I sense that our priests don't like confession

[RCEllis]

In our parish it seems like the priests don’t want to encourage confession. One priest, during an RCIA session I attended recently, made the weakest of arguments in it’s favor, and admitted that he found little biblical justification for it.

This parish usually holds one of those communial services once or twice a year, and when they announce it, they never mention that a full regular confession is necessary.

I haven’t been to the communical one - I’m an old stick-in-the-mud who goes on my own - so perhaps regular confessions are a part of them.

Clint

 

[misericordie]

RCEllis:

In our parish it seems like the priests don’t want to encourage confession. One priest, during an RCIA session I attended recently, made the weakest of arguments in it’s favor, and admitted that he found little biblical justification for it.

This parish usually holds one of those communial services once or twice a year, and when they announce it, they never mention that a full regular confession is necessary.

I haven’t been to the communical one - I’m an old stick-in-the-mud who goes on my own - so perhaps regular confessions are a part of them.

Clint

If I were you I would first, FIND A CATHOLIC PARISH, then I would write a nice letter to the Bishop. Seems like those guys you describe are stuck in the 1960’s 1970’s kumbayah era. They must be over 45 years of age? Are they from a religious Order? Or are they diocesan clergy? Usually the older orders are more liberal than the DIOCESAN priests(which I prefer, unless the order is the Legion of Christ, Or the Institute of the Incarnate Word fathers: www.iveamerica.org

 

[Jdg164]

I wonder… if a priest is uncomfortable (for whatever reason) with hearing confession, how comfy is he with going TO confession himself? Let’s face it, the only place anyone wants to hear confessions or go to confession these days is on talk shows (Springer).

Yes, I sense this avoidance of confession/reconciliation/penance(whatever the kids are calling it these days) from some priests as well. That’s why I drive 1/2 an hour to go to the one priest I have found in my diocese so far that has a fantastic talent and gift in the confessional. I have NO CLUE how we can possibly renew this wonderful sacrament in our parishes except to pray and see to it that our children and children’s children are properly instructed in the faith.

 

[Jdg164]

misericordie:

Seems like those guys you describe are stuck in the 1960’s 1970’s kumbayah era.

Very cute misericordie. Do we have a new catch phrase? Kumbayah Catholicism?!

 

[misericordie]

Jdg164:

Very cute misericordie. Do we have a new catch phrase? Kumbayah Catholicism?!

Hey, why not? I learned it from a friend priest who is a diocesan Priest, who is pretty intellectual: S.T.L, Gregorian (he was my mentor), MA Psychology, NYU, S.T.B., The Angelicum(Thomistic Philosophy).

 

[Charlemagne]

RCEllis:

In our parish it seems like the priests don’t want to encourage confession. One priest, during an RCIA session I attended recently, made the weakest of arguments in it’s favor, and admitted that he found little biblical justification for it.
Clint

Little biblical justification!?

See the Gospel of John, Chapter 20, Verses 19-23

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
“If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

 

[space_ghost]

RCEllis:

In our parish it seems like the priests don’t want to encourage confession. One priest, during an RCIA session I attended recently, made the weakest of arguments in it’s favor, and admitted that he found little biblical justification for it.

This parish usually holds one of those communial services once or twice a year, and when they announce it, they never mention that a full regular confession is necessary.

I haven’t been to the communical one - I’m an old stick-in-the-mud who goes on my own - so perhaps regular confessions are a part of them.

Clint

from one stick-in-the-mud to another… hang in there, you are not alone…

 

[BobCatholic]

Any priest who doesn’t like to do the sacrament of confession should immediately resign.

Paul said “we are ministers of reconciliation” in one of his letters, and these priests don’t get it.

 

[WhiteDove]

I get the feeling that my priest finds confession boring at times. He is actually a great confessor, but doesn’t encourage it at all and only offers it at 3:30 on Saturday.

I’ve also gotten the impression, just from responses I’ve gotten in confession a few times, that he views sin as very relative. Also, whenever I confess that I was angry about something he seems get a little angry at what I was angry at and overly sympathizes. He has a bit of an ager problem himself I’ve heard.

 

[space_ghost]

WhiteDove:

I get the feeling that my priest finds confession boring at times. He is actually a great confessor, but doesn’t encourage it at all and only offers it at 3:30 on Saturday.

I’ve also gotten the impression, just from responses I’ve gotten in confession a few times, that he views sin as very relative. Also, whenever I confess that I was angry about something he seems get a little angry at what I was angry at and overly sympathizes. He has a bit of an ager problem himself I’ve heard.

Question: Does he onl offer it at 3:30 on Saturday because maybe 6 people attend…? Our priest offers confession every Saturday form 4 to 5:00 and he might get 3 people… the light has almost gone out on confession for most catholics and i really feel that a fire must be lit (probably from the pulpit) under parishoners to rethink their reasons for not going… boy, would’t that be a sermon… but all we get are homilys now… can’t remember the last time we got a sermon…

 

[KCT]

If no one is preaching about sin, why would people think they need confession? —KCT

 

[slywakka250]

yea, I think a homily about sin and confession would be wonderful, but I don’t believe that I have ever heard one.

 

[tractarian]

The priest at my last parish, he did not exactly encourage or discourage Confession, but whenever i went i got the message loud & clear.:nope: He always did the bare minimum required of him by the rubrics. Even the penance was always the min.: 1 Our Father and an act of kindness that week. sigh actions can speak louder than words. After a while i just started confessing at a different parish.

 

[CD4]

space ghost:

Question: Does he onl offer it at 3:30 on Saturday because maybe 6 people attend…? Our priest offers confession every Saturday form 4 to 5:00 and he might get 3 people… the light has almost gone out on confession for most catholics and i really feel that a fire must be lit (probably from the pulpit) under parishoners to rethink their reasons for not going… boy, would’t that be a sermon… but all we get are homilys now… can’t remember the last time we got a sermon…

**Space Ghost…I really do thinkt that more than five or six people would show up if more time were allowed for the sacrament, and the faithful were encouraged to go. **

**Offering the sacramtment for exactly 1/2 hr. each week for a parish of 3,000 famlilies clearly tells people that this is not an important or necessary thing to do…No one talks about it, either…It is only spoken of twice a year…When the large communal services are done at during Lent and Advent. What are people to conclude? **