Considering general absolution, is confession of sins necessary?

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General absolution does not require the individual, private confession of sins. So why is confession of sins an integral part of the dominant practice? Is the confession part not necessary? Wouldn’t it be more effective for the priest to have a general absolution every week for example?

I had this thread earlier but I can’t find it.
 
catholic1seeks said:
General absolution does not require the individual, private confession of sins. So why is confession of sins an integral part of the dominant practice? Is the confession part not necessary? Wouldn’t it be more effective for the priest to have a general absolution every week for example?

I had this thread earlier but I can’t find it.
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General absolution, when permitted, requires the individuals present and absolved to intend to confess individually within a suitable time See Canon 962(1) et seq. vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3F.HTM

This is no different than the requirement to seek individual confession after making a perfect act of contrition.
 
Video to watch on Catholic Confession:

youtube.com/watch?v=tvo0OCcp600

As for general confession/absolution, that is more of a Protestant thing. However, people can be given general absolution in certain cases, as some have pointed out.
 
catholic1seeks said:
General absolution does not require the individual, private confession of sins. So why is confession of sins an integral part of the dominant practice? Is the confession part not necessary? Wouldn’t it be more effective for the priest to have a general absolution every week for example?

I had this thread earlier but I can’t find it.
Click to expand...
This approach makes sense only when one is merely considering the forgiveness of eternal punishment for sins.

When you bring other factors into consideration, such as temporal punishment, and the growing of grace in the individual, frequent Confession makes a lot more sense.

The penitent obtains many graces from Confession, and what’s more, by going to Confession and experiencing the embarrassment of having to tell the priest certain sins, the penitent becomes more cognizant of those sins and so commits them less. I know that when I go to weekly confession, it makes my spiritual life a lot stronger, and makes sinning a lot easier.

Hope that helps.
 
As others have said, this is done in emergency situations only.

The new bishop of the Diocese of Rochester condemned the practice immediately. The grace to grow and repent from personal sin and reflection is lost.
 
dshix said:
This approach makes sense only when one is merely considering the forgiveness of eternal punishment for sins.

When you bring other factors into consideration, such as temporal punishment, and the growing of grace in the individual, frequent Confession makes a lot more sense.

The penitent obtains many graces from Confession, and what’s more, by going to Confession and experiencing the embarrassment of having to tell the priest certain sins, the penitent becomes more cognizant of those sins and so commits them less. I know that when I go to weekly confession, it makes my spiritual life a lot stronger, and makes sinning a lot easier.

Hope that helps.
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Stated eloquently. Thank you!
 
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