Confession

[allischalmers]

From the Sunday Buffalo News the by line reads Confession isn’t what it used to be for Catholic. The article states that " in the mid-1960s, 38 percent of Catholics said they went to confession at least once a month. These days, just 2 percent do. More that 40 percent never go."
Does that mean that more Catholics are confessing by prayer to God and not their priest.

 

[1ke]

No.

It means that many Catholics don’t believe they have anything to confess.

This has nothing to do with a change in theology and everything to do with a numbing of conscience caused, in part, by the secular world around us.

 

[FightingFat]

Either that or they are just not that concerned by “sin” anymore. There’s a definite change in practice these days.

 

[Contarini]

Either that or they are just not that concerned by “sin” anymore. There’s a definite change in practice these days.

Well, a lot of people are being told that mortal sin is extremely rare and hard to commit–I know that I was told this by a lay catechist during RCIA (actually she said that most of us would probably go our whole lifetimes without committing a mortal sin–given that this was a very lovely person committed to living a life of holiness, her remark may have come from her own experience as much as her theological confusion, but it was certainly not something most prospective converts need to hear!).

Edwin

 

[dmelosi]

Well, a lot of people are being told that mortal sin is extremely rare and hard to commit–I know that I was told this by a lay catechist during RCIA (actually she said that most of us would probably go our whole lifetimes without committing a mortal sin–given that this was a very lovely person committed to living a life of holiness, her remark may have come from her own experience as much as her theological confusion, but it was certainly not something most prospective converts need to hear!).

Edwin

There sure is a problem in the Catholic church with people not understanding the importance of confession. I think it starts with many priests. This past week I drove 20 miles one way 2 different times and the priest was not there for the scheduled confession.

The op has a good point that being that many Catholics do not understand the importance of confession and that missing mass is a mortal sin which requires confession before taking communion.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Point of fact, Allis, that Catholics confess their sins to God WHEN THEY CONFESS TO A PRIEST.

It isn’t an either-or.

 

[VociMike]

From the Sunday Buffalo News the by line reads Confession isn’t what it used to be for Catholic. The article states that " in the mid-1960s, 38 percent of Catholics said they went to confession at least once a month. These days, just 2 percent do. More that 40 percent never go."
Does that mean that more Catholics are confessing by prayer to God and not their priest.

Honestly, I don’t believe the Catholics who aren’t going to confession are confessing directly to God. I think, rather, they are just ignoring their sins, or are convincing themselves that they are not really sinners after all.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

From the Sunday Buffalo News the by line reads Confession isn’t what it used to be for Catholic. The article states that " in the mid-1960s, 38 percent of Catholics said they went to confession at least once a month. These days, just 2 percent do. More that 40 percent never go."
Does that mean that more Catholics are confessing by prayer to God and not their priest.

This is another typical misunderstanding. The issue hear is the sin of presumption. A better understanding is why is presumption such a current issue among US Catholics? My guess is arragance combined with fear. Your first trip to confession is duanting. I believe less, and less children are being properly introduced to this mandate from God. As adults they simply fear the process. Confession is not always easy. Good Christains follow God’s mandate rather than commit the sin of presumption as an alternative

Well, a lot of people are being told that mortal sin is extremely rare and hard to commit–I know that I was told this by a lay catechist during RCIA (actually she said that most of us would probably go our whole lifetimes without committing a mortal sin–given that this was a very lovely person committed to living a life of holiness, her remark may have come from her own experience as much as her theological confusion, but it was certainly not something most prospective converts need to hear!).

Edwin

I am sorry to hear her error affected your preception in such a sever manner. Confession and repentance is ordered by God not by man or by the Church. Your Cathechist was probably well meaning, however I ask you to develop a full understanding of the subject.

 

[Contarini]

I am sorry to hear her error affected your preception in such a sever manner.

I am not sure why you conclude this. Her comment didn’t particularly affect my views, since I knew that she wasn’t speaking for official Church teaching. I am simply offering an anecdote supporting the observation that many Catholics are being taught that mortal sin isn’t something they need to worry about on a regular basis.

Edwin

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Catholics who don’t avail themselves of the grace that one can receive during the Sacrament of Reconciliation even if all they confess are just venial sins–

Are Just Plain Dumb!

If one day they are suffering in purgatory they will realize Just How Dumb!

 

[Contarini]

Catholics who don’t avail themselves of the grace that one can receive during the Sacrament of Reconciliation even if all they confess are just venial sins–

Not that you’re just responding to my post, but I should add in all fairness that I think the point of her remark was that confession was a good thing to do even if you didn’t have mortal sins, and that in fact most Catholics were confessing venial sins when they went to confession.

Edwin

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I am not sure why you conclude this. Her comment didn’t particularly affect my views, since I knew that she wasn’t speaking for official Church teaching. I am simply offering an anecdote supporting the observation that many Catholics are being taught that mortal sin isn’t something they need to worry about on a regular basis.

Edwin

So it is incorrect. You know it is incorrect. Does this lady really teach “many”? What percent of the one billion Catholics does this lady teach?

