[De veritate dicenda aut tacenda]

I see that this is persuaded to me. Perhaps what he denies at one hour, he may concede at another, not unmindful of that apostolic sentence: "A servant of God must be gentle and teachable, patient, correcting with modesty those who resist the truth, in case God might give them repentance to know the truth and they may recover from the snares of the devil, by whom they were held captive at his will" (2 Timothy 2:24-26). However, they are contrite, and to this contrition there must certainly precede sorrow for past deeds and a purpose to avoid them in the future. Yet it should seem more tolerable to the confessor that, if he senses harshness does not help the sick person, he should rather send him with patience to the pains of purgatorium purgatory with gentleness than with severity to eternal fire. Hence, even for those not contrite nor attriti those feeling imperfect sorrow for sin, although they may not grant absolutio absolution, it is customary not to dismiss them without penance, in the hope of attaining mercy. If, however, the one confessing is aware of his guilt, is well-intentioned, and contrite, and as far as he is able through humility, groaning, tears, the purity of confession, and its integrity, then such a person is already healthy, not needing a great quantity of medicine, but is to be exhorted to profit toward something better, once he has been provided with absolution and penance. Let the confessor beware, however, that greed, fear, love, or favor toward his own person do not claim a place for themselves in him, such that he applies less care to the sick person than is justly due, mindful of the danger to the priest Eli, to whom it was said by the prophet: "You have honored your sons more than me." And I wish that all confessors would hold this Eli before themselves as a mirror, always contemplating the punishment inflicted upon him, the fear of which should rouse them from similar silence and dissimulation of correction.