There definitely is room for improvement on making Confession more easily available. However this requires extra commitment on the part of many parish priests, and some don't want to do that, sadly. What really drives me up the wall are the parishes that offer Confession "by appointment" only. That's about the worst thing you can do to encourage more people to use the sacrament. Even those who go to Confession regularly rarely get excited and eager to go. It's never fun - nor is it supposed to be. Having a time period, even if it's just an hour every week, where you can go, confess, and continue on makes it a little easier. Many people who barely can drag themselves to "the box" would never get around to calling a priest and setting up an appointment. Not to mention the fact that much of the comforting anonymity of the confessional is lost that way. It's a very intimidating set up.
I think you make some very good points. I would also add that a big part of it also has to do with the teaching, and subsequent mentality and atmosphere of many parishes.
For example, do you find it acceptable to hear cheering and applause among parishoners during Mass? I certainly don't, under any circumstances. Yet in the past couple of months I was unfortunate enough to witness two such occurances, at two seperate Catholic churches. Needless to say, I was absolutely horrified both times. I am still sick about it today. I got me to thinking that the Catholic church in the United States has just about completely lost sight of Catholicism altogether, and has become, in effect, Protestant.
I could go on and on about this. I will say though that when I was a kid that I never would have even imagined things being the way they are today. I never would have thought in a million years that I would ever hear people wildly applauding during a Catholic Mass, and I certainly never in a million years would have thought that I would be a witness to the horror of a Catholic priest pulling out a guitar and singing a song about how happy he was during Mass (no, I'm not kidding). Pope Benedict, we need your help here.
"There definitely is room for improvement on making Confession more easily available."
I was thinking the exact same thing. They used to have it right before mass at my church and they stopped and every time I go to mass I think 'shoot I forgot to go to confession'. I'd love to go - as one is suppose to- every week.
But you're totally right. Maybe they should have confession during the masses for us sinners who can't seem to make yearly doctors appointments let alone priestly ones.