Tom Ryan of the Fishwrap (aka National Schismatic Reporter) has a piece about how people are ignoring Card. Kasper’s book.
I am forced to wonder: do people who are perpetually whining about the lack of mercy ever bother to go to confession?
Could it be that they don’t have a sense of how mercy is exercised in the Church is because they don’t go to confession?
If they make proposals about Communion for the civilly remarried and probably people in homosexual unions, they probably don’t believe what the Church believes about the Eucharist.
But if they are constantly banging on about a lack of mercy in the Church, I wonder of they have any contact with Christ in the Sacrament of Penance.
Is that part of their problem?
While it could be said that Pope Francis is the “Pope of Mercy”, it can also be said that he is the “Pope of the Confessional”.
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I’d state it: “It can be said that Pope Francis can be called ‘the Pope of the Confessional,’ and therefore he can also be called ‘the Pope of Mercy.'”
You make a good point about belief in the Real Presence. Father Barron made a video a little while ago in which he answered, “What one thing can I do to make my parish better?” and his response was, “start a program of Eucharistic Adoration.” It is true. So many graces flow from Christ Truly Present. Belief in the Real Presence gives rise to better liturgy, less receiving in the hand, lines for confession, weekly attendance at Mass, contributions to collections, true service of God and neighbor.
There can never be too many homilies about the real nature of the Eucharist! At some point people will start to get it!
Thank you so much for this post today. I read it, dropped everything, and went to Confession. It had been too long. Sometimes we moms of many are so busy making sure our older kids are going to Confession regularly while we take care of the babies and toddlers, getting ourselves in falls through the cracks.
Also, I wonder if the problem is that some people actually listen to and/or believe the rotten “communion hymns” (written by two protestants and a Jesuit), which elide or contradict transubstantiation. Lex cantandi, lex orandi, lex credendi.
Thank you for the reminder about Plenary Indulgences, Fr. Z. I fulfilled the requirements for a Plenary Indulgence and asked it to be applied to my sister, gone two months today. Our priest laughed when I told him as soon as they read her name and tolled the bell she was sprung. One less soul in purgatory, please God, because you reminded us.
What I find interesting is the lack of a barrier between the confessor and the penitent. If we did that in this country, we would have much fewer people going than we do now I think.
Go to confession today, tomorrow may be too late.
Given the current state of things, I fear the he is more the Pope of the Confusional.
Given the current state of things, I fear the he is more the Pope of the Confusional.
Every time I see “Go to confession!” I’m reminded of a bumper sticker I saw recently: “Many who think they will turn to the LORD at the 11th hour die at 10:30.”