Confession concerns

[maltmom]

Oh, I will. I’ve sent him some emails of articles addressing this topic and I know we’ll discuss it soon. I am aware the priesthood is more than hearing confessions. I have already made contact with several vocations directors of different dioceses/orders…I’m deep in the process of discernment.

I will pray for your discernment. God Bless!

 

[Jordanes]

I will pray for your discernment. God Bless!

Thank you!

 

[bearer]

One act of sacrilege against the Eucharist is too much. The sheer amount that occurs week by week disturbs and saddens me very much. I hope and pray that those who receive Communion unworthily do not know what they’re doing, and that their priests and teachers instruct them properly in the sacraments sooner rather than later.

The fact that roughly half of self-professed Catholics do not believe that Christ is substantially present in the Eucharist speaks volumes to the root of the problem.

 

[hsmomforlife]

Exactly. I’m not saying we should be preaching hellfire and brimstone – but it is important to ensure this Catholics are exposed to this teaching. Young people today don’t even know the difference between mortal and venial sins, or aren’t being taught about purgatory. It is the responsibility of the Church to teach these things, and they are being all but ignored.

Please provide some basis for this comment. Every Catholic young person I know is aware of venial and mortal sins, although most of them are homeschooled.
It’s really the primary responsiblity of PARENTS to teach these things, not the Church. Parents are the primary educators of their children, especially in matters of Faith.

 

[AT_Cross]

Absolutely Catholics need to go to confession, but you expressed some concern about people not living by the teaching of the Church, yet you say you feel called to hear confession and offer absolution. That is not a call you can discern for yourself without spiritual direction and, according to the teaching of the Church, can only be done who are in the priesthood since Christ gave this sacrament to his apostles who passed it down via apostolic succession. You can not hear confessions and offer absolution outside of that priesthood. If your passion is for encouraging Catholics to obey the teaching of the Church and be in a state of grace before receiving the Eucharist then you must be obeying the teachings of that same Church. Are you discerning a call to the priesthood? If not, maybe there are ways you can engage in ministry to help others grow in Christ and follow His paths more clearly- but not if you are walking outside of the teaching of the Church He founded. May God bless you and help you to clearly discern His will!

 

[reconman]

I read a survey last week that only 6% of regularly-practicing Catholics go to confession on a regular basis, and that only 1% go more than once a month.

I’m not surprised. I hate going to confession. I still do it, though not often enough. I wonder if the real number is even less.

 

[Bballer32]

Exactly. I’m not saying we should be preaching hellfire and brimstone – but it is important to ensure this Catholics are exposed to this teaching. Young people today don’t even know the difference between mortal and venial sins, or aren’t being taught about purgatory. It is the responsibility of the Church to teach these things, and they are being all but ignored.

Dude, there are thousands of other things that are also being ignored that need to be taught. The next generation of the Church needs to be taught and prepared for the future.

 

[Jordanes]

One act of sacrilege against the Eucharist is too much. The sheer amount that occurs week by week disturbs and saddens me very much. I hope and pray that those who receive Communion unworthily do not know what they’re doing, and that their priests and teachers instruct them properly in the sacraments sooner rather than later.

I think this is what is happening. I believe the problem is they simply haven’t been taught about this…and that is something which I feel responsible to do.

The fact that roughly half of self-professed Catholics do not believe that Christ is substantially present in the Eucharist speaks volumes to the root of the problem.

Agreed.

 

[Jordanes]

Please provide some basis for this comment. Every Catholic young person I know is aware of venial and mortal sins, although most of them are homeschooled.

Gladly. This is a transcription of a text message conversation between me and my friend G. G is 23 years old.

me: Keep in mind the difference between mortal and venial sins, too.
G: Thought a sin was a sin
G: Now theres levels and types?
G: They def dont teach that
G: At this point they just stress who Jesus was and is
me: They probably don’t teach about purgatory, either.
G: No

It’s really the primary responsiblity of PARENTS to teach these things, not the Church. Parents are the primary educators of their children, especially in matters of Faith.

G comes from an extremely Catholic Puerto Rican family – her dad is either a deacon already, or very close to becoming one (I forget which). The fact that she doesn’t know about the different types of sins proves someone slipped up, whether her parents or the Church. The Church likely should stress this so everyone will know about it in the event that the parents do not teach it to their children.

 

[Jordanes]

Absolutely Catholics need to go to confession, but you expressed some concern about people not living by the teaching of the Church, yet you say you feel called to hear confession and offer absolution. That is not a call you can discern for yourself without spiritual direction and, according to the teaching of the Church, can only be done who are in the priesthood since Christ gave this sacrament to his apostles who passed it down via apostolic succession. You can not hear confessions and offer absolution outside of that priesthood. If your passion is for encouraging Catholics to obey the teaching of the Church and be in a state of grace before receiving the Eucharist then you must be obeying the teachings of that same Church. Are you discerning a call to the priesthood? If not, maybe there are ways you can engage in ministry to help others grow in Christ and follow His paths more clearly- but not if you are walking outside of the teaching of the Church He founded. May God bless you and help you to clearly discern His will!

Yes, I am deep in the discernment process…I have thought about it since I was a small child and I have extensively examined it within the past few years. As I posted, I have established a relationship with a priest who has become a mentor/spiritual director to me. I feel sure that within the next few years I am definitely going to enter religious life or some type – I’m not sure exactly what yet The topics about which I have posted in this thread are something I realized within the past week, and is where I feel called.

