Introduction

                   The Holy Father:

                   Brothers and Sisters, let us turn with trust to God our Father,
                   who is
                   merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, great in love and
                   fidelity,
                   and ask him to accept the repentance of his people who humbly
                   confess
                   their sins, and to grant them mercy.

                   [All pray for a moment in silence.]

                   I. CONFESSION OF SINS IN GENERAL

                   Cardinal Bernardin Gantin:

                   Let us pray that our confession and repentance will be inspired by
                   the
                   Holy Spirit, that our sorrow will be conscious and deep, and that,
                   humbly viewing the sins of the past in an authentic "purification
                   of
                   memory", we will be committed to the path of true conversion.

                   [Silent prayer.]

                   The Holy Father:

                   Lord God, your pilgrim Church, which you ever sanctify in the
                   blood of
                   your Son, counts among her children in every age members whose
                   holiness
                   shines brightly forth and members whose disobedience to you
                   contradicts
                   the faith we profess and the Holy Gospel. You, who remain ever
                   faithful,
                   even when we are unfaithful, forgive our sins and grant that we
                   may bear
                   true witness to you before all men and women. We ask this
                   through Christ
                   our Lord.

                   R. Amen.

                   Cantor:
                   Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.

                   The assembly repeats:
                   Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                   II. CONFESSION OF SINS COMMITTED IN THE SERVICE  OF TRUTH

                   Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger:

                   Let us pray that each one of us, looking to the Lord Jesus, meek
                   and
                   humble of heart, will recognize that even men of the Church, in the
                   name
                   of faith and morals, have sometimes used methods not in keeping
                   with the
                   Gospel in the solemn duty of defending the truth.

                   [Silent prayer.]
 

                   The Holy Father:

                   Lord, God of all men and women, in certain periods of history
                   Christians
                   have at times given in to intolerance and have not been faithful to
                   the
                   great commandment of love, sullying in this way the face of the
                   Church,
                   your Spouse. Have mercy on your sinful children
                   and accept our resolve to seek and promote truth in the gentleness
                   of
                   charity, in the firm knowledge that truth can prevail only in virtue
                   of
                   truth itself. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
                   R. Amen.
                   R. Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                    III. CONFESSION OF SINS WHICH HAVE HARMED THE UNITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

                   Cardinal Roger Etchegaray:

                   Let us pray that our recognition of the sins which have rent the
                   unity
                   of the Body of Christ and wounded fraternal charity will
                   facilitate the
                   way to reconciliation and communion among all Christians.

                   [Silent prayer.]
 

                   The Holy Father:

                   Merciful Father, on the night before his Passion your Son prayed
                   for the
                   unity of those who believe in him: in disobedience to his will,
                   however,
                   believers have opposed one another, becoming divided, and have
                   mutually
                   condemned one another and fought against one another. We
                   urgently
                   implore your forgiveness and we beseech the gift of a repentant
                   heart,
                   so that all Christians, reconciled with you and with one another
                   will be
                   able, in one body and in one spirit, to experience anew the joy of
                   full
                   communion. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
                   R. Amen.
                   R. Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                   IV. CONFESSION OF SINS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL

                   Cardinal Edward Cassidy:

                   Let us pray that, in recalling the sufferings endured by the people
                   of
                   Israel throughout history, Christians will acknowledge the sins
                   committed by not a few of their number against the people of the
                   Covenant and the blessings, and in this way will purify their
                   hearts.

                   [Silent prayer.]

                   The Holy Father:

                   God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to
                   bring your
                   Name to the Nations: we are deeply saddened by the behaviour of
                   those
                   who in the course of history have caused these children of yours
                   to
                   suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves
                   to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant. We ask
                   this
                   through Christ our Lord.
                   R. Amen
                   R. Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                 V. CONFESSION OF SINS COMMITTED IN ACTIONS
                   AGAINST LOVE, PEACE, THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLES, AND
                   RESPECT FOR CULTURES AND RELIGIONS
 

                   Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao:

                   Let us pray that contemplating Jesus, our Lord and our Peace,
                   Christians
                   will be able to repent of the words and attitudes caused by pride,
                   by
                   hatred, by the desire to dominate others, by enmity towards
                   members of
                   other religions and towards the weakest groups in society,
                   such as immigrants and itinerants.

