Why the emphasis on Confession/Sacrament of Reconcilliation only at Christmas and Easter?

[CatholicMedic]

Here we are in Advent season again and my Diocese will be hosting a plethora of “Penance Services” at the different parishes. I don’t have a problem with this. The same happens during Lent before Easter.

What I do have a problem with is the emphasis on this sacrament only twice a year. Throughout the year I will hear clergy lament that “Catholics don’t go to confession anymore.” I’ll admit the laity has gotten indifferent toward sin in general and the sacrament in particular. But to be honest, the Church is not help either.

Confession tends to be offered for an hour in the middle of Saturday afternoon only. Or as my bulletin says “by appointment” which is almost a joke in my parish. My Pastor is so busy that the only time you can receive Confession “by appointment” is if you also receiving last rites.

Really, why can’t Confession be offered more often? Perhaps, offer it early in the morning on a weekday (or multiple weekdays) before people go to work? Or how about offering it in the evenings? I think that offering it at more convenient times will encourage more people to participate. Also, by offering it frequently the Church will send a message that it thinks it is still very important.

Daily Communion is available, why not daily confession?

Borrowing a phrase from a famous movie; "If you offer it, they will come.”

 

[DOShea]

I recently had opportunity to ask this very question of two local Pastors, neither one my own. Both of them disagree with the idea that more will show up, in fact cited me instances of when they did ofter it more often and they’d sit around for 90 minutes without anyone coming by when they had plenty of other tasks they could be doing. That one was available on Thursday afternoons.

I am with you, though, and wish they would offer it more often. One reason I think there is not a big clamor for it is because there is less emphasis today on losing salvation and the penalty involved. More and more it seems like I run into those who’d just as soon carry one big sack full of sins to biannual confession when they have to be at the church anyway.

 

[chessmane4e5]

My parish priests (I know, I have 2 so I am very lucky) do offer daily confession, but it is also by appointment. They have scheduled confession every Wednesday and Saturday, but obviously each parish will differ on the times they offer it. It is unfortunate if the time they offer confession does not fit your schedule, maybe you can talk with your priest about offering a morning confession once a week.

At my old parish, the turn out was amazing (and sad) at the penance services offered before Easter and Christmas. I think the Catholic Churches in America (not sure if this practice is done elsewhere) do this in an attempt to get people to receive this important sacrament before these 2 holy days. Not to say that each time we receive communion is not holy, because it is, but these days are set a part.

I agree though, we have daily communion, we should have daily confession Pope John Paul II went to confession daily (and maybe more than that).

 

[Phemie]

I recently had opportunity to ask this very question of two local Pastors, neither one my own. Both of them disagree with the idea that more will show up, in fact cited me instances of when they did ofter it more often and they’d sit around for 90 minutes without anyone coming by when they had plenty of other tasks they could be doing. That one was available on Thursday afternoons.

I am with you, though, and wish they would offer it more often. One reason I think there is not a big clamor for it is because there is less emphasis today on losing salvation and the penalty involved. More and more it seems like I run into those who’d just as soon carry one big sack full of sins to biannual confession when they have to be at the church anyway.

When I came to this parish Confessions were heard for 30 minutes before Sunday Masses (both actual and anticipated) ending 15 minutes before Mass so that Fr. could vest and greet his parishioners.

In 2004 we got a pastor who decided that since ‘no one comes’ he wouldn’t bother being in the reconciliation room for those 30 minutes. “If they want to go to confession they can ask me.” All well and good but he didn’t even show up until 15 minutes before Mass and at that point people didn’t want to bother him because he was in conversation with the people coming in. Plus, nobody wants to have to go get the priest by the hand, they want to slip in, confess and leave.

Unfortunately, the present pastor has maintained the same practice. I’ve been known to accost him while I’m at work and saying “Er, Fr., if you’ve got a minute can you hear my confession?” I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything more uncomfortable than confessing to my boss, though. At least he hasn’t suggested docking my pay for the time I’m in the reconciliation room.

