So little time given for confession

[johnnycatholic]

Whether anyone shows up to confesion or not there should be a priest in that confessional for the full time, period. No one showing up is no excuse; if no one shows up then maybe we need to hear something from the pulpit about A.B.C. or just sin in general! All Catholics have the right under canon law to receive confession anonymously. This is hard to do by appointment. NO excuses about priest shortages. Either a priest or the Bishop himself better be in that confessional!
This is a topic that gets my goat! This is one of the most important sacraments! What happened to the O.P. is horrible and unacceptable!

 

[Catholig]

Whether anyone shows up to confesion or not there should be a priest in that confessional, period. All Catholics have the right under canon law to receive confession anonymously. This is hard to do by appointment. NO excuses about priest shortages. Either a priest or the Bishop himself better be in that confessional!

Bishops hear confessions as well don’t they?

Catholig

 

[mattkubes]

Whatevergirl - I actually did make it to confession after all! It must be on page 1, but I did mention that I found a Church that was offering it later in the day…it’s a bit of a trip, but well worth it!

And I agree that that would be amazing Johnnycatholic, but we can’t expect the poor priests to just sit there waiting I guess the thing that made me feel the worst was that as I was going up the long road to the Cathedral, the confessor must have seen me - and since I was [speed]walking, he must have known that I was trying my best to get there on time. I mean, I don’t expect him to make any special exceptions for me, but it really made me sad when he turned me away for being late by a minute (maybe even less). I pray that our priests realise that, each time someone comes to confession, they are potentially giving a soul new life through the grace of God. That’s some powerful stuff - if I was a priest, I doubt that I could ever turn someone away from such a huge lifeline!

In any event, thanks for the advice everyone

 

[BobP123]

Part of the problem is a practical one. It used to be that Satuday afternoon confessions were significantly patronized. This was when the culture fostered such and Saturday wasn’t necessarily so busy as it tends to be now. But parishes are slow to adapt to the real needs of a changing culture. I find that at the parishes where there is confession offerred evenings (often in conjucntion with a Mass or other devotion) and Sundays (scheduled around - or even during - Mass), this Sacrament is doing quite well. The other problem is that Advent and Lent communal pennance services have tended to innoculate the Catholic population against any more frequent reception. They’re just in the mindset that, "I can go twice a year.’ But, in reality, a lot of people never bother to get there at those times, anyway.

So what are we left with? Pastors who sit around for an hour on Saturday afternoon with few people coming. They get the message and cut back to 30 minutes. Still no one shows. So, then they decide that in order to give something to the two regulars or provide a technical chance for anyone else who might show up, per chance, they best be there from 4 to 4:15. Or since this is when weddings are, anyway, it gets scheduled only once a month, maybe. Perhaps people get the hint that this is their one chance and a monthly confession ought to be enough for the devotees.

It is a problem which leads in an downward spiral.

I think I’d agree with that assessment. Post Vatican II many churches removed their confessionals and downplayed sin altogether. Now the pendulum has swung back to where the people are taking the sacraments seriously again and the Church is recognizing the need by supplying confessions not only on Saturdays but Sundays before Mass. The Church is realizing that some people do travel quite a bit for a Mass they are most comfortable with and so it wouldn’t be efficient to come out twice.

 

[m134e5]

Well technically since you tried you are eligible to recieve Holy Communion, in that you go to confession as soon as possible.

No…it would be nice if that were so, but that is not the case. It is a good devotion to pray that you are always able to go to confession when you need it.

Find another priest to go to. There has to be other priests around. Get out the phone book, and start going down the list of Catholic churches to find a priest who will hear your confession.

 

[puzzleannie]

I Skipping the boring details, when I got to the Cathedral, I saw the usual confessor outside, in lay clothes, about to get on his bicycle. It turns out that I had just missed the alloted time by a minute or two. In a city of nearly 500,000 people, the central church of the Diocese of Hamilton offers 30 minutes for confession each week. And I missed it.
.

did you explain to the priest your situation and ask for confession? I can’t believe any priest would deny you the chance to confess. You could also approach the priest before or after Mass. No priest is supposed to refuse you confession if you ask. If this happens again it really is an abuse and should be reported to the bishop.

 

[Linda_Marie]

I woke up this morning excited to go to confession - I love living away from home this summer in part because I live fairly close to the Cathedral of Christ the King in Hamilton, Ontario.

Skipping the boring details, when I got to the Cathedral, I saw the usual confessor outside, in lay clothes, about to get on his bicycle. It turns out that I had just missed the alloted time by a minute or two. <…>

So I came home on the bus feeling completely dejected…not to mention worrying about the loss of eternity - you know, little things like that (and yes, I feel that I really did need to go to confession). <…>I realise that it’s not practical to expect priests to sit in a confessional for hours on end in the hopes that someone shows up…but 30 minutes per week at a Cathedral??

I would have thought that the priest would have gotten off his bike, put his stole back on and heard your confession. Especially since you were only a minute or two late and were delayed by public transport and were in a state about your mortal soul.

We also have restricted Confession times. We have 30 minutes after the 9:30am Mass on Saturday morning and another 30 minutes 12-12:30 Saturday. The bulletin says the priest will hear confessions 5 minutes before Mass eek: 5 minutes???) but in reality, they find someway to put you off because they are getting ready to say Mass. :doh2: And of course, by appointment, which does remove any anonymity.

I tried to go last week to the Saturday 10 am confession, but after Mass, the priest just left, without hearing any confessions. The 12-12:30 slot is very difficult to make with other commitments conflicting. I have a real hard time with Confession so I try to go at least once a month - regular Confession whether I ‘need’ it or not. This non-availability is really getting me down. One Sunday evening, I insisted that I make my confession, although the priest made me wait until after Mass. This was in our new church, 7 months after opening. The Confessional wasn’t even operational. It was being used as a store room and the both of us had to stand among the boxes and crates, brooms, dustpans and vacuum cleaners. Mine may have been the first confession heard in the new church.

