Public Penance

For some very grave sins which are committed, so to speak, in the eye of the public, and are therefore likely to cause great spiritual harm because of the bad example they set to the faithful (that is, because of the scandal they cause), the Church imposes public and solemn penance.

Such public penance is very rarely imposed. And it seems that it should not be imposed more than once on any individual, even if the individual sins publicly again.

Public penance “not imposed in the solemnform” may be repeated. It may be imposed on laymen or clerics. Public and solemn penance, which can be imposed but once, is never imposed on clerics because of the scandal that would be involved inthe very performing of the penance by such a person. Public and solemn penance may be imposed by a bishop, but not by a parish priest.