 

[CatholicMedic]

Both of them disagree with the idea that more will show up, in fact cited me instances of when they did ofter it more often and they’d sit around for 90 minutes without anyone coming by when they had plenty of other tasks they could be doing

My first question might have been what “tasks” did they think would be more important than administration of the sacraments…especially Confession.

Also changing peoples habits will take time. If they start with more times, it will take time for the people to adapt. It is not fair to just start a weeknight time for one or two weeks and then just quit.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

If nobody comes, perhaps it is because nobody is preaching about the importance of confession.

Our parish has scheduled confessions before every weekday Mass (early morning and noontime Monday through Friday), before the Saturday morning Mass, and the “traditional” Saturday afternoon time. That’s twelve scheduled times per week. I can’t remember a day when nobody took advantage of these opportunities, and often there are several people waiting in line. And our pastor always keeps his purple stole right on his desk in his office, front and center in plain view. This tells me that he is always open to hearing a confession when someone requests it.

Another local church has an elderly pastor emeritus who is in the confessional every day. He faithfully sits there every day for a half hour before each Mass with his breviary in hand (he is certainly not wasting time if nobody comes). It is so good to know there are priests who care so much for the souls of the people in their charge.

If your priest thinks confession is valuable, it will rub off on his parishioners by his preaching and his availability.

 

[Dancelittleewok]

I agree though, we have daily communion, we should have daily confession Pope John Paul II went to confession daily (and maybe more than that).

It should be noted that Confession is needed when we are in a state of mortal sin, not because we are receiving Holy Communion. Going to Confession, weekly or daily when not in a state of mortal sin, is for a devotional part to confess our venial sins and faults. Again, you don’t need to go to Confession (unless you are in a state of mortal sin) to receive Holy Communion.

Yes, I agree. I wish Confession was offered more often. At my parish, there’s only one priest (we have two but they alternate) and Confession is set for an hour on Saturday before the Sunday vigil mass. Sometimes there’s a line and it’s not possible to see the priest that day. In the past, we had both priest do Confession but our new associate does a “split shift” as he calls it between our parish and another one.

Anyway, more Confession for all!

 

[Phemie]

If nobody comes, perhaps it is because nobody is preaching about the importance of confession.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the crux of the matter.

If all you hear during the homily is that “God loves you no matter what” without the “but you must repent and confess” because none of us is perfect and we all sin, then you start to feel that there is no longer anything that is sinful and you don’t need this ‘old fashioned’ visit to the box.

 

[jpjd]

Or as my bulletin says “by appointment” which is almost a joke in my parish. My Pastor is so busy that the only time you can receive Confession “by appointment” is if you also receiving last rites.

No doubt, priests are busy. But that sounds like hyperbole to say that you can’t receive an appt unless you are receiving last rites. Think about it…most confessions only take a few minutes. A priest can fit a confession into his schedule if the person is flexible in his/her availability.

Really, why can’t Confession be offered more often?

Didn’t you say “My Pastor is so busy that the only time you can receive Confession “by appointment” is if you also receiving last rites”? And yet he would have the time to offer more confession times?

Perhaps, offer it early in the morning on a weekday (or multiple weekdays) before people go to work?

This would be before morning Mass. I can see that a priest would be reluctant to get up even earlier in the morning to sit in the confessional for a half hour for penitents who may or may not come. Speaking for myself, I would not avail myself of confession early in the morning. I could more easily arrange my schedule to accomodate the Saturday confession times. I have been known to leave weeding, housework, paying bills, etc on a Saturday afternoon to go to confession, then return to resume my activities. I can be there and back in about 1/2 hour.

Or how about offering it in the evenings?

Most priests I know have meetings in the evening. (parish council, Knights of Columbus, stewardship, finance council, etc.)

I think the Saturday confession and by appt is a good system. It offers regularity and flexibility. It behooves us to likewise be flexible and take advantage of it.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Yes, regular emphasis should be on the sacrament of confession. However, large scale attempts can really only be done a few times a year or else people will tune it out. We’re able to mobilize large confession services because they only happen a few times a year. If they happened every 2 months or so then people would tune it out and simply wouldn’t go or feel the call as strongly since they could just put it off 'till the next one (and then the next one and so on).

