SPLIT: Communal confession

[banished]

Can anyone give me advice about going to Confession? I’ve been trying to go, but I’ve been getting nervous and not finishing. I’ve ended up just leaving for times. And I take too long.

Hello livi,

You are not alone. There are millions of modern day Catholics having the same problem, that’s why the church parking lot is usually empty on Saturdays. At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full. There seems to be a sense of safety when we confess our sins, one to another, and then the priest gets up at the end of the service and forgives everyone.

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

Suggested reading: James Chapter 5, Verse 16

I don’t know if I am reading it right, but there seems to be a hint of added healing in that Verse?

Richard

 

[kristie_m]

Hello livi,

You are not alone. There are millions of modern day Catholics having the same problem, that’s why the church parking lot is usually empty on Saturdays. At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full. There seems to be a sense of safety when we confess our sins, one to another, and then the priest gets up at the end of the service and forgives everyone.

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

Suggested reading: James Chapter 5, Verse 16

I don’t know if I am reading it right, but there seems to be a hint of added healing in that Verse?

Richard

I’m not sure what church you went to, but this was not a proper sacramental confession. Confessing sins to one another rather than the priest? Do you mean that you actually listed your sins to another lay person, or that you prayed the penetential rite “I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters that I have sinned through my own fault…”
The priest should be the one hearing the confession. He is acting “in persona Christi” by virtue of his ordination. The laity have no such grace. General absolution is reserved for emergencies, when individual confessions can’t be heard (when the plane is going down, for instance). I’m not sure of the validity of it in the scenario you described.

But to the OP…rest assured, when I enter in to the confessional, I am painfully aware of anyone who is waiting in line behind me. Your nervousness is understandable, but don’t let it deter you. This is just one of the ways the bad guy tries to keep us from the sacrament. Just keep in mind, when you’re talking to the priest, he has heard it all before, and besides, he is there in the person of Christ, and Jesus already knows all your stuff. Just take a deep breath and get in there!

 

[Pug]

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

livi,

I think (but I’m not sure) that Richard means a communal penance service, which is usually only available during Lent and Advent in my diocese, but perhaps yours will have one this time of year if you check around. Remember, though, you still have to go to the individual confession lines that form at the end of these services. It is not enough to just go to the group portion of the service. You must also do the individual portion as well.

(I’m not talking about a “general absolution service”, in case if you are wondering. If one of those did happen at a regular parish in regular circumstances, then the priest was acting in ignorance or irresponsibly. It ought to be impossible to find such a thing in your diocese. Now, you can find one of those as the Titanic is sinking and people are falling to their deaths, but I think you want to avoid that if you can.)

 

[michaeldaniels]

General Absolution ONLY applies in the event of imminent danger of death…and still then, there are still conditions that apply to make it valid!!!

Hello livi,

You are not alone. There are millions of modern day Catholics having the same problem, that’s why the church parking lot is usually empty on Saturdays. At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full. There seems to be a sense of safety when we confess our sins, one to another, and then the priest gets up at the end of the service and forgives everyone.

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

Suggested reading: James Chapter 5, Verse 16

I don’t know if I am reading it right, but there seems to be a hint of added healing in that Verse?

Richard

 

[brigid12]

Hello livi,

You are not alone. There are millions of modern day Catholics having the same problem, that’s why the church parking lot is usually empty on Saturdays. At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full. There seems to be a sense of safety when we confess our sins, one to another, and then the priest gets up at the end of the service and forgives everyone.

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

Suggested reading: James Chapter 5, Verse 16

I don’t know if I am reading it right, but there seems to be a hint of added healing in that Verse?

Richard

No Sacrament, so no Grace or valid absolution.

 

[PJM]

Originally Posted by banished
Hello livi,

You are not alone. There are millions of modern day Catholics having the same problem, that’s why the church parking lot is usually empty on Saturdays. At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full.Not validly!

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

Suggested reading: James Chapter 5, Verse 16,Richard

***Friends, I must be frank in my response because the position that you hold to personally and recommend as acceptable practice is a heresy! ******

First let address the comment of "millions of modern day catholics [please note the small “c” who for reasons of convenience, unbelief, ignorance, laziness or whatever choose to no longer avail themselves of God’s Sacrament of KNOWN FORGIVENESS. In fact slightly less than 10% of “professed catholics” to their GREAT spiritual loss, [perhaps damnation!?] advantage the sacrament of Confession, even once a year [a Catholics Easter Duty!]***

CCC # 1484 “Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession.” There are profound reasons for this. Christ is at work in each of the sacraments. He personally addresses every sinner: “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Personal confession is thus the form most expressive of reconciliation with God and with the Church.”