Other parishioners have opined to me that they can’t make either of those times because they are working, so they have to make an appointment, or go before Mass. They find this very off-putting. It makes it seem like Confession is not the norm, like you are the only one sinning. That evening time slot someone else mentioned would work wonders for people being able to make it.

IMO, this lack of emphasis on Confession has contributed to the lack of reverence for the Eucharist. Yes, it is hard, humbling, but it is so necessary and we are so blessed to have this Sacrament at all. I think this downturn in reception of this Sacrament is all part of the “Don’t you dare tell me I’m sinning, don’t you dare impose your morals on me, you judgemental person you” attitude prevalent in the West these days.

Maybe we need more homilies on 'The Last Things".

 

[mystified]

…And I thought this was just a Southern Califrornia thing.
Thirty minutes a week on Thursday afternoon. Appointment only.
“The Sacrament of Penance is a minor sacrament.” Five minutes only, right after the last Mass of the day. Cancelling all confessions for the last three weeks of Lent. A parish with three priests, but the only one hearing confessions cutting the allotted hour short because he was “busy”.
Even Popes have taken time to hear confessions. Are parish priests busier or have more pressing duties that the Supreme Pontiff?
On the other hand, we read of saints who spent hours in confessionals helping the souls seeking help. I know an old priest who, despite being crippled, will whip out his stole almost anywhere if someone wants to be heard. He says it is part of his job, just like celebrating the Eucharist.

 

[Fitz]

I have gone to looking on the internet and finding confession times at every parish in the southwest of chicago. I keep the list saved on my computer and whenever I need to go to confession I find the times that best suit me. I guess I am lucky to have so manc churches available. I do go at my church when they advertise a special penance service because then they invite other priests to join our parish priest and so many people come. There are usually 5 priests and a long line at each one. I also go to a neighboring parish when they have their penance service and it is the same deal. So that way I get to go more often. I find that the Sat. evening times right before church to be incomvenient because I like to attend church with the rest of my family and not everyone wants to go to church an hour early. We live too far for me to walk there. Anyway, it does seem to me there is less emphasis on the sacrament- starting with the parish priests.

 

[jstreets]

Wow! What? No!

If you’re in a state of Mortal sin, you must not receive communion.

doh, I messed up… lol…

 

[Teelynn]

It also seems to me that the Holy Spirit is moving among God’s Children and revealing a more correct mindset on confession, sin etc. Although we still do not hear much about sin and the need for confession from the pulpit, I do believe that it is the laity that is now starting to realize the importance of this essential sacrament and starting to push for it. It is indeed a beautiful thing to watch happen. I can see even in my own community how the “blinders” are starting to come off but it’s not about what’s coming from the pulpit, it’s about what’s being revealed to the laity. Pretty amazing. How truly AWESOME is the Holy Spirit!

 

[JesusSaves17]

It seems to me that Nebraska has their act together. I have kind of taken a mental note of that throughout visiting these forums. We used to NEVER have weekly or monthly confessions in my parish or in some of the surrounding parishes. They would have it 2 times yearly at Easter and Christmas and then only a “penance service”…no individual. Somewhat better lately, we are supposed to have them weekly but with consolidations we are lucky if a priest shows up for them. We now are supposed to have 30 minutes a week. People in my area seek out other parishs to go. That’s why it did not surprise me a bit for this Cathedral to only have 30 minutes weekly for confession. Still struggling in my area to give confession the importance it deserves. This shouldn’t be news to most people. Lots of areas in this country and probably in others that have downplayed confession for a long time now. The clergy just doesn’t give it the credence it’s due. Too busy, not enough priests, no one goes anyway are the reasons we hear. They just don’t push it. I believe this mindset is misleading alot of people by giving them the idea that it’s not really all that necessary any more. But, on the brighter side, there are a lot of people who do go even if they have to travel out of area.

yes, our diocese is something I’ve pretty proud of. I hear all about how laid back some diocese are now, particularly on the east coast, and all this stuff about how we don’t have to obey every rule, i.e. fasting, even going to Church every week. Nonsense if you ask me. I guess it’s no coincedence our bishop is nationally known as one of the most conservative, old-fashioned, i.e. We still don’t allow girl altar servers. I believe we’re one of the only diocese in America with that.

 

[Lucania]

Wow. I guess I should consider myself blessed & fortunate that my Parish offers confession before every Mass, seven days a week:extrahappy: ! As far as I know, my Church is the only one in my diocese that offers confession daily, most offer it on Saturday afternoon before the Vigil Mass,for about 45 minutes . Since there are 2 Masses Monday-Friday, and 1 Mass on Sat., 4 Masses on Sunday, that equals 15 opportunities each week to make a confession before Mass at my Church. That means I have NO EXCUSES!!

 

[Philothea53]

Wow! What? No!

If you’re in a state of Mortal sin, you must not receive communion.

30 minutes a week is a disgrace. I find it hard to believe. At my Cathedral, we have confession directly before the daily 12:10 p.m. Mass, and between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The lines for confession are usually very long

My parish is at the Cathedral. We have confession on Saturday from 415-445 and Wednesday from 5-520. That’s it! With only one priest hearing confession. Needless to say, people are left standing in line when Mass starts on Saturday at 5 PM and weekdays at 530 PM Sometimes the Priest will come back to the confessional after Mass but not always.

BTW we have 2600 registered families. Fifty minutes a week for confession - is it any wonder so many don’t even try?