When did going to confession once a year become a rule?

[jmannarino]

Hello,
I fully agree with the Church’s teaching that confession is a valid sacrament and important for our life of faith. What I don’t quite understand is why in the 4th Lateran Council, the Church made it a once a year requirement.

The Catechism teaches us that Jesus alone forgives sins. And that he chose to bestow this gift upon the ministers of his Church (priests, bishops, etc.). But nowhere can I find an explanation of why it became a “requirement”. Something that is good and needed is great. But something that must be done once a year seems to me a legalistic requirement.

As I am leaning more about my faith I am understanding that often, a teaching that is declared in the cannons is really something that was already the custom for many years and even centuries before. What I am not understanding is where in history it become something that was required of Christians (the Fathers? Bishops after the Fathers?) and why it would be a “requirement” vs. an opportunity to experience grace that Christians were simply encouraged and exhorted to experience. And where did the teaching that Mortal sins can ONLY be forgiven through confession vs. through prayer directly to Jesus come about and why?

I ask you to please answer the question and not try to convince me that Confession is a valid sacrament. I already believe that. I just want to understand when it became a rule and WHY.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

James

 

[Jon_S_1]

I believe the answer is that the church wants to ensure the faithful remain in a state of grace by frequenting the confessional.

By saying you must go at least once a year they are aiding the faithful in examining their conscience at least once a year. Especially since this is a sacrament people avoid.

I’d argue that no one can go a year without committing a mortal sin, and we should follow the examples of many popes and saints who went to frequent confessions. Pope Benedict was known to go to weekly confession.

 

[Neofight]

I believe the once a year requirement ties us to the Jewish roots of our faith…it seems to be nicely in line with the Jewish “day of atonement” in which the priest acted on behalf of the community annual to seek atonement for their sinfulness…so now, we do the same.

 

[paperwight66]

And to clarify : it is not a blanket requirement for everyone.

Confession once a year is the rule for those conscious of having committed mortal sin (see Canon Law 989).

Confession of venial sins is highly recommended but is not mandatory.

 

[marty1818]

Probably the same time that the precept for receiving the Eucharist once a year(during Easter unless there is a just cause to receive at another time in the year). If you are required to receive Communion once a year, it only makes sense that at the bare minimum you would have to confess your grave sins once a year. We are never to receive the Eucharist in a state of grave sin.

 

[PJM]

=jmannarino;11567107]Hello,
I fully agree with the Church’s teaching that confession is a valid sacrament and important for our life of faith. What I don’t quite understand is why in the 4th Lateran Council, the Church made it a once a year requirement.

The Catechism teaches us that Jesus alone forgives sins. And that he chose to bestow this gift upon the ministers of his Church (priests, bishops, etc.). But nowhere can I find an explanation of why it became a “requirement”. Something that is good and needed is great. But something that must be done once a year seems to me a legalistic requirement.

As I am leaning more about my faith I am understanding that often, a teaching that is declared in the cannons is really something that was already the custom for many years and even centuries before. What I am not understanding is where in history it become something that was required of Christians (the Fathers? Bishops after the Fathers?) and why it would be a “requirement” vs. an opportunity to experience grace that Christians were simply encouraged and exhorted to experience. And where did the teaching that Mortal sins can ONLY be forgiven through confession vs. through prayer directly to Jesus come about and why?

I ask you to please answer the question and not try to convince me that Confession is a valid sacrament. I already believe that. I just want to understand when it became a rule and WHY.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

James

The Rule first off is within the Power and authority granted by Christ.

Mt. 16:18-19 in HANDING ALL of the key’s necessary to Peter [and his successors in Mk 16:14-15; and Mt. 28:18-20 …cf. NOW to the entire WORLD] it is necessary to understand that the Power granted the papacy through “binding and loosening” were at that time common terms; even binding at Jewish Law for unlimited, and unimpeded POWERS of Governance of “walled in cities” as WAS Jerusalem at that time.

KINGS of such cites would normally choose and appoint a “governor” .who had total and independent UNLIMITED authority of Governance and answered ONLY to the King.

One can surmise that because ONLY MORTAL SINS MUST absolutely be confessed in Sacramental Confession to be forgiven; that there were some [many?] who were walking close with God and NOT committing ANY Mortal sins. Thus they they had had NO GRAVE obligation to Confess; WHICH IS ALWAYS A SOURCE OF GOD’S GRACE.

