Why no one goes to confession anymore?

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dizzy_dave

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Why is it that when i go to confession i’m usually one of the only ones there? usually 3-20 people usually about 5 -8 people, is everyone sin free? i can’t figure that out, yet nearly everyone goes up for communion, that’s very odd. I’m glad to see so many “good” catholics. please go to confession, it’s a sacrament christ died to give us!
 
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dizzy_dave:
Why is it that when i go to confession i’m usually one of the only ones there? usually 3-20 people usually about 5 -8 people, is everyone sin free? i can’t figure that out, yet nearly everyone goes up for communion, that’s very odd. I’m glad to see so many “good” catholics. please go to confession, it’s a sacrament christ died to give us!
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I have given this problem a little thought, and have voiced my opinions in another thread…However, I will be happy to repeat myself!

**I think no one goes because no one is encouraged to go! You never hear about confession from the pulpit, and the time given to it is so short that it appears to be unimportant. **

**For instance…My parish has about three thousand familes…Confession is available for one half-hour every Saturday before Mass. No wonder people think it is not important.😦 **
 
If you figure out the answer, please share!

Seriously, though, certainly some parishoners may go by appointment, some may choose a different parish because they don’t want the priest to recognize them. Some may not commit mortal sins, and their yearly obligation suffices.

Most, though, probably figure that the confetior at the beginning of Mass covers them, or they don’t worry about it at all.

Such a pity – as I’ve posted here ad nauseum, About four years ago I rediscovered the power and beauty of Confession, and what it has done in my life is amazing and most wonderful.

God is good!

'thann
 
I am convinced of two things:
  1. People do not believe in sin.
  2. People find confession unpleasant so they create excuses for not going: e.g., Why should I confess to someone whose likely sins are worse than mine? (this was popular in the wake of the scandal outbreak). At least I come to Church; what more do they want?
A woman said to me a couple of years ago: Well, since Vatican II, we don’t have sin anymore, do we?

Since this was about 3 months after the scandals broke, I said, “What would you call what’s been going on in the Church for the past 30 years?”
I’m glad you have experienced he profound grace of this AMAZING sacrament. Peace be with you.
 
Since we are not to assume ill of others without proper knowledge, perhaps we should think generously that they are going at a different time? Our parish offers confession before every Mass on the weekends, but also after daily Mass, as well as by appointment. I would assume everyone else is wondering where our family is if we go at a time different than them. (which we usually do by appointment since it easier to take our whole family that way.)

Truly, the one thing I have begun to realize as I read and reply to some of the posts, is that the anonymity seems to draw people, myself included, into making rather disparing remarks about the characters of others. This week a group I am with was spiritually directed that this really is a sin against charity. Perhaps the question could be rephrased to ask why people don’t partake of frequent confession.

After contemplating the spiritual direction and today’s homily on being prepared by tempering all actions in charity and love, I found it humorous that a post on confession lacks that component. 😉

I hope I am not offending you and that you will take this very lightly. I just wonder now when it is appropriate to share thoughts this way without tempered speech. Any thoughts?
 
I assume that everyone going to communion is in a state of grace, having committed only venial sins (if they sinned at all) which were absolved through the Confetior. Since I am not their priest, it is none of my business. I actually had someone come up to me after I had been working in the parish for a couple of years and ask me, in a suspicious tone, why they never see me at confession and never see me put an envelope in the collection. I mumbled something about confessing to my spiritual director and giving my contribution directly to the bookkeeper, but I wish I could have thought of snappy rejoinder. I should have told her my sins are so serious they can be absolved by the Vatican alone, so I have to take the supersaver to Rome every month, and my donation is deducted directly from my paycheck.

I have also been corrected on numberous occasions for not genuflecting since my knee surgery. I have taken pains to explain to the CCD children why they must genuflect, even though old, fat people like me may not be able to. They fortunately are much more charitable than their elders.
 
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CD4:
I have given this problem a little thought, and have voiced my opinions in another thread…However, I will be happy to repeat myself!

**I think no one goes because no one is encouraged to go! You never hear about confession from the pulpit, and the time given to it is so short that it appears to be unimportant. **

**For instance…My parish has about three thousand familes…Confession is available for one half-hour every Saturday before Mass. No wonder people think it is not important.😦 **
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That’s exactly how my parish is. I honestly feel this way also. Over the summer I would find myself traveling to the parishes that were pretty close to go to confession. I love Marytown!

I truly feel confession needs to be encouraged not only for forgiveness but for grace. I try to go every two weeks.

This may seem frequent to some people, but Pope JP II goes everyday.
 
My thoughts on my confession:

Our priest once remarked on confession at bible study. He said he was so bored listening to confession that he would doze off. So he would always remember the first sin told and talk on that. I found myself putting first the “worst” sin or the one I wanted to discuss, and every time that is what he talked about. Then I got parinoid that I wa controlling the confession process instead of being there to confess, receive absolution and consuling from JESUS. Now I am trying to find another parish for confession. That is hard as our priest does the 3 parishes that surround me.

Also the time frame is wrong. He holds confession for 20 minutes on Saturday afternoon for all three parishes.

Kelly
 
LOL, I wonder how many priests get totally bored with confession. The only people who seem to go are the most religious ones, who have boring sins!
 
Well the priests never look bored when I confess, but maybe that’s because I like to do it face to face(Helps me with the sin of pride). If I was looking them straight in the face and they appeared bored it there would be issues.
 
