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".

[VermiciousKnid]

"Do they really evaporate, as in disappear, or is it that the prospect of having to confess the sin if you go on and commit it adds enough discouragement..."

An excellent question! Truth is...I'm not sure. All I know is, after receiving the sacrament, I don't WANT to do the things I just confessed. Was I afraid to confess them? Not really...I mean, it's not like Father was going to jump out of the box and beat me over the head or anything...

After a time, though, like all of us, I stumble. I miss Mass, or I curse, or I'm impatient with the kids (too impatient). So it's off to Confession again. For me, it's almost like a shot in the arm of Sactifying Grace. It makes me THINK of what I'm about to do, and most of the time, I choose not to do it. Or say it. The very last line of the Act of Contrition goes like this: "I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to confess my sins, do penance, ammend my life, and avoid the near occasion of sin." And when I say those words, believe me...I have every intention of keeping my promise.

So, it's not that I don't WANT to go to Confession, it's just that I don't want to shame God. Just like I don't want to shame my parents. Does that make any sense to you? It's very hard to explain.

Regards,

[stuartcr]

That may be true, but people are different and the world is constantly changing. If you believe that God has a plan for us, then it would seem that everything has to go accordingly.

[VermiciousKnid]

That would be The Confiteor. “Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa” is when the breast is struck.

Regards,

[stuartcr]

You say everyone gets one for attending Mass, but how would the church, or priest for that matter, stop anyone from receiving the Eucharist?

[frogjerk]

If you want to take my advice, run don't walk to the nearest confessional. You won't be disappointed.

Amen. Now if I don't go at the very least once a month I know I'm not being honest with God and myself.

[frogjerk]

Do they really evaporate, as in disappear, or is it that the prospect of having to confess the sin if you go on and commit it adds enough discouragement to help you overcome the temptation?

This is Perfect contrition vs. Imperfect contrition. We should not want to sin out of Love of God and offending Him (this is our goal) but not sinning out of fear of the pains of Hell is a good start.

Also, the grace of God that is poured out on the penitent and the counseling by the confessor is efficacious against the temptations of the enemy.

[boatbums]

I find that Confession releases me from the habituation or entrenchment of the sinful behavior.

This may have to do with the "accountability" factor. You know you have made a decision to go to confession and chances are, you may see the same priest again. This is the same accountability spoken of when we are told to "confess our sins one to another".

Sin breaks our fellowship with God, we feel guilty, we feel weird about praying because we know God knows all things and nothing is hidden from his sight. I also can approach my Heavenly Father directly in confessing my sins and accepting His forgiveness.

I remember as a Roman Catholic-raised kid hoping if I died, it was after Saturday confession and before I blew it again. I now know that I am saved by grace through faith. Through the love and mercy of God and not by any good works I could ever do. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin. My sorrow for my sins and confession to God comes from a deep need to reconnect with Him out of love and gratitude for what He has done for me.

[frogjerk]

You say everyone gets one for attending Mass, but how would the church, or priest for that matter, stop anyone from receiving the Eucharist?

The only way he could refuse to give communion to the parishioner is he knows for certain that the person is a known heretic, apostate, not in communion with the Catholic Church, or it would cause a grave scandal in doing so.

It does happen once in a great while and it is a very sad event when it does.

[frogjerk]

You know you have made a decision to go to confession and chances are, you may see the same priest again.

This explanation doesn't fly for screened confessions which I would believe would be the overwhelming majority. Plus there is no requirement to which parish you can go receive the sacrament of confession.

I go to confession because I am sorry for my sins; Jesus taught this and gave the power to the Church to bind an loose. I want the grace available to me in the sacrament thru the Church instituted by Christ.

[boatbums]

Are you saying then that, unless I go to a priest somewhere, I cannot receive forgiveness for my sin?

If that’s the case, what happens if I sin on Monday (or every day, in one way another)? I can’t regain fellowship with God until I do go to confession? Sorry....I like the Biblical way better. IJohn 1:9

[boatbums]

I want the grace available to me in the sacrament thru the Church instituted by Christ.

I know this might irritate you, but the "Church" is the body of believers in Christ. WE are the church, not some hierarchy in Rome.

[SuziQ]

The decline in attendance at the Sacrament of Reconciliation is likely directly due to the horrible catechetics starting with the “I’m OK, You’re OK” 1970s.

[SuziQ]

...or is it that the prospect of having to confess the sin if you go on and commit it adds enough discouragement to help you overcome the temptation?

Heh, whatever works! ;o)

[SuziQ]

It'll take me all night to complete the sacrament of reconciliation.

