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Tag Archives: confessions
PRIESTS! BISHOPS! ACTION ITEM! Ideas, some novel, some not so novel, for increasing CONFESSIONS
Have I ever urged you … GO CONFESSION! Yes, I believe I have. I have also urged priests and bishops to preach, teach, admonish, in season and out, about the Sacrament of Penance and to hear confessions. Get into the … Read More
Priests and bishops who are probably going to Hell
There is a good piece at Crisis today about the Sacrament of Penance. It touches on many issues, including availability of confession times, some poorly formed confessors who don’t acknowledge certain sins as sins, and the lack of support some … Read More
Too ashamed to go to confession?
I saw an article at CNA which had a great point in it. [Fr. Fortea] also noted the importance of ensuring truly anonymous confessions. In each city, he said, “there ought to be at least one confessional where instead of … Read More
ASK FATHER: Confessions during Mass – followup
Not long ago I answered a question about why priests might not offer opportunities for confession on feast days. HERE As part of that entry we moved into the issue of priests hearing confessions during Mass (not the celebrant, obviously). … Read More
ASK FATHER: Why no confessions on a feast day?
From a reader… QUAERITUR: At the end of today’s mass (Feast of the Assumption), the priest announced no confessions would be heard because “Sundays and solemnities are joyous occasions, so we don’t hear confessions.” I was dismayed. I find reconciliation … Read More
Pope Francis heard confessions in St. Peter’s Square
Pope Francis does things that annoy me, that puzzle me, that surprise me and that please me. Today was one of the later. He could stick to this sort of thing, in my book! Everyone… GO TO CONFESSION! From The Daily … Read More
ASK FATHER: Why no confessions on Good Friday or Holy Saturday?
From a reader… I would like to know why many parishes do not offer the Sacrament of Penance on Holy Saturday? There’s only 1 parish in my area that hears confessions on Holy Saturday and I often wonder is there … Read More
SSPX reacts to Pope Francis concession for the Year of Mercy
For the Year of Mercy Pope Francis has (in an indirect way) granted to the priests of the SSPX the faculty validly to absolve penitents in routine sacramental confession. HERE Under normal circumstances, the priests of the SSPX do … Read More
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NYC – Holy Innocents’ Feast Day! Great News!
How I would like to have been in Manhattan on Sunday at Holy Innocents parish for their Patronal Feast! Holy Innocents, once considered for the guillotine, was given a reprieve by His Eminence Timothy Card. Dolan. Many people expressed their dismay that such … Read More
Pope: Curial officials should hear confessions
From CNA: Pope urges Curial officials to hear confessions at local parish Vatican City, Dec 18, 2013 / 12:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has strongly encouraged the bishops and cardinals of the Roman Curia to spend time hearing confessions … Read More
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Different confessional practices/customs around the world
Under another entry concerning “confessional etiquette” a commentator raised the good point that people from different language/ethnic backgrounds have different formulae for beginning and ending their sacramental confessions. Most Americans of a certain age learned to begin “Bless me Father, … Read More
VERY COOL PRIEST with a SUPER COOL IDEA for HARD IDENTITY Catholicism
Yes, this one got me a little excited. In the past I have posted about a very cool priest, Fr. Richard Heilman, pastor of glorious Pine Bluff, WI. You may recall that he founded a group called the Knights of … Read More
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Pope Francis heard confessions in a parish before Mass
On several occasions Pope Francis has spoken about the importance of the Sacrament of Penance. Remember: Our Lord Himself established the Sacrament of Penance. This is the ordinary means by which JESUS desires you to ask for forgiveness of sins. During … Read More
Again about validity of absolutions by SSPX priests
A priest reader sent me a link to an article on the site of The Remnant, which is I believe a bi-monthly newspaper staunchly on the traditional side of our Catholic spectrum. The article in question concerns the validity of … Read More
QUAERITUR: Face-to-face confession. Fr. Z rants.
From a reader: I am trying to figure out what was the rationale to change the rite of confession to allow for face-to-face confessions. I have read the documents of Vatican II, but did not see anything there specifically addressing … Read More
“Certain offices in human society require the officeholder to be loved and feared of men.”
Here is a little Patristiblogger offering for your midday consideration. This morning a priest friend and I were talking about the problems of leadership and being hated, loved, or feared. Classic question: Is it better to be loved or feared? … Read More
QUAERITUR: Confessions during Mass – revisited
From a reader: This past Saturday, I experienced several of the issues you have written about regarding going to confession. Seeing it was getting late in the afternoon, I attempted to go to confession at the parish nearest where I … Read More
A reader about a parish with confessions on Good Friday
From a reader: I had to tell you about what happened at our parish ___ this Good Friday. We had confessions on Good Friday for the first time that I can remember since coming here in the early 1990s. Not … Read More
QUAERITUR: Should I write to the bishop about urging priests to hear confessions?
From a reader: Would it be appropriate to write a bishop asking if diocesan priests under his leadership be encouraged to hear confessions more regularly? Most parishes seem to only have confessions on Saturday afternoons. I know our priests are busy, but … Read More
A reader’s story of an emergency room confession and advice to readers
From a reader: Yesterday (Friday) and I was rushed to the E.R. with a possible aortic dissection. It turned out that it was just muscle pain. I asked for a Catholic priest, and, to my great fortune, my regular parish … Read More
