Penitentials basically served as handbooks that priests had to use for hearing confession. The content of penitential literature reflected primarily on works used by confessors in different religious communities. Many sources point to the possibility of the development of penitentials as a result of the transition from public confession to private disclosure. And most important of all, penitentials help in unraveling the shroud over sexual deviance in the medieval period. What was considered forbidden in the society of the Middle Ages?
A priest hearing confession during Lent. (Wellcome Collection/
CC BY 4.0
Was Penance So Important?
Before taking a deeper look into the importance of penitential literature, it is important to understand the implications of penance. How much were people condemned by the Catholic Church for their acts of sexual deviance? The sins in medieval penitentials would invite penances that included fasting for long durations, giving alms, repeating psa