Whatever happened to confession (Penance)? Or as it is now referred to reconciliation? According to a November 21, 2003, Seattle Post-Intelligencer article (Catholic Confession Has Evolved Over Time) “sociologists estimate that fewer than 25 percent of Catholics regularly go to confession, and that nearly 60 percent never or almost never go.” Much has been written about how “there is no such thing as sin anymore in our society”. Although it’s true that moral relativism has infected our society, blurring the lines between right and wrong, good and evil. There’s no denying the fact that the Church dropped the ball for several decades in teaching the importance of this sacrament.
In Vatican II there was a strong feeling that “the fire and brimstone” approach to sin had alienated the flock. In response confession would be renamed reconciliation and would be portrayed as a healing of the rift between the sinner and God, and between the sinner and the Church community. The Church decided that it would stress God’s love and mercy, often to exclusion of all else. As a result a whole generation of Catholic children grew up during the 1970s—of which I am one—who learned that God is Love, but learned little else.
For ex, many adult Catholics mistakenly believe that the General Absolution given during Sunday Mass wipes away our sins and negates the need for confession. Others wrongly believe that because God is Infinite Mercy that He automatically forgives all our sins, again removing the need for us to confess through a separate sacrament of penance. Even worse, a greater majority argue “that I confess directly to God. Why do I need to go through a priest?”
The Gospel of John tells us why we need a priest:
“He [Jesus] said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20, 21-23)
Christ couldn’t have said more plainly.
What is the purpose of confession? Confession cleanses the soul by washing away the sins that soil it. Most people have a misconception that when you die you are sent by God to either Heaven or Hell. No. When you die your soul voluntarily sends itself to Heaven or Hell based on the choices you’ve made in your life. A cleansed soul will naturally seek Heaven, while a soul marred by sins will naturally gravitate towards the abode of the “Man of Iniquities”, which is Hell. Cleansing the soul through confession makes it worthy of eternal salvation and of experiencing the Beatific Vision.
An added benefit of confession is that it “increases the grace of God in the soul” (This is the Faith, Canon Francis Ripley, 2002 edition, p 280). The confessor receives a grace that helps him/her “to avoid sin in the future”. (Ripley, p 287)
Thankfully, within the past decade the Church has placed greater emphasis on the importance of this sacrament. Prior to receiving first Holy Communion children must experience reconciliation. The Church makes an event of the sacrament by inviting the families of the participating children to the ceremony where they watch from a distance as their sons/daughters make their first confessions. The ceremonial character of the event impresses upon children the importance of Penance, and will hopefully serve as the inspiration for a lifetime commitment to it.
Now if we could only convince Catholic adults to believe similarly.
Donald Tremblay
