Pope:There's an Answer to Empty Confessionals

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I would like more hours available for confession. It is not easy to get to the scheduled 30 min. time frame.
 
Confession is like a bridle that keeps the soul which reflects on it from committing sin, but anything left unconfessed we continue to do without fear as if in the dark.

St. John Climacus
Code:
In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You.
St. Augustine
 
What is see as unfortunate are: (1) some newer churches don’t have confessionals (2) anonymous confession is not always easily available when desired within reasonable times az it should be. While the laity owe much to the Church, the Church owes the sacraments to the laity! The report by a poster above that a priest told him he “had better things to do” than hear confessions is scandalous.
 
I remember After joining the Church (-I was raised S. Baptist) and entering seminary I was scandalized by a parish priest who would hear confessions “by-appointment only.” I asked him why and he said he was tired of hearing them and had better things to do. “People here all have cars; if they want to confess on a Saturday afternoon, they can drive to St Lucie’s.” I still shake my head at that. I also check bulletins wherever go. Unfortunately, his isn’t the only “by appointment only” once I’ve discovered.
Boy, some parishes really make it hard for us to receive necessary sacraments! Realizing that the laity needs to step up and take a more active roll in the Church because of the priest shortage, the priests also need to at least assist us in our road to Heaven. Sometimes it seems that they’re working against us instead of for us. In some parishes, this seems to be a big problem.
 
Boy, some parishes really make it hard for us to receive necessary sacraments! Realizing that the laity needs to step up and take a more active roll in the Church because of the priest shortage, the priests also need to at least assist us in our road to Heaven. Sometimes it seems that they’re working against us instead of for us. In some parishes, this seems to be a big problem.
True Christianity is not easy. It requires effort and the greatest sacrifice. To think otherwise, is surely missing the point. Some of our modernists (even priests!) not only don’t understand the teaching, they don’t grasp the essence of what it is to be a Christian. Of course their pat answer is: “thou shalt not judge”. Which, as a SIMPLE defense, also misses the point!
 
True Christianity is not easy. It requires effort and the greatest sacrifice. To think otherwise, is surely missing the point. Some of our modernists (even priests!) not only don’t understand the teaching, they don’t grasp the essence of what it is to be a Christian. Of course their pat answer is: “thou shalt not judge”. Which, as a SIMPLE defense, also misses the point!
“Thou shall not judge” is a subject I believe we could start a whole new thread about.😉
 
When I was in school, I used to go on religious pilgrimage around Southern California. Religious centers usually had mass confessional sections before the Mass. We were all standing around in line and sometimes, we were so near to the priest and the confessional that we could hear people making confessions. I could never hear anything coming out of people’s mouth (not that I wanted to). It all sounded like gibberish. I think it was God miracle to protect the sacrament of confession. I miss those days.
 
Hello to all

First of all, I’ve ask you all for prayers for a spinal problem. Thank you in advance.

The Catholic children are not being taught about the sacrament. They, as some posters who have said, the CCD teachers don’t have the correct method. I know some parents have no time or desire to teach the young ones,and allow the kids to watch TV or play with the new technical playthings.

I am a senior citizen and mother of five grown children. They were taught from the old Baltimore catechism by myself in CCD and at home. Do any of you remember that Catechism? It was a very small book but had all the teachings of our faith. That was the only catechism until the “great” Vatican 11. Then everything changed in the church. Priests and Nuns left the church and some members joined other churches.

I was teaching my ten year old daughter at the time. The lessons were hard to understand and to teach. A lot of changes were made. We were told the main thing to
have the kids understand was to Love your neighbor as yourself and to love Jesus.

I also agree that the priests are not hearing our confessions. We can go on Saturdays
for half an hour from 4: 00 until 4: 30 then we have a Mass at 5: 00. Our priest is quite curt by nature and sometimes don’t even say Hello.

Oh, I forgot to mention my daughter is an Episcopal now.

Hope I haven’t bored you all with this long post. It would be nice for other seniors to Post
and give their opinions.

Mandy 31
 
Hello to all

First of all, I’ve ask you all for prayers for a spinal problem. Thank you in advance.

The Catholic children are not being taught about the sacrament. They, as some posters who have said, the CCD teachers don’t have the correct method. I know some parents have no time or desire to teach the young ones,and allow the kids to watch TV or play with the new technical playthings.

I am a senior citizen and mother of five grown children. **They were taught from the old Baltimore catechism by myself in CCD and at home. Do any of you remember that Catechism? **It was a very small book but had all the teachings of our faith. That was the only catechism until the “great” Vatican 11. Then everything changed in the church. Priests and Nuns left the church and some members joined other churches.

