So few people going to Confession, why?

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Yesterday, I was at Mass in my home town. There were about 40 people, all people who come regularly to weekday Mass. During Mass, the priest told us gently that today we are going to prepare ourselves for Christmas by going to Confession. He gently invited us all twice to come to Confession after Mass. I was very sad to see that only 4 four people (me including) actually went to Confession. I felt sad for God and also for the priest. It makes me wonder, why do so many Catholics, even active parishioners who come to Mass on Sundays and during weekdays, decline this offer of mercy? It is not the first time I notice this… I live in West Europe. What could we do to encourage more people to go to confession?
 
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Proclaim the full council of God, law and gospel. That would be the biggest thing I think one could do to remind people that we are sinners and saints, simultaneously.
 
There are several reasons that so few people seem to go to confession anymore:
  • Many people don’t think they do anything bad enough to make it necessary to go to confession.
  • They are either unaware of, or choose to ignore, the precept of annual confession (at the very least).
  • They have sinful habits they do not wish to, or cannot, break.
  • Similarly, some are attached to a lifestyle that confession would require them to renounce (living in an invalid marriage, cohabitation outside of marriage, etc.).
  • Some may have “sins they don’t want to confess, but don’t want not to confess” (or know they cannot make a good confession by omitting them), so they resolve the dilemma by just not going at all.
  • Some may be going to confession at penance services during Lent and Advent.
  • Some may not know how to go to confession, and need to be reassured that the priest will help them.
  • It is entirely possible that some have lost their confidence in priests due to the many recently reported scandals.
I would say the way to encourage more people to go to confession consists of the following:
  • Remind people that sin is a reality in everyone’s lives, and everyone should go to confession.
  • Remind them of the annual precept to go to confession.
  • Remind them that the confessional is a place of mercy, and that no matter what they confess, the priest has heard worse — “what happens in confession stays in confession”.
  • It also might not hurt to tell them “You have a sin you cannot break with? — go anyway! The worst that can happen, is that you could not receive absolution, but at least you could receive the counsel of the priest, he could pray with you for the grace to break with this sin, and you could possibly begin the journey of setting things right with God”.
 
I live in the north west part of the United States and the church I’m a part of only has one priest to take confessions right now because they haven’t hired anymore priests so it is a "rush " to the confessional at the mass i attend just about every week. I feel sorry for those who want the sacrament of confession but because we only one priest he often runs out of time the confessional that he uses has to sides as most of them do but there still is a line on both sides of the confessional that’s how many people want the sacrament some weeks the line is short other times it’s long and our poor priest runs out of time to help everyone because of having to get ready for the mass.
 
Maybe none of those people were in a state of grave sin. Maybe they went to Confession yesterday, maybe they had to get to work.
 
I would think it might have something to do with priests acknowledging the confiteor, the penitential act at the beginning of Mass, is sufficient for veinal sins. Just a thought.

Peace!!!
 
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Thank you, Father ACEGC. I think you are right, that confession should be offered much more. Why don’t all priests see this as a priority?
I am happy to hear that you have enough work in the confessional.
At the church in my town, confession is only offered during Advent and Lent and on appointment. And even when it is offered, only very few people go.
Maybe I live in a very holy country where there are only very few sinners…😊
 
It were almost all elderly people and many of them did go for a cup of coffee after Mass. So they were surely not in a rush. The priest is only at our town once a week, so I don’t expect them having gone to confession the day before.
 
Anna5 said:
Why don’t all priests see this as a priority?
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Who knows. I can only speculate. Maybe it’s bad formation. Maybe it’s unusually holy parishioners. I do know that only offering confession twice a year doesn’t encourage people to go, it encourages them to go less.
 
My point is, none of us can read another’s heart. Maybe these people are at a point in their spiritual lives where mortal sin is not a problem. We can grow to that place!
 
Thank you. I understand and I agree that we cannot look into other people’s heart. We should not judge others.
It is more in general that I notice that very few people are going to confession. I think it is good to go, even if we have no mortal sins to confess.
 
I went to Confession yesterday…There were only two priest available for about 50 to 75 people…one of the priest made announcement suggesting that since they were so many in attendance…perhaps we should limit our time which meant to reduce our intentions…so I just confessed one sin …and that was ok because the priest’s advice left an impact on me and I felt soon so good! 😇
 
I see a great many more people around here going. We do tend to have very large parishes, but the two parishes near me have their Christmas penance services on evenings this week and I already know not to try to go then because the parking lots will be completely full and it will take hours even though they have about 8 or 9 priests come in. I went a couple weeks ago at the regular weekly time and there is always a line of about 25 people.

The folks who did not go at your parish might have gone recently already, might be planning to go later, or might think they don’t need to go because they haven’t committed mortal sin. In my experience, daily Mass goers do not slack off on confession, so don’t just assume because they didn’t go up right then that they aren’t going at all.
 
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0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
Somebody in my parish might think I “never go”.
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Same here, especially since I attend Mass and Confession all over the place. I need to go every 20 days for Indulgence practice and I keep a list on Google Drive with dates and church names in case a priest ever asks me if I have been to Confession when I go to receive. So far it hasn’t happened though. I get a little concerned at certain Masses when I am the only one in my pew getting up to receive.
 
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Many years ago on New Year’s Day, our pastor gave a sermon on how the new year was like a new slate, etc. Not once did he remark on the access we have to a new slate every week in the confessional.

I think some priests find confessions as difficult as their flock. I would think both sides of the screen find it easier the more they hear or confess sins.
 
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Action overcomes anxiety. If you go to Confession often, you won’t be nervous about it. If you hear Confessions often, you won’t be nervous about it either. I find it delightful most of the time.
 
Over here we have confession at least twice a day and the confession lines are ALWAYS long!
We have some really great, traditional, holy priests!
I think the people need to feel convicted of their sins and that depends on wether the priests are preaching the truth and our faith fearlessly or if they are preaching watered down “politically correct” versions of it.
 
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