...... Seriously though, I hope to be at least so "converted" that I see clearly that the Love of God is important and the disapproval of some crotchety priest is not.
Yes, that would make sense as the view of a mature-in-the-faith-Catholic. I would pray that the vast majority of Catholics are mature in the faith. :) (I have no idea.)
But you've given me a good "intention", as we Papists say, and I will pray tomorrow at Mass for the gift of an increase of faith and courage for all those too ashamed to make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In that case I will LITERALLY join in that prayer. :) Putting aside "my beef", the whole thing seems like it's worthwhile. I can think of certain politicians who couldn't possibly have had a true confession in decades. I think our country might be in better shape now if they had. :)
The question of the number of "mature" Catholics or mature any-Christian-denomination is one that troubles me.
I don't know what it's like in your tradition, but in the Episcopal Church as well as the RC, Christmas and Easter always bring out people who never come to services any other time. There's always a temptation to say, as one greets people at the door on the way out,"Oh! Nice to see you! Will I see you again in X months?" Or, "You know, We're open YEAR ROUND! We have services EVERY SUNDAY! It would be great to see you at one or two of them."
The inner life of clergy: NOT a pretty thing ...
Especially in Mississippi there was a church-going culture. I used to say that there seemed to be a tidal force which lifted people out of their beds on Sunday morning, got them dressed and prettied up, and deposited them in a pew, and many of them had no idea why they were there.
So, you scatter seeds and commend them to God. You remind yourself that God's love for these people does not vary with the depth of their spiritual insight or the frequency of their attendance at services; and that right up until he was knocked to the ground, Paul was not exactly playing team ball — not for OUR team anyway.
And people grow in such funny ways, advancing along this front while leaving that huge flank exposed, but then, years later, bringing up the rest of their assets all of a sudden.
My friend who hasn't been to confession since forever, is in many ways a very thoughtful and loving Christian. The smart money is on the proposition that there are some gaps in her insight and, well, other stuff. But she is in many ways an inspiration to me, and her children (all 8 of them!) rise up and call her blessed.
I think the majority of us enter Purgatory looking like an athlete who, say, did nothing but curls but never once did a press — huge biceps and atrophied triceps, powerful here and myasthenic there.
There is the added matter of psychological "differences". There are a lot of wounded people out there, a lot. I happen to know a number of people with "Character Trait/Personality Disorder" issues. When they're not actively beating up on me, I often wonder what are the traces and gifts of grace in souls so distressed. (When they ARE beating up on me, I mostly look for cover.) As a sort of related example, a guy who hauls his sorry and drunken behind to ninety AA meetings in ninety days MAY be exhibiting as great an internal act of the Holy Spirit as some saint who gives all she has for the poor, just as the paraplegic who crawls 10 feet may be showing as much determination as the athlete who runs a mile.
I had not been to many personal confession in the Episcopal Church, but I had been to some, before the day that the priest said, "Go in Peace, the Lord has put away all your sins." Leaving entirely to one side the question of sacramental validity, THAT was the day that I "heard" that it was MY sins that had been put away, that this was not a generic observation but one "with my name on it." I had studied and prayed and worshipped and even fasted, and it had never hit me that it was ME, as in MOI, that IHS died to save.
But I can't and won't say all that other stuff didn't prepare me for that moment. And after that moment I still had (and have) lots of growing to do. So yeah. there are immature Catholics, and a lot of them are probably "gaming" confession, and indeed gaming a lot of their life with Christ. But IHS is patient — and sneaky. I'll let Him handle them.