General Confession

[Jan_Collins]

Hello,

My sister and I were discussing General Confession, as it is practiced in her church, due to the lack of priests. She believes that she isn’t required to also go to a private confession after attending the General Confession.

My understanding from the CCC and from hearing priests on EWTN and Catholic radio, is that she still has to go to a private confession and cannot be absolved from her sins in a General Confession again unless she has made a private confession.

My sister is a wonderful Catholic and I don’t want her to
be confused about such an important sacrement. If I am wrong
I will apologize.

My sincere appreciation,
Janet

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Just to clarify the terminology, the words “general confession” are usually used to mean an individual confession of all the sins of your entire life (or a significant part of your life). This is done for an adult’s first confession, when a person comes back to the sacrament after being away for a long time, when in danger of death, and at certain critical times of conversion in one’s life.

What you mean is a penance service with “general absolution.” The priest (attempts to) give everyone absolution for their sins without individual confession.

In most circumstances, this is an abuse. It should only be done in emergency situations (e.g., going into battle, a catastrophe where many people are in danger of death, etc.) where it is impossible for the priest to hear all the confessions, or in remote areas where priests rarely visit and they truly don’t have time to hear everyone’s confessions.

You are correct. Receiving the sacrament in this way is like an “IOU.” People are obligated to make an individual confession of any serious sins at the earliest opportunity.

This form of the sacrament is overused. It should never be used because priests don’t feel like taking the time to hear individual confessions. That is one of their most serious duties.

And it should certainly not be used by penitents because they are afraid to confess their sins individually.

Here are relevant sections from the Code of Canon Law (bold emphasis added):

Can. 960 Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the sole ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and with the Church. Physical or moral impossibility alone excuses from such confession, in which case reconciliation may be attained by other means also.

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 feast day 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.

Can. 962 §1 For a member of Christ’s faithful to benefit validly from a sacramental absolution given to a number of people simultaneously, it is required not only that he or she be properly disposed, but be also at the same time personally resolved to confess in due time each of the grave sins which cannot for the moment be thus confessed.

§2 Christ’s faithful are to be instructed about the requirements set out in §1, as far as possible even on the occasion of general absolution being received. An exhortation that each person should make an act of contrition is to precede a general absolution, even in the case of danger of death if there is time.

Can. 963 Without prejudice to the obligation mentioned in can. 989, a person whose grave sins are forgiven by a general absolution, is as soon as possible, when the opportunity occurs, to make an individual confession before receiving another general absolution, unless a just reason intervenes.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

As an added resource, refer to Pope John Paul II’s 2002 Apostolic Letter “Misericordia Dei” which addresses the abuses of this form of the sacrament:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_20020502_misericordia-dei_en.html

 

[FickleFreckled]

PhilotheaZ,
Thank you so much for posting that information. I’ve never seen a general absolution myself, but have heard that it was done in some parishes here for awhile when there were way more people in line than the priest could get to. There’s also a pretty common misconception that a penance service takes the place of confession.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

PhilotheaZ,
Thank you so much for posting that information. I’ve never seen a general absolution myself, but have heard that it was done in some parishes here for awhile when there were way more people in line than the priest could get to. There’s also a pretty common misconception that a penance service takes the place of confession.

It is quite common in some places. May God have mercy on the priests and bishops involved, and on the penitents who do not realize that it is an abuse.

For example, my parents’ parish had these communal services (general absolution with no individual confession) every Advent and Lent, instead of proper penance services with individual confessions.

 

[FickleFreckled]

We have a different bishop now and I haven’t heard of any recently. There are communal penance services and the priest always explains them quite well, but I don’t think people are really listening.

 

[Jude_Smith]

Just to clarify the terminology, the words “general confession” are usually used to mean an individual confession of all the sins of your entire life (or a significant part of your life). This is done for an adult’s first confession, when a person comes back to the sacrament after being away for a long time, when in danger of death, and at certain critical times of conversion in one’s life.

