the authority to discipline His children.
Jesus gives St. Peter and the disciples the power and authority to
"bind and loose" (Mt 16:19, 18:17-1
. St. Paul imposes
a penance for the well-being of a straying Christian (1 Cor 5:3-5).
Later on, he issues an indulgence by lessening the temporal penance
for sin of this same brother (2 Cor 2:6-11).
