Confession largely ignored?

[veggirl21]

I have to admit… that was me up until recently.
I actually got more involved with the church, but refused to go to confession because I was too scared :tsktsk: so I didn’t go until I had to at a retreat before I could be confirmed. Now today, I went completely by my own choice. I shouldn’t be so proud of myself for not chickening out…

 

[Edmundus1581]

Our priests often talk about this and highlight that its strange the Confession lines are short yet the Communion lines are long.

I have heard the same in homilies. Not often, but often enough to show that the priests are aware of the problem.

One good sign though is that our confessionals are busy in Lent, especially the last week, and the 2nd rite of reconciliation in Lent and Advent is usually well attended.

 

[ProVobis]

I think people need to hear from their priests clearly, concisely and consistently that Reconciliation is required at least once a year in order to be in communion with the Church. They need to stress to people that they aren’t to take Communion in a state of sin, and the only way to get back into a state of grace is through Reconciliation. If the priests were delivering this message clearly and regularly, maybe I wouldn’t have so many people telling me I’m wrong when I tell them the same thing.

Even if they are in the state of sanctifying grace, let them know that confession is one of the requirements of procuring a plenary indulgence.

 

[thistle]

I have heard the same in homilies. Not often, but often enough to show that the priests are aware of the problem.

One good sign though is that our confessionals are busy in Lent, especially the last week, and the 2nd rite of reconciliation in Lent and Advent is usually well attended.

In our parish we have Confession 5 days a week (Mon - Friday). I have been to Confession on each of these days (not the same week) early to be first in line and then I stayed in Church afterwards until Confession was finished and I have to admit the largest line during the whole Confession time was about 20 people.
Yet we have 10 Masses every Sunday to accommodate the 80% attendance of our 14,000 parishioners and I would estimate that most people go up for Communion. Either they don’t commit any mortal sins, or have been to Confession somewhere else, or more likely they are ignorant about mortal sins and do not think they have committed any.

 

[Gordon_Sims]

Even if they are in the state of sanctifying grace, let them know that confession is one of the requirements of procuring a plenary indulgence.

I can guarantee that the people I argue with over this aren’t in any state of grace. My hope is that by winning the occasional little battle (in other words, convincing them that what I’m telling them about the Church is accurate while the stuff they misremember from grade school or have picked up from talk show comedians is wrong) I can nudge them back toward the Church.

 

[Holly3278]

I go to Confession at about four different parishes depending on when I need to go. At one of the parishes I am frequently the only one at Confession but it is the only Confession time during the entire week, its a very small parish, and it is before Mass that is attended by maybe 10 people at the most.

At the second parish that I go to which has a much larger parish base there is frequently a line of probably 30-40 people on Saturday’s. On Wednesday’s the line is probably about 10 people.

At another parish I go to which has a fairly large parish base and only two scheduled Confession times one on Saturday and one on Sunday there is often a line of probably 20-30 people before the Saturday Vigil Mass.

At the fourth parish I go to there is a moderate parish base and I usually only see maybe 15 people at the most in line for Confession but they do have Confession on 6/7 days.

 

[Phemie]

A problem I see is priests who make you feel that no one needs confession. The homilies that speak of how God loves you regardless of what you do and never, ever, speak of the need for repentance and confession. The ones who make you feel like you’re wasting their time when you ask to go to confession. The one who tells the parents planning an abortion for their teenaged daughter, “You have to do whatever you feel is right for your family.”

 

[Elizabeth502]

This:

Well, at our parish there is confession 6 days a week, and you need to get there at least 30 min before confession times start to be sure your confession gets heard (last time I was 45 min early and was 7th in line).

and This:

It’s an interesting phenomena IMO. During one EF Mass I attended several years ago, one of the other priests arrived to hear confessions at a confessional clearly visible to most there. No one came for 5 minutes or so. Then one lady decided to go to confession and all of a sudden 10 people were in line. Seems like confessions beget confessions.

I’ve seen this phenomenon repeatedly in various parishes. (Listen up, priests ): The less confession is offered, the less people go. And the reverse is also true. When there’s more of it, it is more “natural”; people consider it more routine and more integrated with the sacrament of Eucharist – particularly when confessions are extended during Mass. Obviously this means that there has to be more than one priest assigned to that parish (or, brought in often to hear confessions if not assigned full-time; I’ve seen that, too).

People also feel more comfortable going when they can see lots of other people going.

As to the catechesis, it’s not just moral theology that needs to be taught or re-taught. What is lacking is catechesis in spirituality and the interior life. Confession is not just necessary for our mortal sins; it is necessary for growth in Christ (“devotional” confession) and for conquering habitual venial sins and attachment to vice.

 

[Phemie]

I was pleasantly surprised this morning upon arriving at church to find that the young priest who was visiting our administrator had made it a point to be in the confessional for a while before Mass. Since I needed to go to confession and had figured I’d have to tap Fr. Adminstrator on the shoulder if he came in early enough, I was very happy to see that that would be unnecessary. Several people took advantage of his presence.