Confession question.

[roccoangelo]

Greetings,

There was a visiting priest at my parish this past weekend who was hearing confessions during Mass (yes, during Mass). There wher some sins that I wanted to confess and so I got in line, but as I waited a question came to my mind, that is, do I need to goto confession when we just finished praying the penitential rite? I didn’t think that my sins wher mortal, but I decided to go anyways in order to recieve the necessary grace to not commit those sins again. After I was given absolution, I asked the priest the same question and he answered by saying that we goto confession anyways because it makes the act more personal. I accepted his answer, yet I guess I’m still looking for a more substancial explanation. Any thoughts?

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Greetings,

There was a visiting priest at my parish this past weekend who was hearing confessions during Mass (yes, during Mass). There wher some sins that I wanted to confess and so I got in line, but as I waited a question came to my mind, that is, do I need to goto confession when we just finished praying the penitential rite? I didn’t think that my sins wher mortal, but I decided to go anyways in order to recieve the necessary grace to not commit those sins again. After I was given absolution, I asked the priest the same question and he answered by saying that we goto confession anyways because it makes the act more personal. I accepted his answer, yet I guess I’m still looking for a more substancial explanation. Any thoughts?

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

He is correct. The forgiveness of venial sins at the penitential rite is effective, but not a Sacrament. We do not receive the Sacramental graces like we do from the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Even confessing venial sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us the ability to obtain Sacramental Grace.

 

[LilyM]

Confess! Confess! You get extra graces to fight even those stubborn recurring venial sins if you do so.

 

[JimG]

Venial sins do not, strictly speaking, have to be confessed.

But your priest was right. It is good to confess venial sins because of the sacramental absolution and the sacramental graces received.

Yet, I have to disagree just a little. Why confess venial sins during Mass? Isn’t Mass more important?

 

[John_Lilburne]

Confessions in a church during Mass are permitted, by the 2002 Motu Proprio MISERICORDIA DEI:

"2. … It is particularly recommended that in places of worship confessors be visibly present at the advertized times, that these times be adapted to the real circumstances of penitents, and that confessions be especially available before Masses, and even during Mass if there are other priests available, in order to meet the needs of the faithful.

[Footnote 15: Cf. Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Responsa ad dubia proposita: Notitiae, 37 (2001) 259-260]"

The full document is at vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_20020502_misericordia-dei_en.html .

An interesting recent article on the importance of confession is by Bishop Robert Vasa at sentinel.org/articles/2006-44/15066.html .