CCC # 1497 Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church.

CCC # 1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent’s confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case,*** for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their grave sins in the time required***. The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist."

In other words, your sins have not been forgiven! They still need to be confesses. One can pretend [including you’re priest who is GRAVE ERROR!,] but truth is TRUTH! We MUST personally confess our sins. PERIOD!

James 3:16 “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.”

**Haydocks Catholic Commentary: “Ver. 16. Confess, therefore, your sins, &c. Divers interpreters expound this of sacramental confession, though, as the authors of the annotations on the Rheims Testament observe, this is not certain. The words one to another, may signify that it is not enough to confess to God, but that we must also confess to men, and not to every man, but to those whom God appointed, and to whom he hath given the power of remitting sins in his name. **“

---

1 Jn. 5: 16 “If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God * will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin, which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but their is sin which is not mortal.” Thus if there is sin that is NOT Mortal, their that is Mortal, serious enough to send one to hell.***

****Jn. 20: 21”Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I 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, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” ****

HAYDOCKS: “Ver. 23. Whose sins you shall forgive,[2] &c. These words clearly express the power of forgiving sins, which, as God, he gave to his apostles, and to their successors, bishops and priests, to forgive sins in his name, as his ministers, and instruments, even though they are sinners themselves. For in this, they act not by their own power, nor in their own name, but in the name of God, who as the principal cause, always remitteth sins. Whose sins you shall retain, they are retained: by which we see, that to priests is given a power to be exercised, not only by forgiving, but also by retaining; not only by absolving and loosing, but also by binding, by refusing, or deferring absolution, according to the dispositions that are found in sinners, when they accuse themselves of their sins. From hence must needs follow an obligation on the sinner’s part, to declare, and confess their sins in particular, to the ministers of God, who are appointed the spiritual judges, and physicians of their souls”

Mt. 16:19 “I will give you [Peter and the priest and bishops of My Catholic Church] the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Get to Confession!

 

[Jean_Anthony]

aaa

 

[benedictgal]

It is good to look at what the 2000 Circular Letter on the Integrity of the Sacrament of Penance has to say in this regard:

1. The norms in force concerning the Sacrament of Penance are found in the Rite of Penance of the Roman Ritual and in the Code of Canon Law,3 and are based on divine law, the constant doctrine of the Church and her traditional practice. This Circular Letter recalls those very norms, and therefore, it does not constitute an innovation, nor a modification to the law in force. It does not revoke anything permitted by the dispositions of law in force concerning the Sacrament of Penance. Rather, it recalls those norms concerning the authentic discipline of the Sacrament of Penance which the Holy See, in the Rite of Penance, the Code of Canon Law and several discourses of the Holy Father has already repeatedly expressed. Therefore, it should be clearly stated that there may be no “graduality” in the application of the norm of law. The Congregation for Divine Worship itself has no faculty to deviate from the legislation in force; indeed, its responsibility is to safeguard and promote these norms and, additionally, to assist Bishops in the exercise of their pastoral ministry.

1. The divine constitution of the Sacrament of Penance requires each penitent to confess to a priest all mortal sins, as well as specifying moral circumstances that he remembers after a diligent examination of conscience.4 For this reason the Code of Canon Law states clearly that “individual and integral confession and absolution is the sole ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of mortal sin is reconciled with God and with the Church. Physical or moral impossibility alone excuses from such confession”.5 In specifiying this obligation, the Church has insistently reiterated that “all the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their mortal sins at least once a year”.6 "Energetic efforts are to be made to avoid any risk that this traditional practice of the Sacrament of Penance fall into disuse."7 Indeed, in this Jubilee Year Catholics are called in a particular way “to encounter anew the uniquely transforming experience that is individual, integral confession and absolution”.8 In accord with the law and practice of the Church, the faithful must orally confess their sins (auricular confession)9, except in cases of true physical or moral impossibility (e.g., extreme illness or physical condition inhibiting speech, speech impediment, etc.) This disposition would exclude communal celebrations of the sacrament in which penitents are invited to present a written list of sins to the priest confessor. It should be noted that such innovations also risk compromising the inviolable seal of sacramental confession.

1. In giving consideration to the authenitic discipline of the Church concerning “general absolution”, the recent interdicasterial meeting of the Roman Curia with a representation of Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Australia noted that:

. . . communal celebrations have not infrequently occasioned an illegitimate use of general absolution. This illegitimate use, like other abuses in the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, is to be eliminated.