Not that you’re just responding to my post, but I should add in all fairness that I think the point of her remark was that confession was a good thing to do even if you didn’t have mortal sins, and that in fact most Catholics were confessing venial sins when they went to confession.

Edwin

How would she know if the sins are venial? After all you seem to indicate you understand she was incorrect on the subject.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

…Does that mean that more Catholics are confessing by prayer to God and not their priest.

If you look you will see a common trend that started this thread 1) Redefine Catholism 2)Pontificate on the inadequacies of the new definition 3) Leave the subject before actual Catholism is injected

 

[Vittorio23]

I also think there is a certain attitude prevailant with priests as well. In my experience, if you haven’t committed a huge, mortal sin, they’d rather you not be in the confessional.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Some of the people most worried about sin are on the way towards sainthood.

The people who aren’t too much worried about committing mortal sins are on the way to Hell!

 

[Cairisti]

Does that mean that more Catholics are confessing by prayer to God and not their priest.

As someone else has pointed out, when Catholics do go to confession, we are confessing to God. I was always told there are three people in the confessional - the penitent, the priest, and Jesus.

 

[JaneFrances]

From the Sunday Buffalo News the by line reads Confession isn’t what it used to be for Catholic. The article states that " in the mid-1960s, 38 percent of Catholics said they went to confession at least once a month. These days, just 2 percent do. More that 40 percent never go."
Does that mean that more Catholics are confessing by prayer to God and not their priest.

Statistics do funny things. Some questions which immediately come to mind in reading this characterization based on the article from the Sunday Buffalo News. Without contesting the statistics I wonder. . .

1. Did the article qualify what the other 62% of Catholics in the 1960’s were doing? If 38% went to Confession once a month, what was the demographic of the balance?
2. “These days,” if “just 2 percent” go to Confession once a month and 40% do not go at all, that still leaves a good majority of Catholics who, presumably, are going to confession albeit less regularly than the once a month bunch in the 1960’s. So, are the remaining 58% going once a year, more frequently, or less frequently?

 

[betsygrace]

You know, it’s interesting, as a Protestant converting to Catholicism, who has been attending mass for a few months, I was pretty surprised when I first saw that there was only an hour a week scheduled for people to make confessions at our church. I imagined that it must take hours and hours per week to serve the confessing needs of an entire parish! I guess it’s a sign that not too many people go, unless they schedule appointments or something. Or maybe confessing just takes a lot less time than I imagined it would. I’m currently reading the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales, and he recommends confessing every week, even if your sins are just venial. Of course he was in 16th century Geneva, not 21st century America. I wonder the percentage of priests nowadays who agree with St. Francis de Sales? This is a question that has already been touched on a couple times in this thread, but do y’all feel like frequent confession is encouraged or discouraged by your priest?

 

[KyrieJoy]

betsygrace,
I too am a convert and was litterally shocked to see how small the amont of time is for schedualed confession. I even found some Parishes that don’t offer it on any kind of regular annoymous basis.

I still have not had the grace to make my first confession (which is a fact that weighs on me heavily when I am at mass and in prayer) but I intend to make it a very regular practice in my faith, even if I have to schedual weekly or biweekly appointments.

As a convert I simply do not understand that there are Catholics in the world, fully initiated into the sacraments, who don’t take advantage of every opportunity for grace to fill them. I simply don’t understand it.

 

[jmcrae]

You know, it’s interesting, as a Protestant converting to Catholicism, who has been attending mass for a few months, I was pretty surprised when I first saw that there was only an hour a week scheduled for people to make confessions at our church. I imagined that it must take hours and hours per week to serve the confessing needs of an entire parish! I guess it’s a sign that not too many people go, unless they schedule appointments or something. Or maybe confessing just takes a lot less time than I imagined it would.

It’s actually surprising how little time it takes - if done correctly (what you did, how many times you did it), you could confess every sin known to man in under 90 seconds. Of course, most people feel the need to add a bit of a story into the mix - when they did it, what sort of mood they were in at the time, and what motivated them to do it - but then, most people aren’t confessing every sin known to man. Most of the time when I go to confession, it takes between three and ten minutes for each person to get done. The ten minute ones are when the priest is in a chatty mood, and this is quite rare, especially if there’s a long line-up.

I’m currently reading the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales, and he recommends confessing every week, even if your sins are just venial.

That was recommended to me at one time, as well. It’s a good practice - it really forces you to examine your life in some detail, and you do come to know yourself with great clarity after the first few weeks. It’s also a sure-fire cure for any bad habit you care to name - there’s nothing quite like dragging the ugly little beastie into the glaring light of day, relentlessly, week after week, until he finally just quits bothering you.

Of course he was in 16th century Geneva, not 21st century America. I wonder the percentage of priests nowadays who agree with St. Francis de Sales? This is a question that has already been touched on a couple times in this thread, but do y’all feel like frequent confession is encouraged or discouraged by your priest?

I am fortunate to live in a big city with lots of priests - most of the priests I know would say to go to Confession whenever you think you should, regardless of whether you judge your sins to be mortal or venial. There are a very few who would say that people should only go to Confession if they have something very serious to confess, and there are also a few at the other end of the spectrum who would encourage people to come to Confession once a week, whether they thought they needed to or not.