 

[Jordanes]

I’m not surprised. I hate going to confession. I still do it, though not often enough. I wonder if the real number is even less.

The numbers I cited were from a survey conducted in 1990, so I suspect that today those numbers are indeed even less.

 

[Jordanes]

Dude, there are thousands of other things that are also being ignored that need to be taught. The next generation of the Church needs to be taught and prepared for the future.

I agree, but tell me…of all of the Church’s duties, what is more important than ensuring salvation? If the teachings on that are not being stressed, that is the single most serious problem (in my opinion).

 

[Dhugz]

That is why, we need to help the Church. The church need catechists like us to teach the basic catechism to the children and to adults.

 

[Franklin33]

Exactly. I’m not saying we should be preaching hellfire and brimstone – but it is important to ensure this Catholics are exposed to this teaching. Young people today don’t even know the difference between mortal and venial sins, or aren’t being taught about purgatory. It is the responsibility of the Church to teach these things, and they are being all but ignored.

Wow! This guy is going to make a great priest! The church needs more priests like this for sure. Praying for you bro!

 

[Jordanes]

Wow! This guy is going to make a great priest! The church needs more priests like this for sure. Praying for you bro!

Thank you. I’m not sure what kind of priest I will make, but I do believe that my niche is to address something in this area. It is imperative that this be addressed, and not just glossed over or forgotten as seems to be the case nowadays.

 

[Franklin33]

Please provide some basis for this comment. Every Catholic young person I know is aware of venial and mortal sins, although most of them are homeschooled.
It’s really the primary responsiblity of PARENTS to teach these things, not the Church. Parents are the primary educators of their children, especially in matters of Faith.

You know, years ago, I would agree with your comment about parents being the primary educators regarding faith and not the church… However in todays culture, most Americans are Unchurched people. They may have gone to church a couple times in the past, but really want nothing to do with it. And so, they aren’t going to encourage their children to go. But… some of these children are going to church even though their parents arent, and because of that, the church has a wonderful opportunity to teach these children the faith, that their parents arent going to do… So, with that said, It should be the Church’s role in teaching these children the faith.

 

[Jordanes]

You know, years ago, I would agree with your comment about parents being the primary educators regarding faith and not the church… However in todays culture, most Americans are Unchurched people. They may have gone to church a couple times in the past, but really want nothing to do with it. And so, they aren’t going to encourage their children to go. But… some of these children are going to church even though their parents arent, and because of that, the church has a wonderful opportunity to teach these children the faith, that their parents arent going to do… So, with that said, It should be the Church’s role in teaching these children the faith.

I think in should be both, to ensure that the education is occurring.

In my own personal case, my mom was content to take me to CCD class and have them teach me. Probably the bulk of what I lean came from there; the rest came from my paternal grandmother. She was very religious and was really inspirational to me. Everyone in my family is Catholic (on both sides), but if it weren’t for my grandmother, I would not have the faith that I do. I believe most families are content to do what my mom did – and when basics such as different types of sin and purgatory aren’t being taught in CCD…well, something is wrong.

 

[Franklin33]

What I dont understand is, if confession is as important as the church says it is, then why are the times for confession so limited. Where I live, we only have it for a 1/2 hour on Saturdays and during the week its offered, but during the work day and again for a 1/2 hour.

And the fact that people dont see the importance of it… I dont get it. We are talking about one’s Soul. If you really think about Confession, and what its there for, to be forgiven of all our sins and be able to be in a state of saving grace and not die and have mortal sin on us, Why wouldnt one want to go and get cleansed to make sure we get to Heaven?

I just dont understand why so many people dont take the condition of their Soul Seriously
Confession isnt fun, but I would never want to pass that up.

 

[Jordanes]

What I dont understand is, if confession is as important as the church says it is, then why are the times for confession so limited. Where I live, we only have it for a 1/2 hour on Saturdays and during the week its offered, but during the work day and again for a 1/2 hour.

And the fact that people dont see the importance of it… I dont get it. We are talking about one’s Soul. If you really think about Confession, and what its there for, to be forgiven of all our sins and be able to be in a state of saving grace and not die and have mortal sin on us, Why wouldnt one want to go and get cleansed to make sure we get to Heaven?

I just dont understand why so many people dont take the condition of their Soul Seriously
Confession isnt fun, but I would never want to pass that up.

Exactly my point…it is THE single most important task the Church is charged with, yet it is barely addressed and all but glossed over due to the modern world’s notion of “everyone is going to heaven”.

I don’t dispute God’s power to forgive the truly repentant outside of confession, but the sacrament is there to ensure that it occurs. Why is it treated as it is? I feel obliged to try to do something to change that.

 

[englishredrose]

That 6% of those who attend confession must be all the ones who post on here.

Or that the Statistics not that very well done and I for one don’t really read into Statistics because one can make them say whatever you want them to say in research.

But as for your vocation in confession and absolution etc Can deacons here confession etc in the Catholic Church? Perhaps you might like to consider spiritual guidence training because there is a lot of connections in being able to listen to us penitents. Some Priest guide well because they listen well. Listening well is something you can start now. Its also listening to things not being said too. Being able to sift through lots of words and telling us what it is etc. Okay that is not confession from what you guys experience. But listening is and lots of you will do confession very different from each other even though you may think it the same here. Priests will handle it different from each other especially if you do face to face confession.