Frequent Confession
An observation from the other evening, honestly, this is an observation I have had almost three or four times a month for at a year or more. That confession, penance, or reconciliation, whatever you call it, is not well attended by average church-going Catholics. The laity who sit in the church for Mass every Sunday, and most Holy Days, do not, as a whole, frequent the sacrament of confession. I know that for many years I was like this, going years between confessions. Not only that but to be completely and brutally honest about everything, I may never have made a really good confession, my entire life, confessing all know mortal sins. Until October 2016.
Only after my experience with the risen Jesus on Monday, October 3, 2016, did I begin to realize the necessity and urgency of complete, or as completely as you can remember, and frequent confession. Since then I have heard more than one Priest say, “one unconfessed mortal sin will send you to hell for eternity.“ Jesus himself, speaks more about the reality of hell and the eternal suffering of souls than it is spoken of in the Old Testament.
So, while on pilgrimage or retreats I hear much about frequent and sincere confession, and it is offered almost constantly, at home our parish priest never speaks about this. In fact, he has discouraged me, and others, from what he terms, “to frequent confession.” I have even had another priest, now retired, tell me, “anyone who goes to confession more than once or twice a year is probably scrupulous.” So, for me, I usually drive an hour to another parish and kneel in the confessional there two or three times a month. Which is fine for me, it is inconvenient but not impossible. I just wonder; however, about people who can’t drive, or who don’t have cars, or who don’t have a way to seek out other options for confession. I personally know two people who have left the parish over the issue of confession.
At my parish and most places in the Diocese, I think, you never hear the reality of hell preached on Sunday, or even at daily Mass. If hell is never spoken, then sin is probably spoken of even less and the sacrament confession is never spoken of in a homely. At my parish, Father is in the confessional one hour week or by appointment in his office. My experience has been that it usually takes a week to ten days when you call and try to make an appointment with him. In casual conversation with the parish secretary, Father’s office is not over-run with parishioners seeking confession by appointment and my experience is there is never a line for confession at the regular times.
Of course, if you don’t preach it, no one will come. However, I have heard other priests say that if you preach sin and reconciliation then there will be lines at the confessional. Yet, I still hear priests complaining that they sit in the confessional and no one comes. Well, I might ask, when was the last time you preached about sin, hell, or confession?
If you are at all interested in the state of your immortal soul, then frequent confession is absolutely necessary. Here are some, not all, but some quotes from the Holy Father and the Bishops on their feeling about frequent confession. And I will leave you with this; Bishop Fulton Sheen once said that no man can survive in this modern world without frequent confession. St. John Paul II often went to confession two or three times a week as did St Teresa of Calcutta.
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“especially prayer sacrifice and the sacraments…In this respect, the false reformers of former days are even surpassed by their modern followers. These letters, wearing the mask of religiosity, discredit and dispose of these means of salvation, especially the two sacraments which cleanse the penitent soul from sin and feed it with celestial food. Let every faithful pastor, therefore, employ the utmost zeal in seeing that the benefits of such great value be held in the highest esteem. Let them never permit these two works of divine love to grow cold in the hearts of men.” (Pius X, encyclical Editae steppe, May 26, 1910)
“Since the opinions expressed by some about frequent confession are completely foreign to the Spirit of Christ and his immaculate Spouse and are also most dangerous to the spiritual life, let those, therefore among the younger clergy who make light of or lessen esteem for frequent confession realize that what they are doing is alien to the Spirit of Christ and disastrous for the Mystical Body or our Savior.” (Pius XII, encyclical Mediator Dei, November 20, 1947)
“Stirred by the example of the Cure’ of Are, let all directors of souls see to it that they devote themselves generously and be equipped with the proper knowledge to this duty of such great importance, since it is here particularly that the divine mercy emerges victorious over human malice, and here that, freed from their sins, men are reconciled with God. These same men should also remember the ‘with very serious words’ our predecessor of happy memory, Pius XII, reproved the opinion of those who belittle the frequent use of the sacrament of Penance when it is a matter of venial sin…And likewise, we are completely confident that priests, before others, will faithfully obey the prescription of canon law which commands them piously and at definite times to receive themselves the sacrament of Penance which is so necessary for the attainment of holiness. We are esteem for and make use of those urgent exhortations which this same predecessor of ours more than once imparted ‘with sorrowful soul.’ “ (John XXIII, encyclical Sacerdotii nostril primordial, August 1, 1959)
“it is very desirable for bishops and other pastors of souls to promote zealously more frequent use of the sacrament of Penance, and to promote extraordinary works of penance for the sake of expiation and impetration…” (Paul VI, apostolic constitution Paenitemini February 17, 1966)
“Therefore, religious, (teaching sisters included) in their desire to strengthen in themselves union with God, should strive to receive the sacrament of Penance frequently, that is twice a month. Superiors, on their part, should encourage this frequency and make it possible for the members to go to confession at least every two weeks and even oftener if they wish to do so.” (Sacred Congregation for the Religious, Decree on Confession for Religious, December 8, 1970)
“His Holiness also wishes to recall the attention of all—priests, religious, and faithful—the frequenting of this sacrament. There are people, unfortunately, who set little store by frequent confession: but this is not the mind of the Church. The new rite, too, recommends frequent confession, presenting it as a renewed commitment to increase the grace of Baptism, and as an opportunity and a stimulus to conform to Christ more closely and to become more and more docile to the force of the Spirit. (Letter of the Secretary of State, Cardinal Jean violet, to the 26th Italian National Liturgical Week, which opened in Florence on August 25, 1975)
“We believe that conditions in the Church today—in your own diocese and elsewhere—are ripe for a more diligent and frequent use of the sacrament of Penance…Not without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was this practice introduced in the Church. (Paul VI, address to the bishops of New York State during their ad limina visit, April 20, 1978)
The Radical Catholic 