Forgiveness
Psychological perspectives on the experience of feeling forgiven.
Infinity: family, love and sexuality
The research will conduct an analysis of the different types of experiences related to forgiveness and their influence on the flourishing or development staff , psychological well-being and mental health of individuals.
SELF-FORGIVENESS
Refers to a person's ability to forgive oneself for past mistakes or faults. It is an introspective process that involves accepting responsibility staff and, at the same time, freeing oneself from self-inflicted guilt and shame. This form of forgiveness is essential for mental health, overcoming negative feelings and fostering a positive self-image.
Pseudo-forgiveness
It occurs when a person appears to have forgiven without actually processing the emotions or changing internally. This superficial form of forgiveness can lead to denial and the accumulation of unresolved resentments, negatively affecting personal relationships and emotional well-being.
INTERPERSONAL FORGIVENESS
The process of absolving another person for a harm or grievance committed. It is essential for maintaining healthy relationships, promoting reconciliation and empathy. This subject of forgiveness contributes to the reduction of stress, resentment and anger, and improves mental health and the quality of relationships.
DIVINE FORGIVENESS
Refers to the consideration or perception of being forgiven by God. This concept is especially relevant in contexts where spirituality or religion is important. It is associated with greater inner peace and resilience in the face of adversity, influencing the capacity to forgive others and oneself. It could also be associated with the subject relationship that believers have with God or priests.
FORGIVENESS IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT STAFF
Forgiveness, in all its forms, plays a crucial role in development staff or flourishing, family dynamics and emotional well-being. Research in this field has revealed that forgiveness is a powerful tool for coping staff, improving interpersonal relationships and promoting emotional well-being. According to the scientific literature, the ability to forgive not only relieves emotional burdens, but also fosters a more positive and resilient outlook on life. Furthermore, forgiveness, especially in close relationships, can have protective effects against stress and contribute to greater life satisfaction.
In response to these deficiencies, we propose as a general goal of this study, the exhaustive analysis of the individual variables that are related to the different types of forgiveness and their contribution to general well-being, relational dynamics and flourishing or development staff in Spanish-speaking people.
researcher manager
Martiño Rodríguez-González
mrgonzalez@unav.es
group "Infinity: family, love and sexuality."
CO-INVESTIGATOR manager
Maria Calatrava
mcalatrava@unav.es
group "Infinity: family, love and sexuality."
RESEARCHER TEAM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA
→ Carmen Callizo (Institute for Culture and Society)
→ Javier Bringué (School de Comunicación )
→ Inés Olza (Institute for Culture and Society)
→ José María Pardo (School of Theology)
RESEARCHER EXTERNAL EQUIPMENT
→ María Pilar Martínez (Universidad Pontificia de Comillas)
→ Cherri Marmarosh (Divine Mercy University)
→ Maria Schweer-Collins (University of Oregon)
→ Juan de Dios Larrú (Ecclesial University of Saint Damaso)
→ Joan D.A. Juanola (Universitat Abat Oliba, CEU)
Presentations and contributions at conferences
2025
• Calatrava, M. & Callizo, C. Psychological instructions Divine Forgiveness Among Catholics. Forgiveness Institute, Francisco de Vitoria University, Madrid, Spain. December 17, 2025.
• Rodríguez-González, M., and Calatrava-Martinez, M. The Human Experience of Divine Forgiveness. San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University. lecture by the department Moral Theology. Madrid. November 13, 2025.
• Calatrava, M. Psychological Perspectives on Divine Forgiveness: A mixed-methods study on confession among Spanish-speaking Catholics: Main Results. Lismullin Conference Centre, Navan, Ireland. September 18, 2025.
• Rodríguez-González, M., Callizo, C., Schweer-Collins, M., Final Presentation of the Divine Forgiveness International Projects, Capstone Event, Amelia Island, Jacksonville, Florida, United States. September 15, 2025.
• Callizo, C. Divine Forgiveness. Abigail Adams Institute & Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States. July 29, 2025
2026
• Cook, K. V., Callizo, C., Kurniati, N. M. T., Nyamaruze, P., Ağılkaya Şahin, Z., Calatrava, M., Rodríguez-González, M., Long, K. N. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Cowden, R. G. (May 14, 2026). Reconciliation with God as a pathway to spiritual and psychological health: Development and cross-cultural validation of the Reconciliation with God Scale (RWGS). 6th Global Summit on Spirituality, Religion, and Mental Health, Boston, MA.
2025
• Callizo, C., Rodríguez-González, M., Calatrava, M., D’avila Juanola, J., Cowden, R., “Perceiving Forgiveness in Catholic Confession: The Priest’s Intermediary Role.” International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) Conference, 2025. Birmingham, UK, August 22, 2025.
• Callizo, C., Rodríguez-González, M., Calatrava, M., D’avila Juanola, J., Cowden, R., “Divine Forgiveness and Well-being: The Influence of Catholic Retreats and Confession.” International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR) Conference, 2025. Birmingham, UK, August 21, 2025.
• Calatrava, M., Callizo, C., D’Avila Juanola, J., Rodríguez-González, M. “From Confession to Reconciliation: Understanding Psychological and Relational Factors Linked to the Perception of Divine Forgiveness Among Spanish-Speaking Catholics.” Common Memory and Collective Forgiveness Conference. Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy.
• Callizo, C., Rodríguez González, M., Calatrava. The Psychological Foundations of Divine Forgiveness in Spanish-Speaking Catholics. International Conference on Forgiveness and Reconciliation (April 23–26), Madrid, Spain.
2024
• Callizo, C., Rodríguez González, M., Calatrava, Perceptions of Divine Forgiveness Among Spanish-Speaking Catholics: Quantitative and Qualitative Insights. Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (October 18–20, 2024), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.
• Callizo, C., Rodríguez González, M., Calatrava, M., Schweer-Collins, M., Bingué, X., Marmarosh, C., Martínez Díaz, M. The belief in being forgiven by God: factors among Spanish-speaking Catholics. Cognitive Representations in Religion (CRIR 2024), Oxford, UK.
• Callizo, C., Rodríguez, M., Calatrava, M., Schweer-Collins, M., Marmarosh, C., “The belief in being forgiven by God: Factors among Spanish-speaking Catholics.” Cognitive Representations in Religion Conference (CRIR). Oxford, United Kingdom.
With the support of