Yeah, but just think how fast the next one will go! ;o)

[bdeaner]

I'm a convert to Catholicism. I was an Evangelical. And talking directly to God, as an Evangelical, did not have the same impact as the sacrament of Confession. There is a special grace in the Sacraments.

"Going directly go God" is not doing as we are commanded to do -- which is to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). When this scripture is put in context, we see that it is mentioned in the context of the ministry of the presbyters (priests) of the Church, who are charged with healing and forgiving (James 5:14-15), which is the ministry that flows from Jesus' commission to the Apostles, where he said, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you...If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21-23).

When I was an Evangelical, no one in my Church ever did this! They did not listen to the command of James 5:16 at all. In retrospect, it seems clear to me, they (we) picked and chose what to follow and what to reject, as it suited us, not in accordance with the Word of God. We liked to talk about being "Bible Christians" and laughed at the Catholics as being a "church of men" who weren't allowed to read the Bible--but that's absurd, and in fact the Church canonized the Bible! I want to belong to the Church that Christ Himself instituted, founding it on the rock of St. Peter, -- the same one he promised would be preserved so that Hell would not prevail against it.

The Church is essential to baptism and to confession. As we see in the Bible quite clearly (see John 14-16; 20:22; 1 Cor 12), the Church received the Holy Spirit, and it is the Church which is commissioned to Baptize all nations for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Matt 28:19; Mark 16:16). We need the Church for Baptism, and we need the Church for repetence, according to the Scriptures.

I learned from St. Paul that the Church is the Body of Christ. And so my sin, just like the sins of Adam and Eve, have repercussions not only for me, but for others who share in that Body of the Church. It's not just a thing between me and God. If one part of the Mystical Body suffers, every part suffers with it, and if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (Cor 12:26). To sin against God is to also sin against His Church. And reconciliation with God, likewise, requires reconciliation with His Church. This is because the Church is holy, spotless and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27), and therefore my sin cuts me off from the Church, requiring me to reconcile myself to the Church through the Church itself.

This concept of the Mystical Body is a key theological point, without which confession does not make sense. But the concept is clearly rooted in St. Paul's letters, without question. We need to think about the implications of that concept, because it demonstrates the special grace available through the sacrament of confession that just doesn't happen when I pray alone by myself in my room. Christ was made incarnate, and the Church is an extension of his incarnation--the Mystical Body. To reconcile with Christ, we reconcile with the Mystical Body. Confession is how we do that.

To bring this point home, we can look to Luke 7:36-50. This is the wonderful story of the time when a sinful woman appears to Jesus at the Simon the Pharisee's house. She weeps at His feet, and in verse 48, Jesus says to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Now, this woman could have gone to some cave somewhere, or ducked away under a tree, and secretly confessed her sins directly to the Almighty, who is certainly omnipresent. But, no, she goes directly to the Incarnate Lord, the Son, in the flesh. She is able to see Him, hear Him, touch Him. She can hear the words erupt from His mouth, "Your sins are forgiven." That is Confession--hearing the words of the Lord, "you are forgiven," spoken through (not by) the priest. We see and respect, as well, the humility of this woman, who weeps at Chirst's feet and we know she is sincere. By her action, she also knows. And she hears for herself from the Lord that indeed she is forgiven. How powerful is that?!?! Wow, just imagine that. To me, that is how confession feels -- and nothing else can compare. I would not expect otherwise, since the sacrament of confession is rooted in the mission God gave to Christ in his capacity as the Son of Man on earth to go and forgive sins (Matt 9:6).

It has always been this way since the time of Christ, and this can be seen quite clearly in many of the writings of the early Church fathers.

So, that's the long and the short of it. To me, Confession is a wonderful grace-ful blessing from the Lord!

God bless.

[bdeaner]

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

See post #98 for my reply, please.

[bdeaner]

All I know is, after receiving the sacrament, I don't WANT to do the things I just confessed.

Exactly. I have the same experience. I went to therapy for years -- and in fact I am a trained psychotherapist with a doctorate -- and this never happened in therapy. Never. The transformation is not just about going to see a person and tell them stuff. It is a supernatural grace, a sanctifying grace, in the sacrament of confession. That is certainly the teaching of the Church, and it certainly fits my personal experience. Confession is not therapy; therapy is of men, confession is a sacrament through which we receive supernatural, sanctifying grace. I think we'll be hearing a lot more about this in the weeks ahead, as the Holy Father works to clarify the meaning of confession and how it differs from therapy or counseling.