General Absolution?

[Loren_1of6]

Last night our parish had a “Communal Reconciliation Service.” Now, I have been to communal penance services before.

In the past, we were led through an examination of conscience, then said a communal act of contrition. Sometimes we all said the same prayer(s) as a communal penance. After the service, everyone had a chance to go to confession with a priest, naming their sins and receiving absolution.

Last night was a new experience for me. After a couple of readings, we had an examination of conscience based on the Our Father (a pretty good one, too.).Then we had a “general confession” consisting of an opening prayer by the priest followed by the congregation reciting the confiteor. The cantor sang a litany of sins, asking forgivness for the times we…, to which we replied “Lord, hear our prayer.” Then we prayed an act of contrition and the Lord’s prayer. Father then absolved us all and sent us on our merry ways with a hymn.

I have always thought that general absolution (That** is **what we experienced, right?) was reserved for times of great emergency, like soldiers heading into battle or people about to face a natural disaster. Even then, isn’t the recipient responsible for going to confession as soon as possible once the immediate danger has passed?

Aren’t we who attended this service last night expected by Mother Church to go to confession after the service? Saturday is the next scheduled time to hear confessions in our parish.

 

[SpaceNeedle]

I believe the rule of thumb is, so long as you have committed no mortal sin, this is acceptable. However, if you have a grave sin on you conscience, you must still go to reconciliation privately.

Now, this is simply how it was told to me by a catechist at my parish; it could be bad information,

 

[manualman]

Communal absolution has clearly been forbidden except in the cases of emergency. An airplane plummeting from the sky or a sinking ship is an emergency.

I’d go to individual confession and write off the disobedient communal service.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Communal absolution has clearly been forbidden except in the cases of emergency. An airplane plummeting from the sky or a sinking ship is an emergency.

I’d go to individual confession and write off the disobedient communal service.

And one is expected to go to to (private) confession if one survives the ordeal.

 

[EasterJoy]

I believe the rule of thumb is, so long as you have committed no mortal sin, this is acceptable. However, if you have a grave sin on you conscience, you must still go to reconciliation privately.

Now, this is simply how it was told to me by a catechist at my parish; it could be bad information,

Well, from the penitent’s point of view, receiving Holy Communion worthily wipes away venial sin. So if your catechist meant to say that you are not bound to re-confess venial sins if you go to a penance service and this happens, then that is true, strictly speaking, but only because you were not bound to confess your venial sins in the first place.

Having said that, this kind of service isn’t allowed, except in true extremity, and the Vatican has been adamant about that:
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20000630_circolare-sulla-penitenza%20_en.html
"For this reason, on the occasion of the ad limina visit to Rome in 1998 of the Bishops of Australia, the Holy Father himself and this Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments made several observations concerning the authentic discipline of the Sacrament of Penance, in particular concerning the altogether exceptional situations apart from which “general absolution” may never be administered."

The document also states very clearly:
With respect to the administration of “general absolution”, the exclusive authority enjoyed by Diocesan Bishops to determine whether a grave necessity is truly present in a given case in their diocese does not permit them “to change the required conditions, to substitute other conditions for those given, or to determine grave necessity according to their personal criteria however worthy.” Indeed, the Diocesan Bishop makes "this judgement graviter onerata conscientia, and with full respect for the law and practice of the Church."

In other words, deciding what “grave necessity” is must be done according to objective criteria set up by the Church. Not only is re-defining “grave necessity” not within the discretion of the individual priest, it is not up to the discretion of the bishops, either. The bishops only have the authority to confirm that the actual conditions that constitute a grave necessity really exist, so that the practice may be allowed when it truly is called for.

The whole document, BTW, is worth reading.

 

[SpaceNeedle]

During Advent and Lent, every parish I know of offers one of these services (not really “getting it”, I have never been to one personally). What is the point of these, if not for absolution? Just a public examination of conscience as opposed to a private one?

EDIT TO ADD: Sorry, Easter Joy, while I was typing you added a very informative post, thank you!

 

[EasterJoy]

During Advent and Lent, every parish I know of offers one of these services (not really “getting it”, I have never been to one personally). What is the point of these, if not for absolution? Just a public examination of conscience as opposed to a private one?

I guess we’re lucky, but the parishes in our vicariate have 6-10 priests available for private confession. The advantage is the guided group examination of conscience done–how do i put it?–“under the Gospel proclaimed.” That can be more powerful than a normal private confession, yes.

 

[JimG]

Last night our parish had a “Communal Reconciliation Service.” Now, I have been to communal penance services before.

In the past, we were led through an examination of conscience, then said a communal act of contrition. Sometimes we all said the same prayer(s) as a communal penance. After the service, everyone had a chance to go to confession with a priest, naming their sins and receiving absolution.

