Posted on 03/25/2007 12:52:43 PM PDT by NYer
"Bless me Father, for I have sinned."
The words which usually serve as the opening to confession, a sacrament in the Catholic Church, are being heard more by local priests these days. The reason - confession seems to be making a comeback.
Although fewer people sought absolution in the post-Vatican II era, it appears as though confession, also known as the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, is on the rise in the Diocese of San Bernardino.
The Sacrament of Penance allows Catholics to confess their sins to a priest through a screen in a small closed confessional, under cover of darkness. They were then granted absolution from the priest.
But some things about confession have changed. The pitch-dark stalls of the confessional are mostly a thing of the past. Today, some confessionals have windows and many seeking confession face their priests.
Not all confessions are private anymore, either. Some of the devout partake in communal penance services.
The Rev. Michael Manning, pastor of St. Anthony's Church in San Bernardino, said he has seen the numbers rising at weekly confession services every Saturday and for seasonal penance services.
"Now what we're offering before Christmas and Easter is a communal confession time," Manning said. "We have several priests there, and we share a reflection on Scripture, then people will share one or two of their sins."
Highland resident Donna Rice, who is a practicing Catholic, said she prefers the penance services to whispering in the confessional.
"Speaking for myself, going to confession helps," said Rice, 56. "It's a good thing, to be reconciled back into the community, to hear from a priest, `Yes, you are forgiven.' Some people need permission to forgive themselves."
It isn't just older Catholics who are coming to confession, either. It's a good mix of young and old alike, Manning said.
"I think what's going on is we're living in a world that has become much more sensitive to our spiritual life and afterlife," he said. "The whole challenge of the afterlife is very strong in movies and television, and I think the media is simply mirroring the concerns of people these days. People are realizing they need more.
"There's an awareness of fragility of our own lives, with the war and the accounts of so many people who are dying. The security we once had we don't have any more with the gangs, violence and the war."
Rice agreed and said events such as Sept. 11, 2001, the war in Iraq and the sexual abuse that occurred within the church, may be driving people back to confession.
"I think people are just looking for answers as to why these things are going on," she said.
Michael Houran, a professor of religious education and pastoral theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, said a communal service could be socially appealing.
"Nationally, there has been much written about Catholics' interest in a form of reconciliation that allows them to publicly celebrate their desire to be forgiven of their sinfulness," Houran said.
"This seems to me to be a positive trend because it recognizes that our sinfulness has social consequences. Therefore, why wouldn't you want to celebrate forgiveness in fairly large social context rather than only one-on-one with a priest?"
In the Diocese of San Bernardino, the 10th-largest diocese in the country, church officials say confession is on the rise.
In Hesperia, at least one church had been taking two hours for confession, and a penance service in Rancho Cucamonga this week served more than 1,000 people, officials said.
"The Catholic Church has always treasured the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation," said the Rev. Howard Lincoln, spokesman for the San Bernardino Diocese, which encompasses San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
"And confession is increasing in our diocese."
Lincoln attributed the rise partly to the diocese's already large population. Catholics number more than 2.1 million in both counties.
Another reason is that the diocese is growing and there is a major influx of new residents from ethnic backgrounds that tend to be Roman Catholic.
Post-Vatican II, Catholics began to neglect the practice of confession. A 1980 University of Notre Dame study showed that 26 percent of active Catholics never attended confession.
The Rev. David Fitzgerald, pastor of Our Lady of Assumption in San Bernardino, said he too, has noticed confession making a comeback.
"There's no arguing that it was on the decline, but probably in the last five years, it's definitely making a big comeback," Fitzgerald said. "I encourage people to go to confession not just for renewal, but because it plays a role in their overall psychological and spiritual health and helps people live more balanced lives."
Two years ago, Our Lady of Assumption Church remodeled its confessionals, putting in windows to bring in natural light and widening the doors to make it more accessible for the disabled.
After the remodel, the number of confessions increased so much that the time for Fitzgerald to hear confessions jumped from 30 minutes to three hours.
"I am never, ever sitting in the confessional waiting for someone to come in," he said.
Why, perfectly.
It's worse then "an excuse" IMHO. It's a counterfeit - at least two ways. It's illicit (I doubt it is a valid sacrament) and it deprives one of the non-sacramental benefits of private confession, which are HUGH, I'm series!
