Is there any rule concerning how often priests must hear confessions?

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. My priest in my local parish never hears confessions that I know of. We do not have any scheduled times that I know of that he hears confessions. I have tried looking in the bulletin but cannot find any scheduled time that he hears confessions on a weekly or even monthly basis. This saddens me. What saddens me even more is that I asked him once why he doesn’t have a scheduled time to hear confessions and he said that he didn’t think enough people would come. So, I ask, are priests required to have a scheduled time to hear confessions at some point during the week or something? I would like to know because if there is such a rule, I could write to my bishop and have him take care of this issue. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

[japhy]

My priest in my local parish never hears confessions that I know of. We do not have any scheduled times that I know of that he hears confessions. … I asked him once why he doesn’t have a scheduled time to hear confessions and he said that he didn’t think enough people would come. So, I ask, are priests required to have a scheduled time to hear confessions at some point during the week or something? I would like to know because if there is such a rule…

Before you go looking to enforce rules, consider a different approach. “He said that he didn’t think enough people would come” is part of the problem. Just having confession times listed in the bulletin is not enough if the people of the parish don’t know that they should be going to confession regularly (or at least as often as needed).

I would suggest, first, asking your pastor to find time in his schedule to be available for confessions before your parish’s Saturday evening Mass (if you have one), as well as after your last Sunday morning Mass. Follow up this request by asking that he put something in the bulletin, or make an announcement at Masses, or give a homily about the need for frequent sacramental confession for the worthy reception of Holy Communion.

People won’t go if they don’t know it’s important. People won’t know it’s important if they don’t hear about it from their pastor. They won’t hear about it from their pastor if he never mentions it.

Now, as for the rules… the Code of Canon Law, nn. 959-997, deals with the Sacrament of Penance. Of particular interest to you is can. 986 §1: “All to whom by virtue of office the care of souls is committed, are bound to provide for the hearing of the confessions of the faithful entrusted to them, who reasonably request confession, and they are to provide these faithful with an opportunity to make individual confession on days and at times arranged to suit them.”

 

[Holly3278]

Before you go looking to enforce rules, consider a different approach. “He said that he didn’t think enough people would come” is part of the problem. Just having confession times listed in the bulletin is not enough if the people of the parish don’t know that they should be going to confession regularly (or at least as often as needed).

I would suggest, first, asking your pastor to find time in his schedule to be available for confessions before your parish’s Saturday evening Mass (if you have one), as well as after your last Sunday morning Mass. Follow up this request by asking that he put something in the bulletin, or make an announcement at Masses, or give a homily about the need for frequent sacramental confession for the worthy reception of Holy Communion.

People won’t go if they don’t know it’s important. People won’t know it’s important if they don’t hear about it from their pastor. They won’t hear about it from their pastor if he never mentions it.

Now, as for the rules… the Code of Canon Law, nn. 959-997, deals with the Sacrament of Penance. Of particular interest to you is can. 986 §1: “All to whom by virtue of office the care of souls is committed, are bound to provide for the hearing of the confessions of the faithful entrusted to them, who reasonably request confession, and they are to provide these faithful with an opportunity to make individual confession on days and at times arranged to suit them.”

Oh ok. Thanks! So according to this code of canon law, the priest is only obligated to provide a scheduled time of confession if the faithful request it?

Also, I will see if I can talk to my priest about this first.

 

[japhy]

So according to this code of canon law, the priest is only obligated to provide a scheduled time of confession if the faithful request it?

Well, it doesn’t make sense for the priest to provide times for a service nobody wants.

Although for some people, they don’t go to confession at their own parish, so it’s helpful for them to know when nearby parishes have confession.

Also, I will see if I can talk to my priest about this first.

Please do. Priests are people too! Talking to them before going over their heads is the polite and Christian thing to do.

 

[Phemie]

Oh ok. Thanks! So according to this code of canon law, the priest is only obligated to provide a scheduled time of confession if the faithful request it?

Also, I will see if I can talk to my priest about this first.

No, what it says is that they are to provide convenient times for confession.

Up to 4 years ago in my parish, there was confession for 30 minutes before each Sunday Mass. It started 45 minutes before Mass and still gave the pastor 15 minutes to greet the people before the entrance procession.

The pastor who came 4 years ago refused to sit in the confessional. He would duck in to the church about 10-15 minutes before Mass and if you wanted to confess you had to go tap him on the shoulder and say “Would you hear my confession?” I don’t know about anyone else but for me that’s not the ideal time. He said to me “I’m not going to sit in the confessional for 1/2 an hour and have no one come.” I always felt he’d have more people confessing if he didn’t spend every homily saying “You know, God loves us no matter what we do.” He never added “but we should always be ready to repent and confess our sins.”

 

[Aramis]

Oh ok. Thanks! So according to this code of canon law, the priest is only obligated to provide a scheduled time of confession if the faithful request it?

Also, I will see if I can talk to my priest about this first.

Either by scheduled times or by appointment.

Also, not all priests have facuties to hear confessions, but all pastors do by virtue of being assigned as pastor.

 

[Holly3278]

Either by scheduled times or by appointment.

Also, not all priests have facuties to hear confessions, but all pastors do by virtue of being assigned as pastor.

Oh ok. Thanks Aramis.