ATONEMENT. - The act by which (either by the sinner himself or by others in his stead) the offense and the wrong done to the divinity by sin are repaired. Like the idea of guilt, so too the idea of expiation is found present, more or less purified of heterogeneous elements, and operative in various ways (sacrifices, including blood sacrifices, ceremonies, ascetic and penitential practices, such as fasts, flagellations, etc.) in all religions. Expiation, in its fullest and most perfect concept, belongs only to Christianity. Christianity, in fact, adores in the great mystery of the Redemption the Son of God made man, who takes upon himself all the sins of humanity and makes adequate reparation for them; and it has Christians offer, in order to receive its fruit, the cooperation of their works (prayers, alms, fasts, daily pains and sacrifices lovingly borne, etc.), which borrow their expiatory value from the Redeemer, are offered by Him to the Father and accepted by the Father (v. therefore: Gesù CRISTO; INDULGENZE; MERITO; PENITENZA; REDENZIONE; SACRIFICIO; SODDISFAZIONE).
For the religions of primitive peoples and of other civilized peoples, v. under the individual entries.
Celestino Testore