It sounds to me as though this was a Penance Service, not a general absolution. The individual confessions were an integral part of the penance service, and it was in those individual confession that absolution was received. This was not a general absolution.

 

[OraLabora]

In our parish they always have a sort of general reconciliation service after which folks are invited to pick a line to confess privately to any one of the several priests that make themselves available.

So if you have mortal sin, or you don’t but want a private confession only, you go in line. If not, you don’t.

I know that at least one of the archbishops in Quebec has expressly put a stop to the abuse of general absolution into which many parishes had fallen with their reconciliation services.

It begs the question though, why bother with the services if private confession is available? Venial sin is cleansed by communion, and private confession is always available before Mass.

It seems to me that rather makes these “reconciliation” services somewhat redundant. It would be just as effective to remind folks regularly in the parish bulletin and when reading the announcements at Mass, that confession is always available before Mass (and the conditions for which it should be sought out).

 

[JimG]

In our parish they always have a sort of general reconciliation service after which folks are invited to pick a line to confess privately to any one of the several priests that make themselves available.

So if you have mortal sin, or you don’t but want a private confession only, you go in line. If not, you don’t.

I know that at least one of the archbishops in Quebec has expressly put a stop to the abuse of general absolution into which many parishes had fallen with their reconciliation services.

It begs the question though, why bother with the services if private confession is available? Venial sin is cleansed by communion, and private confession is always available before Mass.

It seems to me that rather makes these “reconciliation” services somewhat redundant. It would be just as effective to remind folks regularly in the parish bulletin and when reading the announcements at Mass, that confession is always available before Mass (and the conditions for which it should be sought out).

Around here, these services tend to bring in a lot of people who don’t ordinarily come to confession. The introductory service is kept short and then we immediately line up for confession, with 7 or 8 priests available. Even at that, getting through all the confessions takes about an hour or more.

 

[Musician]

How I wish that more parishes offered Confession right before Mass! I haven’t been to Confession in forever because I inevitably have to work on Sat. night which is the only time of the week that Confession is offered. Why don’t more priests hear confessions right before Mass?

 

[Loren_1of6]

The services described by Easter, Jim, and Ora are the type I am used to, and the type I described in the first part of my post. The one we had last night offered no chance for private confession, no extra priests to help handle the crowd in a timely manner, no listing of actual sins. I came home feeling like I still needed to go to confession.

I guess that’s my cue to put it on my calendar for Saturday afternoon.

And Musician, I tend to agree. By the middle of Saturday afternoon we have inevitably gotten involved in something that keeps us away from the reconciliation line either because we are actually busy and can’t get away or because we are having too much fun to think about it.

 

[JimG]

The services described by Easter, Jim, and Ora are the type I am used to, and the type I described in the first part of my post. The one we had last night offered no chance for private confession, no extra priests to help handle the crowd in a timely manner, no listing of actual sins. I came home feeling like I still needed to go to confession.

I guess that’s my cue to put it on my calendar for Saturday afternoon.

And Musician, I tend to agree. By the middle of Saturday afternoon we have inevitably gotten involved in something that keeps us away from the reconciliation line either because we are actually busy and can’t get away or because we are having too much fun to think about it.

Sorry, I misread your original post. If there was no chance for individual confession it does sound rather like a general absolution, which is not allowed. Or if no absolution was given, it seems like a pointless exercise, and confusing to people.

 

[benedictgal]

The services described by Easter, Jim, and Ora are the type I am used to, and the type I described in the first part of my post. The one we had last night offered no chance for private confession, no extra priests to help handle the crowd in a timely manner, no listing of actual sins. I came home feeling like I still needed to go to confession.

I guess that’s my cue to put it on my calendar for Saturday afternoon.

And Musician, I tend to agree. By the middle of Saturday afternoon we have inevitably gotten involved in something that keeps us away from the reconciliation line either because we are actually busy and can’t get away or because we are having too much fun to think about it.

What you described in your OP is not licit, not at all. To augment what Easter Joy quoted:

1. The divine constitution of the Sacrament of Penance requires each penitent to confess to a priest all mortal sins, as well as specifying moral circumstances that he remembers after a diligent examination of conscience.4 For this reason the Code of Canon Law states clearly that “individual and integral confession and absolution is the sole ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of mortal sin is reconciled with God and with the Church. Physical or moral impossibility alone excuses from such confession”.5 In specifiying this obligation, the Church has insistently reiterated that “all the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their mortal sins at least once a year”.6 "Energetic efforts are to be made to avoid any risk that this traditional practice of the Sacrament of Penance fall into disuse."7 Indeed, in this Jubilee Year Catholics are called in a particular way “to encounter anew the uniquely transforming experience that is individual, integral confession and absolution”.8 In accord with the law and practice of the Church, the faithful must orally confess their sins (auricular confession)9, except in cases of true physical or moral impossibility (e.g., extreme illness or physical condition inhibiting speech, speech impediment, etc.) This disposition would exclude communal celebrations of the sacrament in which penitents are invited to present a written list of sins to the priest confessor. It should be noted that such innovations also risk compromising the inviolable seal of sacramental confession.

