It is critical to our identity as Catholics to revive the use of the Sacrament of Penance. I think there are some moves in that direction on the part of younger priests, but we need also a grassroots effort of committed Catholic lay people to begin asking their priests and their bishops to hear confessions.
Every Sunday millions of Catholics who have not made a good confession for years receive Holy Communion.
It is an old chestnut that the plural of anecdote is “data”.
That said, I hear from priests and lay people that in places where the sacrament has fallen into disuse when priests start hearing confessions regularly people start going to confession. When priests start talking both about the consequences of not using the sacrament and, just as importantly, the importance of and benefits of making a good confession, people start going to confession.
I received this from a reader. I anonymized it for obvious reasons:
Father Z,
It never ceases to amaze me just how truly awesome Confession really is, and it makes me upset that more priests aren’t encouraging their congregations to start going to Confession regularly again.
After all the stress and despair brought on by letting myself ___ , … I finally broke down in my car on Friday night in complete utter despair, convinced that I suck at life, and felt I was in dire need of going to Confession (I make frequent use of it, but rarely do I ever feel a “dire need” for it”). Fortunately my confessor is awesome when it comes to hearing Confessions, so there’s never more than 24 hours until the next scheduled time for Confessions.
I spend all week being reminded by ___ that I’m a person with power and authority (something I try to keep in check, but sometimes it’s difficult), so being afforded the opportunity to humble myself at my confessor’s knees and humbly confess all my failings to him and have them completely absolved, is probably one of the greatest things about being Catholic. The feeling I feel right now of getting a brand new clean slate to start over again is completely ineffable.
I don’t know how people can stand not making frequent use of such an amazing sacrament, and I can’t believe there are priests out there who don’t seem to see the value in promoting frequent Confession. If I recall the ordinations I attended this summer, I’m pretty sure I heard something about a promise to “especially celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation” (nothing about joining umpteen committees, though).
Keep up the good work promoting such a wonderful gift!!!
When priests present the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation in a positive way, people respond. Fathers, people will be very grateful to you. God will be pleased with you. You will be doing what you said you would do at your ordination: say Mass and hear confessions.
Another person wrote with this:
Dear Father Zuhlsdorf,
in large parts inspired by your constant reminders, I went to my first confession in more than twenty years today. I had fallen away from the Church, but gradually found my way back. I have been going to mass regularly on Sundays for a few years now, and have discovered the richness of the extraordinary form.
However, I was extremely apprehensive about going to confession.
Somehow, the thought of telling my darkest secrets to another human being seemed impossible to me. I kept delaying it, always with a bad conscience, all the while thinking about your reminders.But today, in what was actually a quite spontaneous decision, before mass I went to confession, the first time in more than 20 years (probably as much as 25, I cannot quite remember the last time).
And what surprised me the most was how easy it was! I realized that I am not actually talking with another human being, but to God himself; and he already knows my darkest secrets! So it is just a question of actually admitting your mistakes to somebody who knows them already!
And who still loves you, and hopes for you to admit your mistakes! The priest is there not as a “spiritual counsellor” (a phrase I – unfortunately – have seen used to “advertise” confession in another arish), but as the representative of Christ.I wanted to share this with you, as you were very instrumental in my finally going to confession. Maybe my experience can help others who are apprehensive?
From my heart, I would like to thank you most sincerely, Father Zuhlsdorf. Many, many thanks. In some ways, you have saved me.
Yours faithfully,
…
Fathers, I left that last part in, addressed to me, to help priests reading this understand how important this sacrament is and how grateful people will be when you provide it. The priest is a poor but nevertheless mysterious agent of God’s mercy and power. Priests can have some credit, but Christ is the one worthy of all praise.
Could you not start hearing confessions for 10 minutes before Mass? Just to start?
Holy Church received this magnificent sacrament from Jesus Christ, because this is the way that HE desired for us normally to receive forgiveness for our sins.
It is critical to our identity as Catholics to revive the use of the Sacrament of Penance. I think there are some moves in that direction on the part of younger priests, but we need also a grassroots effort of committed Catholic lay people to begin asking their priests and their bishops to hear confessions.
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