Why would a person ever have to do a general confession, other than after being away for a long time? Wouldn’t this mean confessing sins that have already been forgiven? Confessing them more than once, I mean? If absolution was already granted, why bring the sin up again?

 

[benedictgal]

In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II promulgated the release of a circular letter on the Integrity of the Sacrament of Penance. This is what the letter notes:

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

1. 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 11 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."12 Indeed, the Diocesan Bishop makes "this judgment graviter onerata conscientia, and with full respect for the law and the practice of the Church."13

1. Local Ordinaries and priests, to the degree that it applies to them, have an obligation in conscience to ensure that penitents have regular and frequent scheduled opportunities for individual and integral confession of sins in all parish churches and insofar as possible in other pastoral centres.14 In addition, priests are called upon to be generous in making themselves available outside of those scheduled times to celebrate individual and integral confession whenever the faithful would reasonably ask for it.15 "Other works, for lack of time, may have to be postponed or even abandoned, but not the confessional."16

1. The Holy Father has pointed to the personal nature of sin, conversion, forgiveness and reconciliation 17 as the reason why the Rite of Reconciliation of several penitents with individual confession and absolution “demands the personal confession of sins and individual absolution”.18 Since individual and integral confession of sins is not only an obligation "but also an inviolable and inalienable right"19 of the faithful, any innovation which would interfere with their fulfillment of this obligation, such as when penitents are invited or otherwise encouraged to name just one sin or to name a representative sin, is to be eliminated.

This letter was written because of an issue that the Austrialian Bishops Conference found itself in regarding the wholesale allowance of general absolution and the like. Pope John Paul II pretty much took them to task on the severity of the matter and had this letter promulgated. Inasmuch as it is directed towards the Austrailain Bishops Conference, it pertains to the Universal Church as well.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Why would a person ever have to do a general confession, other than after being away for a long time? Wouldn’t this mean confessing sins that have already been forgiven? Confessing them more than once, I mean? If absolution was already granted, why bring the sin up again?

If you have already been absolved of all serious sins, a general confession is probably not necessary. But there are certain situations in which it is helpful.

For example, sometimes it is required when entering the religious life, taking vows, etc.

It is part of an Ignatian retreat, and it can be beneficial when making other retreats.

It can be part of a deepening conversion to Christ, when someone wants to turn their entire life over to God.

It is a way to look over one’s entire life and see the action of God’s mercy in your life over an extended period of time.

Confessing a sin again does not mean that it was not already forgiven. You can still be sorry for having offended God, even if you are confident that He has forgiven you.

I am not suggesting that people should make general confessions all the time. They should only be made at “critical junctures” in one’s life.

And they should be avoided by persons who suffer from scrupulosity, except with the express permission of the scrupulant’s regular confessor who is aware of the scrupulosity.

If I were conscious and able to do so, I would certainly want to make a general confession prior to death.

 

[Elizabeth502]

This is done for an adult’s first confession, when a person comes back to the sacrament after being away for a long time…

Oh no. I recently came back to confession after 6 years. (I was away because I was so scandalized by something very dishonest & cowardly that a priest did, that I was working under. I had been so turned off at this priest’s complete & utter lack of just ordinary virtue that I left the sacraments.) Should I have reconfessed the sins prior to the 6 years? (I only confessed the ones I could remember from the 6 year period. Should I reconfess the earlier ones the next time I go to confession, which will be soon?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Oh no. I recently came back to confession after 6 years. (I was away because I was so scandalized by something very dishonest & cowardly that a priest did, that I was working under. I had been so turned off at this priest’s complete & utter lack of just ordinary virtue that I left the sacraments.) Should I have reconfessed the sins prior to the 6 years? (I only confessed the ones I could remember from the 6 year period. Should I reconfess the earlier ones the next time I go to confession, which will be soon?

No, you are fine, as long as you confessed all the serious sins you remembered committing SINCE your last good confession.