Confessions on Good Friday & Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday)?

[FrDavid96]

First of all, I am not a non-catholic. Secondly, no one can answer my question it appears.

Vatican II says ‘everyone’ can goto heaven. So why confess if everyone can goto heaven, its a pretty straightforward question.

Muslims don’t confess to a Catholic priest, yet they can goto heaven according to paragraph 841 of the CCC.

I think the lack of an answer might be because readers thought you were being sarcastic rather than having a serious question. It happens every so often on these posts that people post “protestant apologetics” and it would be that we misunderstood what you were realy getting-at. If you try re-posting in the apologetics forum and you might have better luck on an answer.

 

[Hypothesis]

I think the lack of an answer might be because readers thought you were being sarcastic rather than having a serious question. It happens every so often on these posts that people post “protestant apologetics” and it would be that we misunderstood what you were realy getting-at. If you try re-posting in the apologetics forum and you might have better luck on an answer.

Okay. Thanks.

But if I post it in the apologetics forum, they will probably move it back to this section anyway, so I thought I would just do it here under a confession thread.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Should confessions not be heard on this two days?

Somebody correct me if I’m wrong…

I think one can’t say Mass (i.e. have the full blown liturgy of the eucharist) on Good Friday, until the Easter Vigil.

However, some priests have taken this one step further and said “no sacraments” when this is necissarily not the case. I saw a picture of JPII hearing confessions on a Good Friday once.

It kinda gets under my skin that some priests have this attitude. I think it’s kind of poetic to have confessions on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

 

[Like]

First of all, I am not a non-catholic. Secondly, no one can answer my question it appears.

Vatican II says ‘everyone’ can go to heaven. So why confess if everyone can go to heaven, its a pretty straightforward question.

Muslims don’t confess to a Catholic priest, yet they can go to heaven according to paragraph 841 of the CCC.

Hypothesis, How long have you been a Catholic? The confusion comes from your public profile as “Christian”. Also, this post back in Feb.
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=4863636#post4863636

It seems like you have a lot of issues concerning Confession.

Why not start your own thread here & ask these good folks the question. Also, if you are a new convert, your RCIA should have instructed you on this matter.

In 2003 someone asked the Holy See that very question. Here's the text of the response:

Prot. N. 690/03/L

Rome, April 9, 2003

Reverend and Dear Father,

This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has received your letter, sent by fax on April 3, 2003 and continuing the question of whether it is permitted to schedule confessions during the Paschal Triduum.

Notwithstanding the Church's ancient practice of refraining from the celebration of Mass at the stipulated times during Holy Week, as well as a prudent reserve regarding the scheduling of Baptisms and Marriages during the same times, the scheduling of Confessions on Good Friday and Holy Saturday is laudable and not at all in conflict either with the letter or the spirit of the liturgical norms. Perhaps one of the more eloquent arguments in support of this position is the practice of the Holy Father himself, who has personally heard confessions as a regular practice on Good Friday.

While it is not the normal practice of this Congregation to reply to individuals by fax even when a communication has been received in this manner, an exception is being made in the present case in view of the fact that your request may have been made in view of the upcoming celebrations.

Source: adoremus.org/0503CDW-Confession.html

I think that answers it pretty clearly.

Mahalo Fr. David

Now I have to figure out a tactful way to address this to the parish.

 

[FrDavid96]

Somebody correct me if I’m wrong…

I think one can’t say Mass (i.e. have the full blown liturgy of the eucharist) on Good Friday, until the Easter Vigil.

However, some priests have taken this one step further and said “no sacraments” when this is necissarily not the case. I saw a picture of JPII hearing confessions on a Good Friday once.

It kinda gets under my skin that some priests have this attitude. I think it’s kind of poetic to have confessions on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The Church does say something close to “no Sacraments” on these 2 days, but Unction, Viaticum, and most of all Confessions are not only permitted, priests have an outright obligation to provide these sacraments when they’re necessary.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

. . .

Vatican II says ‘everyone’ can goto heaven. So why confess if everyone can goto heaven, its a pretty straightforward question. . . .

Everyone can go to New York from California. However, they are more likely to get there if they accept a ticket and get on a plane than if they try to walk it.

 

[rlg94086]

Somebody correct me if I’m wrong…

I think one can’t say Mass (i.e. have the full blown liturgy of the eucharist) on Good Friday, until the Easter Vigil.

However, some priests have taken this one step further and said “no sacraments” when this is necissarily not the case. I saw a picture of JPII hearing confessions on a Good Friday once.

It kinda gets under my skin that some priests have this attitude. I think it’s kind of poetic to have confessions on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

I think it is fairly common not to have Confession on Holy Saturday. Even our local Dominican Priory/Church - where they offer Confession twice daily, Saturdays and before each Mass on the first Sunday of the month - didn’t offer Confession on Holy Saturday.

As I posted before, our pastor offered Confession from 12:30PM to 3PM between the Stations of the Cross and Divine Mercy. As you said, I found that to be pretty poetic. What better time to be reconciled than during the observance of Christ’s death on the Cross?