The Fathers saw this as a possible weakening of "the Faith [SINGULAR], and wisely, inspired by the HS mandated annual Confession.

Sacramental Confession is good for the Soul and a Source of God’s Grace. Go
often!

God Bless you,
Patrick [PJM]

 

[bben15]

Many have answered why the Church declared Communion and Confession once a year, so I won’t answer that.

But, as to your question of “when,” Confession and Communion at least once-a-year was declared in the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215. So, it’s been the rule for 800 years.

Source: Canon 21 of the Fourth Council of the Lateran fordham.edu/halsall/basis/lateran4.asp

 

[sebastian1213]

I believe the answer is that the church wants to ensure the faithful remain in a state of grace by frequenting the confessional.

By saying you must go at least once a year they are aiding the faithful in examining their conscience at least once a year. Especially since this is a sacrament people avoid.

I’d argue that no one can go a year without committing a mortal sin, and we should follow the examples of many popes and saints who went to frequent confessions. Pope Benedict was known to go to weekly confession.

I would say that it IS possible, if a peron perseveres in their attempt to remain in a state of grace. If we stay close to both Christ and His Most Holy Mother, it is posssible.Along with the temptation is the grace to overcome it. I have heard it said that St. Therese never committed a mortal sin. I am not certain of that, but if so, it would give creedence to the possibility.

 

[sebastian1213]

And to clarify : it is not a blanket requirement for everyone.

Confession once a year is the rule for those conscious of having committed mortal sin (see Canon Law 989).

Confession of venial sins is highly recommended but is not mandatory.

I have even read of making "devotional’ confessions, and that is to say not even so much the confesing of sin but the acknowledgement of the propensity to commit sin. I, myself, have made a great many of these . I had a confessor in the 1980’s who told me that he received the Sacrament everyday while in the Seminary.

 

[GangGreen]

Once a year is not enough anyway. We should at go AT LEAST whenever we commit a mortal sin. Any sacrament is a source of great grace. There are only three of them that we can receive more than once (and one of those is not one that we want particularly often ).

 

[Veridical16]

**Once a year is not enough anyway. ** Any sacrament is a source of great grace. There are only three of them that we can receive more than once

Pope John Paul II went every week. So did Mother Teresa.

Knowing that good example, then once a year is as lax as fasting a mere hour before receiving the Eucharist.

The whole world would become a much brighter place if more Catholics followed the example of going every week (or at the least every month).

I guess it depends on one’s state in life as a Catholic, given our modern world, I am perplexed why one would not look forward to the sacrament of confession. It’s no different than keeping oneself from spiritually rotting. If one makes a perfect act of contrition, then it is like receiving another baptism over and over.
Also if Catholics understood that our purpose in life is holiness as Jesus called universally, one would realize if one perseveres, with frequent confession, one becomes holier than when they came in…

We should at go AT LEAST whenever we commit a mortal sin.

One is capable of eliminating Mortal sin from their lives entirely through grace alone, so one needn’t an expectation to use the Confessional for when he mortal sins only.

Our Lady asked us to go for the first five Saturdays, so that’s at LEAST five times a year, then we have the 9 first fridays devotion to Jesus’ Sacred Heart, so I think the One Year thing is just the bare mininum of the Holy Mother Church showing her efforts to point the way that we* all have the means when desiring to be saved by Christ*, to ensure we do end up in Heaven.

It means that we Catholics really have no excuse if we find ourselves condemned on judgment day or through mercy many ignorant ones are placed in purgatory.

 

[Secant]

Quote from Veridical: " given our modern world, I am perplexed why one would not look forward to the sacrament of confession. It’s no different than keeping oneself from spiritually rotting. If one makes a perfect act of contrition, then it is like receiving another baptism over and over."

The reason many fear going to confession (at least in my diocese) is that there are a number of priests who use the chance to lecture you in a loud voice (easily heard outside the Confessional for those parishes rich enough to have one) for ten minutes or more about the sins they suppose you have committed, never allowing you to actually confess, and then ‘absolving’ you and sending you on your merry way, usually in tears due to the sternness and unforgiving nature of the lectures. It is a small diocese with rarely more than one priest per parish or one parish per location (30-60 miles apart and most priests are the sole pastor at two locations at least, but as many as five) so avoiding those priests to give an honest confession is difficult and the Bishop can’t/won’t do much to help, likely due to the immense shortage of priests.