                   [Silent prayer.]

                   The Holy Father:
                   Lord of the world, Father of all, through your Son you asked us to
                   love
                   our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and to pray for those
                   who
                   persecute us. Yet Christians have often denied the Gospel;
                   yielding to a mentality of power, they have violated the rights of
                   ethnic groups and peoples, and shown contempt for their cultures
                   and
                   religious traditions: be patient and merciful towards us, and grant
                   us
                   your forgiveness! We ask this through Christ our Lord.
                   R. Amen.
                   R. Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                   VI. CONFESSION OF SINS AGAINST THE DIGNITY OF
                   WOMEN AND THE UNITY OF THE HUMAN RACE

                   Cardinal Francis Arinze:

                   Let us pray for all those who have suffered offences against their
                   human
                   dignity and whose rights have been trampled; let us pray for
                   women, who
                   are all too often humiliated and emarginated, and let us
                   acknowledge the
                   forms of acquiescence in these sins of which Christians too have
                   been
                   guilty.

                   [Silent prayer.]

                   The Holy Father:

                   Lord God, our Father, you created the human being, man and
                   woman,
                   in your image and likeness and you willed the diversity of peoples
                   within the unity of the human family. At times, however, the
                   equality of
                   your sons and daughters has not been acknowledged, and
                   Christians have
                   been guilty of attitudes of rejection and exclusion, consenting to
                   acts
                   of discrimination on the basis of racial and ethnic differences.
                   Forgive
                   us and grant us the grace to heal the wounds still present in your
                   community on account of sin, so that we will all feel ourselves to
                   be
                   your sons and daughters. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
                   R. Amen.
                   R. Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                   VII. CONFESSION OF SINS IN RELATION TO THE
                   FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE PERSON

                   Archbishop François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân:

                   Let us pray for all the men and women of the world, especially for
                   minors who are victims of abuse, for the poor, the alienated, the
                   disadvantaged; let us pray for those who are most defenceless,
                   the unborn killed in their mother's womb or even exploited for
                   experimental purposes by those who abuse the promise of
                   biotechnology
                   and distort the aims of science.

                   [Silent prayer.]

                   The Holy Father:

                   God, our Father, you always hear the cry of the poor. How many
                   times
                   have Christians themselves not recognized you in the hungry, the
                   thirsty
                   and the naked, in the persecuted, the imprisoned, and in those
                   incapable
                   of defending themselves, especially in the first stages of life. For
                   all
                   those who have committed acts of injustice by trusting in wealth
                   and
                   power and showing contempt for the "little ones" who are so dear
                   to you,
                   we ask your fogiveness: have mercy on us and accept our
                   repentance. We
                   ask this through Christ our Lord.

                   R. Amen.
                   R. Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison; Kyrie, eleison.

                   [A lamp is lit before the Crucifix.]

                   Concluding Prayer

                   The Holy Father:

                   Most merciful Father, your Son, Jesus Christ, the judge of the
                   living
                   and the dead, in the humility of his first coming redeemed
                   humanity from
                   sin and in his glorious return he will demand an account of every
                   sin.
                   Grant that our forebears, our brothers and sisters, and we, your
                   servants, who by the grace of the Holy Spirit turn back to you in
                   whole-hearted repentance, may experience your mercy and receive
                   the forgiveness of our sins. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
                   R. Amen.

                   [As a sign of penance and veneration the Holy Father embraces
                   and kisses
                   the Crucifix.]

                   (Official Vatican Translation)