1. In giving consideration to the authenitic discipline of the Church concerning “general absolution”, the recent interdicasterial meeting of the Roman Curia with a representation of Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Australia noted that:

. . . communal celebrations have not infrequently occasioned an illegitimate use of general absolution. This illegitimate use, like other abuses in the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, is to be eliminated.

The teaching of the Church is reflected in precise terms in the requirements of the Code of Canon Law (cf. esp. canons 959-964). In particular it is clear that “A sufficient necessity is not … considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage” (canon 961, § 1, 2°).

The bishops will exercise renewed vigilance on these matters for the future, aware that departures from the authentic tradition do great wrong to the Church and to individual Catholics.10

What happened in the case of the OP was wrong and this needs to be brought to the attention of the priest.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Last night our parish had a “Communal Reconciliation Service.” Now, I have been to communal penance services before.

In the past, we were led through an examination of conscience, then said a communal act of contrition. Sometimes we all said the same prayer(s) as a communal penance. After the service, everyone had a chance to go to confession with a priest, naming their sins and receiving absolution.

Last night was a new experience for me. After a couple of readings, we had an examination of conscience based on the Our Father (a pretty good one, too.).Then we had a “general confession” consisting of an opening prayer by the priest followed by the congregation reciting the confiteor. The cantor sang a litany of sins, asking forgivness for the times we…, to which we replied “Lord, hear our prayer.” Then we prayed an act of contrition and the Lord’s prayer. Father then absolved us all and sent us on our merry ways with a hymn.

I have always thought that general absolution (That** is **what we experienced, right?) was reserved for times of great emergency, like soldiers heading into battle or people about to face a natural disaster. Even then, isn’t the recipient responsible for going to confession as soon as possible once the immediate danger has passed?

Aren’t we who attended this service last night expected by Mother Church to go to confession after the service? Saturday is the next scheduled time to hear confessions in our parish.

You are absolutely correct, this appears to have been an abuse of General Absolution.

 

[thistle]

Last night our parish had a “Communal Reconciliation Service.” Now, I have been to communal penance services before.

In the past, we were led through an examination of conscience, then said a communal act of contrition. Sometimes we all said the same prayer(s) as a communal penance. After the service, everyone had a chance to go to confession with a priest, naming their sins and receiving absolution.

Last night was a new experience for me. After a couple of readings, we had an examination of conscience based on the Our Father (a pretty good one, too.).Then we had a “general confession” consisting of an opening prayer by the priest followed by the congregation reciting the confiteor. The cantor sang a litany of sins, asking forgivness for the times we…, to which we replied “Lord, hear our prayer.” Then we prayed an act of contrition and the Lord’s prayer. Father then absolved us all and sent us on our merry ways with a hymn.

I have always thought that general absolution (That is ****what we experienced, right?) was reserved for times of great emergency, like soldiers heading into battle or people about to face a natural disaster. Even then, isn’t the recipient responsible for going to confession as soon as possible once the immediate danger has passed?
Aren’t we who attended this service last night expected by Mother Church to go to confession after the service? Saturday is the next scheduled time to hear confessions in our parish.

You are correct.

Canon Law:

Can. 961 §1 General absolution, without prior individual confession, cannot be given to a number of penitents together, unless:

1° danger of death threatens and there is not time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents;

2° there exists a grave necessity, that is, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available properly to hear the individual confessions within an appropriate time, so that without fault of their own the penitents are deprived of the sacramental grace or of holy communion for a lengthy period of time. A sufficient necessity is not, however, considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage.

§2 It is for the diocesan Bishop to judge whether the conditions required in §1, n. 2 are present; mindful of the criteria agreed with the other members of the Episcopal Conference, he can determine the cases of such necessity.

 

[Loren_1of6]

Thanks for the replies. I will try to talk to our priest to get his side of the story. Then I will be sending a letter to our bishop; he, at least, is more traditional (conservative).

 

[corsair]

I used to go to a parish where the priest would do the “Reconciliation Service” for advent, Lent and Easter. His reason was that he did not like to spend all that time sitting in a Confessional waiting for people to show up.

Since I transfered to a more reverent parish, we don’t have that problem. It is rather perplexing that Confession is on saturdays for one hour. The parish is in a “cluster” of six and we have 2 full time priests and one retired “weekend” priest. The retired priest didn’t get the word that Confessions were only on saturday so he sits in the confessional every Sunday morning for 1/2 hour before Mass. Nobody has complained either.