spowied

Spoved is a term used in several Slavic languages to denote the act of confessing sins or the rite by which a person asks for forgiveness from God, typically with the involvement of a priest. In many contexts it refers to the Christian practice known in English as confession or the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Within the Roman Catholic Church, spoved refers to the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. The process generally includes contrition, the confession of sins to a priest, and absolution pronounced by the priest, followed by a penance to be performed. Catholic theology distinguishes mortal from venial sins, with absolution tied to the forgiveness of grave sins. The practice can be private or as part of a communal celebration with individual confession.

In Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches, confession is called the Sacrament of Repentance or Confession. It involves a private confession to a priest who offers spiritual guidance and grants absolution. Repeated confessions are common, and the rite is often celebrated before major liturgical feasts or during periods of spiritual preparation.

Many Protestant denominations view confession as a personal act of repentance addressed to God, sometimes practiced publicly or privately without a formal priestly absolution. Some traditions emphasize confession as a discipline and prayer rather than as a sacrament; forgiveness is framed as a result of faith and grace.

Outside church settings, spoved can also refer more generally to any admission of guilt or disclosure of wrongdoing in personal, legal, or social contexts.