When it comes to daily confessional times, that would vary from parish to parish. To sit in a box for an hour or more every day and have no one come in is not as easy as it sounds. And we need to remember that priests are only human, there’s only so much you can pack into their day on a regular basis.

Its understandable that sacraments are to be the priests primary focus, but its not their only focus. They also are responsible legally, canonically, and morally for the finances of the parish, the running of a school, and whatever other diocesan responsibilities the bishop has entrusted to them. Those are also things that take up their time, energy, and mental focus. We can’t simply pack a diocesan priest’s schedule from 5am to 9pm with running from task to task. If we do that then they won’t be running from task to task, they’ll be run right into the ground.

Now, that being said, I agree as a whole priests should preach about sin and the sacrament of confession more. However that still doesn’t guarantee any more will come…

 

[marci]

There is a church downtown that has daily confession before the noon day mass. It’s not my regular parish, but I often go there for confession and Holy Days. Because it’s downtown it’s usually filled with business people who come on their lunch break. It’s a short service, usually over by 12:30. Everytime I have been there is always a line and Father usually doesn’t get to everyone, however he always offers to hear Confessions after mass if you didn’t get to go before.

I agree with the PPs. The need for regular Confession is not something that is emphasized today in most parishes. My mother said that when she was young, they went weekly.

 

[1ke]

There is an emphasis on Penance before Christmas and Easter because Advent and Lent are penitential seasons in the Church year. That’s their purpose. So, of course there is an emphasis on penance and the Sacrament of Confession.

That doesn’t mean that Confession is not important at other times of the year, but rather that during these particular liturgical seasons we focus and reflect on this aspect of our relationship with God.

 

[CatholicMedic]

Confession tends to be offered for an hour in the middle of Saturday afternoon only. Or as my bulletin says “by appointment” which is almost a joke in my parish. My Pastor is so busy that the only time you can receive Confession “by appointment” is if you also receiving last rites.

Okay I will “confess” that I was a little over the top with this one. But I did try to make an appointment once and got absolutely no response.

A lot of the other adminisitrative tasks in a parish can and should be handled by the laity who report to the Pastor.

But lets do some math here.

My parish has 4 Masses on each Sunday
4 x 1 hour = 4hours
and daily Mass
5 x 1/2 hour = 2.5 hours

That is 6.5 hours per week set aside for Mass and thus offering the Eucharist but only 1 hour is set aside for Confession.

This seems a little out of proportion to me.

 

[JimG]

My parish has confessions 30 minutes before each weekday afternoon Mass and for an hour on Saturdays. There is usually a line.

 

[Phemie]

My parish has confessions 30 minutes before each weekday afternoon Mass and for an hour on Saturdays. There is usually a line.

The last time I saw a line up for confession was when a travelling priest, who was here waiting to catch a flight, volunteered to hear confessions for our Penitential Service. The only reason for the line-up was that no one wanted to go to our pastor so everyone lined up for the visitor. I ended up confessing to the pastor because I felt sorry for him.

 

[Don9of11]

Here we are in Advent season again and my Diocese will be hosting a plethora of “Penance Services” at the different parishes. I don’t have a problem with this. The same happens during Lent before Easter.

What I do have a problem with is the emphasis on this sacrament only twice a year. Throughout the year I will hear clergy lament that “Catholics don’t go to confession anymore.” I’ll admit the laity has gotten indifferent toward sin in general and the sacrament in particular. But to be honest, the Church is not help either.

Confession tends to be offered for an hour in the middle of Saturday afternoon only. Or as my bulletin says “by appointment” which is almost a joke in my parish. My Pastor is so busy that the only time you can receive Confession “by appointment” is if you also receiving last rites.

Really, why can’t Confession be offered more often? Perhaps, offer it early in the morning on a weekday (or multiple weekdays) before people go to work? Or how about offering it in the evenings? I think that offering it at more convenient times will encourage more people to participate. Also, by offering it frequently the Church will send a message that it thinks it is still very important.

Daily Communion is available, why not daily confession?

Borrowing a phrase from a famous movie; "If you offer it, they will come.”

