Pope alarmed by decline in confessions

TimesOnline ^ | 6/19/09 | Richard Owen

[bdeaner]

Pope Benedict XVI has raised the alarm over the decline in confessions, urging priests not to become "resigned to empty confessionals" but rather to help the faithful rediscover "the beauty of the sacrament", which answered "a deep and humble longing for forgiveness".

[bdeaner]

Be strong. The Lord is with you. I will keep you in my prayers. God bless.

[Enoughofthissocialism]

Well, at least you are honest, and seem humble in that honesty.

I sincerely hope things work out for you in that ultimate way. God gives us men independence as a virtue among many others, but we must have balance in them or virtues become vices.

Good luck, and God's blessings on you, sir.

[chase19]

Thanks. Please, please, please, keep me in your prayers.

[RFEngineer]

It’s strangely correlated with the aging, death, and incarceration of Kennedy’s.

I’m just sayin’......

[chase19]

Yeah, I’m pretty desperate at this point in time. I know in my heart that prayers are all that will help. I’ve had a few as we speak so it’s a lot easier to ask for help.

God bless you you as well.

[Tax-chick]

I often think, “what the heck would happen if just a 1/10th of our parish showed up?”.

My parish has 1,600 households. Even if you posit an average of 2 per household, that would be 320 people trying to confess in 40 minutes, at best. Insane.

[bdeaner]

Thanks. Please, please, please, keep me in your prayers.

You're welcome! I am praying for you. I pray, in Christ's name, that you will be free of desire for alcohol,-- that the Lord will release you from the demons that hold you in bondage to your addiction-- and that you will find peace in your life. Amen.

[Salvation]

We need to go to Confession at least every two months. It gets to be three or even sometimes four weeks and I know I must go.

If you have not gone to Confession — Catholics only here, You have not fulfilled your Easter duty — to go to Confession during Lent/Easter time. So — are you receiving the Holy Eucharist unworthily??

I’m not trying to preach — just feel very strongly about this since we sin greatly when we receive the Eucharist without having gone to Confession recently.

[Salvation]

I answer to Pope Benedict, many Bishops are instigating programs that emphasize the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is only sitting down and talking with a priest — although some may still prefer to kneel behind a curtain.

Hardly a Sunday goes by that our priest does not mention the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In fact, we had a totally packed church for the Lenten Reconciliation Service.

The seven priests who came to assist with Confessions’ jaws dropped when they saw the number of people for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Confessions lasted through 10:00 pm.

[Salvation]

BTW, the two marks of a thriving and holy Catholic Church are the
1. length of the lines for Confession
2. the number of vocations from your parish.

We have no trouble with the length of the lines for Confessions as you can tell from my previous posts, and we have one young man on the way to the priesthood.

[Salvation]

But God calls us to constant humility.

[mad_as_he$$]

About ten years ago I wandered into a Catholic church looking for a priest to try to understand why so many Catholics were “OK” with abortion. The priest was in the confessional and no one else was around so I politely went in. He said “Bless you son, how long has it been since your last confession?” I answered “Never”(not being Catholic). He said (as the big guy is my witness) “I have a meeting at 4!” I laughed and then explained to him that I was not Catholic and I just needed to talk to a priest. We are great friends now and I am still not Catholic of which he reminds me of on every occasion we talk.

[Salvation]

You both have FReepmail.

[Salvation]

God forgets the sins that are confessed and for which the pentiten repents and promises to amend his/her ways. Otherwise, you answer for ALL your sins at the moment of your death.

If you are a Catholic, I suggest you make an appointment with a priest and sit down and talk about this.

[Salvation]

Can your girlfriend forgive you as God can through the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Do you know the words of absolution that the priest says? God is the one who forgives our sins.

[Salvation]

Christ breathed on the apostles and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive they are forgiven them, whose sins you retain are retained."

From the apostles, that gift of the Holy Spirit is passed down to Bishops and then to the priests.

[rabidralph]

Maybe people figured out they could talk directly to Jesus without an intermediary.

[Salvation]

Great list! Thanks. Words of absolution coming.

[Salvation]

 

1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church:

God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and the resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Salvation]

Glad you put that “Yeah, right.” on the end of your comment. I believe that people are sinning more and more each day.