I was a young teen when I first encountered a priest like this and after being accused of alcohol abuse, sex, and drugs when all I really wanted to confess was not honoring my parents and gossiping (I still remember that day like no other), I could not bring myself to walk back into a confessional for a long time, skipping the Eucharist except for Easter, after the one time I forced myself to undergo that humiliation again.

Many of the people that I know use the once a year principle to force ourselves into the confessional no matter how horrific confessing may be. Thus, at least one explanation for why we are required to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year may be to help stiffen our spines for a necessary, but truly terrifying experience that bestows God’s Grace upon us.

 

[Seamus_L]

Going to confession is required every time you commit a mortal sin.

 

[PJM]

Seamus L;11581681]Going to confession is required every time you commit a mortal sin.

TRUE,

This is The MINIMUM!

Go OFTEN= GET Grace!

 

[Veridical16]

The reason many fear going to confession (at least in my diocese) is that there are a number of priests who use the chance to lecture you in a loud voice (easily heard outside the Confessional for those parishes rich enough to have one) for ten minutes or more about the sins they suppose you have committed, never allowing you to actually confess, and then ‘absolving’ you and sending you on your merry way, usually in tears due to the sternness and unforgiving nature of the lectures. It is a small diocese with rarely more than one priest per parish or one parish per location (30-60 miles apart and most priests are the sole pastor at two locations at least, but as many as five) so avoiding those priests to give an honest confession is difficult and the Bishop can’t/won’t do much to help, likely due to the immense shortage of priests.

I was a young teen when I first encountered a priest like this and after being accused of alcohol abuse, sex, and drugs when all I really wanted to confess was not honoring my parents and gossiping (I still remember that day like no other), I could not bring myself to walk back into a confessional for a long time, skipping the Eucharist except for Easter, after the one time I forced myself to undergo that humiliation again.

Many of the people that I know use the once a year principle to force ourselves into the confessional no matter how horrific confessing may be. Thus, at least one explanation for why we are required to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year may be to help stiffen our spines for a necessary, but truly terrifying experience that bestows God’s Grace upon us.

Some priests are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and some do not even have the faith and may project their own vices, and if they act in persona Christi in a way that chases people away thinking the sacrament of Mercy is one to fear. Unless those priests heed the prayers that ought to be said for them by the laity, they probably will have much to answer for…

Matthew 18:21-35 Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18:21-35

 

[Genesis315]

The requirement for yearly confession was instituted by the Fourth Lateran Council, an ecumenical Council that took place in 1215. It also mandated reception of Holy Communion at least once per year.

The purpose was that many people were not receiving the sacraments and the Church wanted to make sure people received them at least once in a while, because they are so good for us.

This isn’t legalism–the requirement wasn’t just to make any confession (fake, formalistic, bad, etc.)–that would be legalistic. The requirement was for the faithful to “confess all their sins in a faithful manner.”

This is what good shepherds do. They make sure the sheep are grazing on the good grass; in this case, the sacraments.

 

[PJM]

=Veridical16;11582370]Some priests are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and some do not even have the faith and may project their own vices, and if they act in persona Christi in a way that chases people away thinking the sacrament of Mercy is one to fear. Unless those priests heed the prayers that ought to be said for them by the laity, they probably will have much to answer for…

Matthew 18:21-35 Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18:21-35

As a lifelong Catholic [69], and one who relocated frequently for work transfers I have never encountered this kind of behavior. I suspect it is EXTREMELY RARE

 

[GangGreen]

The requirement for yearly confession was instituted by the Fourth Lateran Council, an ecumenical Council that took place in 1215. It also mandated reception of Holy Communion at least once per year.

The purpose was that many people were not receiving the sacraments and the Church wanted to make sure people received them at least once in a while, because they are so good for us.

This isn’t legalism–the requirement wasn’t just to make any confession (fake, formalistic, bad, etc.)–that would be legalistic. The requirement was for the faithful to “confess all their sins in a faithful manner.”

This is what good shepherds do. They make sure the sheep are grazing on the good grass; in this case, the sacraments.

and in that way it was more meant for those who went to church, but never/rarely received the Eucharist or went to Confession. Instead today we have a phenomenon where people go to church, but always receive the Eucharist but never/rarely go to Confession.

Neither are really correct, but the second is much worse.