I was teaching my ten year old daughter at the time. The lessons were hard to understand and to teach. A lot of changes were made. We were told the main thing to
have the kids understand was to Love your neighbor as yourself and to love Jesus.

I also agree that the priests are not hearing our confessions. We can go on Saturdays
for half an hour from 4: 00 until 4: 30 then we have a Mass at 5: 00. Our priest is quite curt by nature and sometimes don’t even say Hello.

Oh, I forgot to mention my daughter is an Episcopal now.

Hope I haven’t bored you all with this long post. It would be nice for other seniors to Post
and give their opinions.

Mandy 31
You can still get those. We used them while homeschooling our older kids. Your post just reminded me, so I think we’ll dig them out for my 2nd and 4th graders. 👍

setonhome.org/curriculum/seeinside.php?ToView=P-RL04-12#

PS Praying for your spinal problem has commenced…
 
Hello to all

I am a senior citizen and mother of five grown children. They were taught from the old Baltimore catechism by myself in CCD and at home. Do any of you remember that Catechism?
:clapping::clapping:

Still have mine with all the answers penciled in with my childish handwriting. I was a pagan convert to the faith at 14…I came into the Church by myself. (Long story)

Another excellent book, and the one that made me become Catholic was called “My Catholic Faith.” The copyright on my edition is 1949. It had black and white pictures…one picture in particular is on page 158 and that picture (along with God’s grace, of course) is what made me become Catholic. It is a picture of the Holy Souls in Purgatory longing for God. Heaven is depicted above them. I, of course, didn’t know what purgatory was, and I probably, with my limited knowledge maybe thought it was hell. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be burning in some fire, but rather a part of the Mass which was also depicted with a priest elevating the Host and the angels and saints adoring IT!

That picture to this very day, has a profound effect on me.
 
Tigg,

Thank you for the info about the home schooling. I’ll get some for my grandchildren and
try to get the parents to get involved.

Mandy31
 
I have a family member who suffers from severe mental difficulties. Even though most of my family is strongly anti-Catholic, she told me after Mass today that she wanted to be Baptized and to be received into the Catholic Church.

Of course I have already talked to my Parish Pastor about this and he has assigned our RCIA Deacon to facilitate, as she can not concentrate long enough to sit through RCIA meetings.

But today she also told me that she didn’t want to be Baptized unless she could go to Confession first. She said, “I want to be clean.”

We have Confession everyday at our Parish and we have two well-advertised Reconciliation Services a year where the entire Parish has access to at least 15 priests for the better part of three hours.

If you are part of a large Parish and do not have these facilities, I strongly recommend you speak to your Pastor about it.

Your Faith will be strengthened by the strong Faith of your Parish. Confession breeds Faith!
 
I have a family member who suffers from severe mental difficulties. Even though most of my family is strongly anti-Catholic, she told me after Mass today that she wanted to be Baptized and to be received into the Catholic Church.

Of course I have already talked to my Parish Pastor about this and he has assigned our RCIA Deacon to facilitate, as she can not concentrate long enough to sit through RCIA meetings.

But today she also told me that she didn’t want to be Baptized unless she could go to Confession first. She said, “I want to be clean.”

We have Confession everyday at our Parish and we have two well-advertised Reconciliation Services a year where the entire Parish has access to at least 15 priests for the better part of three hours.

If you are part of a large Parish and do not have these facilities, I strongly recommend you speak to your Pastor about it.

Your Faith will be strengthened by the strong Faith of your Parish. Confession breeds Faith!
from Mandy31

Thanks for the fast reply.

Yes, we have confessions twice a year. We only have one priest for 1200 families.
we had confessions before Easter and chose a priest I didn’t know.

You mentioned that a relative/friend who wants to become a catholic. Do you know if she ever had the sacrament of Baptism? I am not sure if she was baptised in another faith, she may not need to be re-baptised. I think I read that somewhere.

If you want more info you can google (Catholic Baptism) where you can read up about
Baptisms-- Catholic and non-Catholic.

Maybe another member can post this knowledge.

Mandy31
 
Thank you for your response.

No, she has never been Baptized. Her mother is strongly opposed to The Catholic Church, so my Parish Pastor and I are broaching this with much, much, so very much prayer – albeit with few words outside of those said to JESUS and HIS Holy Mother.

Thank you, again, for your concern – it is greatly appreciated.

GOD Bless you and your whole family!
 
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