Our priest insists on face to face. Then he puts his head on his hands and turns away a little.

I know that I would not like to listen to confessions, I would either be bored out of my head or drift off into dreamland myself. But my concern was that I was “controlling” the confession after he said that.

Pray I find another parish that has confession when I am not working.

Kelly
 
I know of at least three parishes in southern California where you better start standing in line 1/2 hour - 45 min. before scheduled confession time. The lines sometimes cover two walls leading up to the confessional.

But then I know of another parish which in the 1-hour time period for confession no more than 15-20 people would dribble in.

I know, also, of a parish which has confession time every Wednesday’s and Saturday’s evening and there are plently people standing in line. At this same parish I have seen people go to confession in the morning before daily Mass starts.

Theodora
 
Kelly,

That is kind of distressing. I know that when I find a good priest for confession I stick with him. Once I was saying my sins during confession and the priest interupted me and said how about saying all the sins I have forgotten. He must have been sick of me confessing so many venial sins that he couldn’t give me more time. I understand what you are going through. Hopefully you can find a good priest. I will keep your search in my prayers.
 
Anyways, to answer family of 8, it obviously doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that not too many Catholics are taking advantage of confession. We might not be able to point any fingers at specific people, but if everyone is going to a different parish, then how come they all have short lines??? :confused:

I used to go once or twice a year. I was pretty lukewarm, but actually went more than most folks. One guy, who is an extrodinary eucharistic minister said that he hasn’t been in years. I guess folks figure that if they haven’t committed an official mortal sin, then why bother. :rolleyes:

Anyways, I got more devout and started going more often. It’s really helped me make progress. I guess a lot of people haven’t realized how helpful it is. Nowadays, also, people are subject to relativism, and like to rationalize everything by blaming their parents, their biochemistry, the government, their bad education, etc… They just don’t feel personally culpable anymore. They kill someone and will blame it on eating to much sugar! No one feels guilt or shame.
 
Dear Kelly,
according to one of the priests who posts here, a priest has to always offer behind the screen. Face to face is optional for him, but behind the screen in mandatory.
 
I am in MN and usually confession is not brought up very much.

I worked at one time in a nursing home and being Catholic was given the opportunity to go to mass with the residents on Tuesday mornings. I was feeling kind off weird because you just sat in a chair and it wasn’t in our church, etc.

One day we got a new Catholic resident in. She insisted on going to Mass. First she asked the priest to forgive those of us who couldn’t kneel. I and others got on our knees on the hard floor. Then when it came time to read, she insisted that I and others do the readings. She insisted on singing a opening and closing hymn and finally, when Father came around the wheelchairs with the Body of Christ, she stopped him and asked for a blessing as she hadn’t been to confession in a while.
What an eye opener and what a Christian.

Father remarked later that most Catholics don’t care about confession. I think it is most Catholics are not informed about this sacrament and it is not brought up enough.

I am off to bed.

God bless you.

Kelly
 
hi dizzy-dave,
I know what you mean…with the exception of Holy days ( thats when the lines are long) I rarely see more than 2-3 people. Once I walked into a chruch for confession, it was dark and nobody was there, I looked at my watch and thought I may be too early or too late, I got back in my car and drove around the block, saw someone else walk in and then I realized there was confession with very few souls that showed up:confused:…since I came back to the church about 3 months ago I always pray to the Lord that he will give me the incouragement to attend confession on a regular basis.
 
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dizzy_dave:
Why is it that when i go to confession i’m usually one of the only ones there?..is everyone sin free?..nearly everyone goes up for communion, that’s very odd…
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I actually went to confession this past weekend----same thing: only three people went.

I think you are required to go to confession at least once a year if you have committed a serious sin.

Maybe most people think they do not have a serious sin on their souls? That can be dangerous. I went to confession to confess a particular sin, and while I was reflecting on my sinful life, I came up with some examples that were worse than the initial reason I decided to go to confession in the first place.
 
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familyof8:
After contemplating the spiritual direction and today’s homily on being prepared by tempering all actions in charity and love, I found it humorous that a post on confession lacks that component. 😉
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I presume this applies to my post. Point taken. However, the excuses I cited are, in fact, excuses I have heard, so if they seem disagreeable or unkind, they are at least not imaginary.

Another discouragement: priests who schedule an hour for confession once a week but disappear from the confessional if nobody shows up in the first five minutes.

In parishes with liberal hours for hearing confession, there are plenty of “customers.”
 
I can speak for myself: I don’t go nearly as often as I should. I used to be just plain lazy about it (and a lot of other things regarding the faith), which is a big sin in & of itself. Kind of strange, because I was raised to go once a month, and when I was in school that’s exactly where the good sisters took us every month. Like so many people, I let things get in the way. However, now that I’m working at a Catholic university I have no shortage of opportunities: they have confession once a week and it’s also readily available by appointment. I can’t help thinking that my parish priest is wondering where I am…

However, I also agree with the consensus here that many people simply feel that they don’t need this sacrament, that they resent confessing their sins to another human being, the same old stuff. We Americans are notoriously individualistic, and it often leads to arrogance. Compound that with the fact that many people over-complicate their lives with work, after-school activity, etc. & it’s easy to see how they can avoid the confessional. In any event, as I said before, I can only speak to my own situation and admit that I let things get in the way of doing what I should. It’s a little too easy to find excuses.
 
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