The ''Summa confessorum'', also known as the ''Summa de penitentia'' and the ''Summa Cum miseratione domini'', is a 13th-century work on
penance
Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...
by
Thomas of Chobham
Thomas of Chobham (also called Thomas Chobham or Thomas of Chabham), was an English theologian and subdean of Salisbury, who was born c. 1160, presumably in Chobham, Surrey, and died between 1233 and 1236 in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Thomas Chobha ...
. It began to circulate in 1216 and survives in more than a hundred manuscripts.
Publication history
Likely a student of
Peter Cantor
Peter Cantor (died 1197), also known as Peter the Chanter or by his Latin name Petrus Cantor, was a French Roman Catholic theologian.confession was affirmed as mandatory by the
Fourth Council of the Lateran
The Fourth Council of the Lateran or Lateran IV was convoked by Pope Innocent III in April 1213 and opened at the Lateran Palace in Rome on 11 November 1215. Due to the great length of time between the Council's convocation and meeting, many bi ...
, with Pope Innocent III specifying that priests ought to consider the individual circumstances of the penitent. However, according to F. Broomfield, Thomas' work "was very little influenced" by the council, and Thomas might not even have been aware of the canons passed by the council. Its authorship has also been misattributed to several other writers, including Innocent III himself.
What came to be referred to as the ''Summa confessorum'' began to circulate in 1216. It attracted a wide readership, especially in colleges and priories, and was one of the most copied penitential works in the late medieval period. Significant portions of the ''Summa'' were either quoted or alluded to in later theological handbooks, including the ''Speculum iuniorum'' ( 1250), the ''Signaculum apostolatus mei'' (13th century), and the ''Speculum curatorum'' (c. 1340). It was also a source for
William of Pagula William of Pagula (died 1332), also known as William Paull or William Poull, was a 14th-century English canon lawyer and theologian best known for his written works, particularly his manual for priests entitled the '' Oculus Sacerdotis''. Pagula was ...
's ''Oculus Sacerdotis''.
Over a hundred manuscripts of the ''Summa'' are still extant, with at least a couple dating to the 1480s. A critical edition based on three English manuscripts, titled ''Thomae de Chobham Summa Confessorum'', was published by Broomfield in 1968.
Content
The ''Summa'' represents an attempt to "make available the advices and conclusions of the moral theologians to the ordinary priests for specific cases." Thomas lays out the agenda of the work in its preface: "We will more carefully pursue the duties and practical considerations which are necessary for priests to hear confessions and enjoin penances." On one hand, Thomas notes that "if any sin is concealed, there is no confession, no absolution." On the other hand, he cautions priests not to ''extriere'' ("terrorise") penitents "lest they push them into obstinacy or despair."
Thomas begins by defining
penance
Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...
Beatitudes
The Beatitudes are sayings attributed to Jesus, and in particular eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirr ...
, and spiritual gifts. After going through the consequences of sin and irregularities in the church, Thomas explores the relationship between the
sacraments
A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...
and a priest's ability to hear confession. Before a cleric can confess, for instance, a priest must inquire if he has discharged his clerical duties or not. Thomas then raises the question of whether or not intellectually disabled people or condemned criminals are eligible for penance.
Thomas devotes the most attention to issue of specific penances for specific sins (especially lust, wrath, and greed). However, he stops short of providing a list of "tariffed penances", given the possibility of additional factors in individual cases that may problematise them. Thomas examines a considerable range of problems in the ''Summa'', such as breastfeeding, forced castration, and prostitution.
Throughout the ''Summa'', Thomas constantly refers to the Bible as well as Peter Lombard's commentaries on the Psalms and the letters of
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. He also quotes Gratian, albeit without attribution.