The teaching of the Church is reflected in precise terms in the requirements of the Code of Canon Law (cf. esp. canons 959-964). In particular it is clear that “A sufficient necessity is not … considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage” (canon 961, § 1, 2°).

The bishops will exercise renewed vigilance on these matters for the future, aware that departures from the authentic tradition do great wrong to the Church and to individual Catholics.10

1. With respect to the administration of “general absolution”, the exclusive authority enjoyed by diocesan bishops to determine whether a grave necessity is truly present in a given case in their diocese 11 does not permit them "to change the required conditions, to substitute other conditions for those given, or to determine grave necessity according to their personal criteria however worthy."12 Indeed, the Diocesan Bishop makes "this judgment graviter onerata conscientia, and with full respect for the law and the practice of the Church."13

1. Local Ordinaries and priests, to the degree that it applies to them, have an obligation in conscience to ensure that penitents have regular and frequent scheduled opportunities for individual and integral confession of sins in all parish churches and insofar as possible in other pastoral centres.14 In addition, priests are called upon to be generous in making themselves available outside of those scheduled times to celebrate individual and integral confession whenever the faithful would reasonably ask for it.15 "Other works, for lack of time, may have to be postponed or even abandoned, but not the confessional."16

Quoting the Catechism is good; however, it is not a legislative document as the Circular Letter is, especially since this letter comes from the curial office, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disicipline of the Sacraments, that oversees these sacramental matters.

 

[puzzleannie]

Hello livi,

You are not alone. There are millions of modern day Catholics having the same problem, that’s why the church parking lot is usually empty on Saturdays. At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full. There seems to be a sense of safety when we confess our sins, one to another, and then the priest gets up at the end of the service and forgives everyone.

I would check around to see if a nearby parish offers Communal Confessions on Saturdays?

Suggested reading: James Chapter 5, Verse 16

I don’t know if I am reading it right, but there seems to be a hint of added healing in that Verse?

Richard

I would not suggest any such thing as it could not licitly be offered under the third form of the rite, which poster describes, except in extreme cases, war, civil emergency etc. Unless you can find a church that offers a communal penance service which includes INDIVIDUAL confession of all mortal sins to a priest and individual absolution, which is the 2nd form of the rite, keep trying to find a church that offers confession at a time convenient for you.

Check out local shrines or pilgrimage sites or monasteries in your town which often have extended hours, or take the easy way out and make an appointment for confession with any priest in town. making an appointment will also put you more at ease and give you time to explain anything that may be behind your nervousness, and eliminates the “waiting in line” type of stress

 

[Nick_in_MB]

Unless you can find a church that offers a communal penance service which includes INDIVIDUAL confession of all mortal sins to a priest and individual absolution, which is the 2nd form of the rite, keep trying to find a church that offers confession at a time convenient for you.

That’s our communal penance service. Usually a reading or some preaching, then individual confessions with about 8 priests from the area spread all throughout the church.
How would you confess your sins otherwise?

At a parish that I belonged to during late the late 1970’s we had communal Confessions, and the parking lot was usually full. There seems to be a sense of safety when we confess our sins, one to another, and then the priest gets up at the end of the service and forgives everyone.

So it’s just confessing to your neighbor, the same way you shake their hand during the sign of peace? And the priest give absolution once everybody is done confessing to their neighbor?
That just seems too easy.

 

[Phemie]

That’s our communal penance service. Usually a reading or some preaching, then individual confessions with about 8 priests from the area spread all throughout the church.
How would you confess your sins otherwise?

So it’s just confessing to your neighbor, the same way you shake their hand during the sign of peace? And the priest give absolution once everybody is done confessing to their neighbor?
That just seems too easy.

It wasn’t really ‘confessing to your neighbor’. In fact, it wasn’t confessing at all. It was the form 2 you’re familiar with, followed by general absolution.

I can honestly say that for about 10 years (most of the 90s until Easter 2001)) that was the main way Reconciliation was celebrated in parishes I was in and the ONLY way in one parish. People were so used to that that now that it’s back to form 2 (communal celebration with individual confession) most people don’t even bother coming to the celebration and of the ~25 that do show up (in a parish of 1500) for the celebration, less than 25% stay for private confession. I know, I know, we’re not supposed to notice such things but when the church empties within 2 minutes and you’re left with only 3 or 4 other people it’s hard not to.

I’m sorry to say, but when for years you’ve heard, in homily after homily, “God loves you and forgives you no matter what you do” without ever hearing “but you need to repent and confess your sins” you can’t blame the people for thinking Confession is outdated and unnecessary. That is compounded by pastors who refuse to sit in the confessional before Mass “because nobody comes.”