My observation for this attention to confession during Advent and later during Lent, is because some/most Catholics only go to church twice a year. My church offers confessions before each evening mass (M-W-F), and on weekends or by appointment. It won’t make any difference to most if confession is offered more often, because they don’t want to change. You go to confession because you want to change from your evil ways and to be in full communion with the Church. Change comes from with in and the desire to change is the power of the Holy Spirit working with in you. I often think the church should offer a two-for-one sale on confession, or tell one and get two free…lol

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Here we are in Advent season again and my Diocese will be hosting a plethora of “Penance Services” at the different parishes. I don’t have a problem with this. The same happens during Lent before Easter.

What I do have a problem with is the emphasis on this sacrament only twice a year. Throughout the year I will hear clergy lament that “Catholics don’t go to confession anymore.” I’ll admit the laity has gotten indifferent toward sin in general and the sacrament in particular. But to be honest, the Church is not help either.

Confession tends to be offered for an hour in the middle of Saturday afternoon only. Or as my bulletin says “by appointment” which is almost a joke in my parish. My Pastor is so busy that the only time you can receive Confession “by appointment” is if you also receiving last rites.

Really, why can’t Confession be offered more often? Perhaps, offer it early in the morning on a weekday (or multiple weekdays) before people go to work? Or how about offering it in the evenings? I think that offering it at more convenient times will encourage more people to participate. Also, by offering it frequently the Church will send a message that it thinks it is still very important.

Daily Communion is available, why not daily confession?

Borrowing a phrase from a famous movie; "If you offer it, they will come.”

I agree we do only have community penence services during the penetential seasons of Lent and Advent, but a monthly one would make sense with just one or two priests there to begin with. Priests that do offer Confession may very well sit by themselves,it will take some time many months for people to get used to the idea again.

 

[Elizabeth502]

I actually agree with CatholicMedic. Having watched this over many years now, where frequent confesion is offered, it is frequenty attended, and becomes routine. This is true regardless of the size of the parish. (Ditto for open churches: People go in, make a visit; becomes “natural,” routine, to do so when the church doors are left unlocked during the day.}

There is a very “loose” parish near me, where confession hours are infrequent and extremely inconvenient to the vast majority of parishioners. (There are 3 priests in residence.) In this case (knowing the parish as well as I do, and their priests as well as I do – having discussed frequency of confession with them), the priests assume that parishioners are not interested. Btw, confession is never discussed form the pulpit, never. Despite it being a large parish, you would think, based on absent confession lines, that there were 10 parishioners.

When it’s not in the consciousness, people don’t go.
When it’s not visible and frequent, people don’t go. (But sometimes, visibility and frequency does wonders for consciousness. )

 

[dachsiemom]

My parish offers the standard 1 hour on Saturdays - 330-430 prior to the vigil mass. During Lent and Advent the “cluster” has a communal penance service but I don’t feel comfortable with those. This coming Saurday confession is being offered from 930-330 or 430PM and also 2 or 3 extra hours next week. Ample time for confession prior to Christmas. I did make an appoinment for confession when I came back to church after a long absence and the priest was very responsive.

I agree with the PP that priests do not place much of an emphasis on confession. The only time I heard our pastor talk about confession at mass was on Divine Mercy Sunday. He does however make comments about the imporance of confession in the bulliten periodically,

I have gone to confession at the cathedral downown where confessions are heard 3 times a day each weekday and on Saturdays for longer periods of time and there is always a line.

Interestingly I was at a very ethnic parish and a priest was in the confessional DURING mass and some of the elderly parishioners went in to the confessional.

 

[Sheeniac]

Well, when no one commits mortal sin, what’s the point of confessing?



There’s little notion of sin anymore. I’m in a Scripture class given by the Diocese. It’s expensive and a long term time commitment. Obviously, the people in there are serious Catholics.

One such woman said to me that it’s very hard to commit mortal sin. A priest had told me that to do so, one would have to be separating themselves from God. Her opinion was that it was rare indeed. I replied that I managed to find enough sins to confess.

Our sermons are too watered down. Where are our John the Baptists?