It must be very hard to be a secular priest. So many of them seem to fall into an almost Episcopalian do-it-yourself kind of Catholicism and almost to define themselves by idiosyncrasy and disobedience. I guess there are probably myriads of faithful priests out there. One tends to hear more about the ones who are just such good guys and so down to earth, you know, that they decide, entirely out of generosity and compassion, you understand, that we lay people really don't have to seek after holiness.
Just visited Krakow.
Amazing.
Every church had a few priests hearing confessions all day long - and always people in line waiting.
Its amazing how easy it is to do the right thing and obtain a state of grace when the opportunity is ubiquitous.
When was the last time you went into a church in the USA where it was easy to find a priest hearing confessions?
Having said all that, I was quite surprised to see that Poland has the lowest brith rate in Europe - 1.24.
What constitutes small ? How many families?
One thing about confession is the humility it takes to confess a sin to another.
It's awfully easy to rationalize behavior, but in front of another, confessing out loud make the sin very heavy and real.
One tends not to repeat the sin or the pattern of sin that leads to transgression.
Simply acknowledging a sin personally and giving lipservice to God without confessing seems a pretty easy thing that could become virtually meaningless due to our human ability and fallen nature to rationalize and create excuses for ourselves.
"as an Atheist..."
I've always wondered why atheists feel the need to mock religions if, as I've been told by some, God does not exist.
One would think the very idea of a deity would be so childish to them that it would be as notable as a child playing in a sandbox.
I think atheists protest too much.
Yes, why you're the picture of joy and happiness.
Life really doesn't have to be this way, y'know...
My point was that perhaps the writer of the article (I've noticed very few newspaper people who are actual practicising Catholics) doesn't understand the difference and the nuances between a "communal penance service" and group confession (which is dis-allowed). People on this board get all in a tizzy, calling names, etc. about practices that are poorly represented in the article.
**a "communal penance service" and group confession (which is dis-allowed).**
Except in cases of grave emergency.
Maybe 911 in NYC??
A nuclear attack in the U. S. ??
More and more NEED confession. I hope it's a trend.
<<<"Not all confessions are private anymore, either. Some of the devout partake in communal penance services.">>>
Then their is no absolution therefore no confession therefore no communion.
<<<"The Rev. Michael Manning, pastor of St. Anthony's Church in San Bernardino, said he has seen the numbers rising at weekly confession services every Saturday and for seasonal penance services.
"Now what we're offering before Christmas and Easter is a communal confession time," Manning said. "We have several priests there, and we share a reflection on Scripture, then people will share one or two of their sins." >>>
Penance service yes, sharing one or two sins no, at least in my Catholic Church.
From the Catechism:
1424
It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession"—acknowledgment and praise—of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man.
It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace."6
It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God."7 He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother."8
Note: "disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament."
Note: "by the priest's sacramental absolution"
In 50 words or less explain why disagreement is a bad thing as you have insinuated.
Uh, you didn't give attribution till you were called on it, Slobo, so I call plaigerizing.
It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God."
All this time I thought the High Priest, Christ Jesus did that.
This is not a thread to debate the relative merits of the Sacrament and its proper place, efficacy, etc. And it certainly not a thread for mockery. There is a time and place for debate and a time for discussion. If you were to read GSlob's first post, it has no place on this thread.
It is the internal happiness [i.e. that I'm happy with myself] that counts.
Sometimes your self is the last one to know it. That's actually the precise decision of 'self-denial' as used in discussing alcohol abuse and depression.
Most often when it's not working, it's not working with family, co-wokers, loving relationships. They tend to know it's not working first; self last.
Misguided self preservation I suppose.
#43.
Yes, I too remember spending that much concern and effort on "drinking wisely" and how to "hold my liquor" so it wouldn't be a "problem" then, ya see.
It's an easy thing if you pay attention to those rules and your judgement isn't impaired along the way. Otherwise you might find that it's a progressive addiction.
But so long as it requires you us to devote the proper care and attention to it, it's not a problem.
Is it?
The commandments - with practice, which makes perfect - become one's second nature, to be followed instinctively. Pretty much like any black belt has automated routines.
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