Posted on 07/20/2008 5:03:51 AM PDT by NYer
SYDNEY (Reuters) - At most outdoor festivals the longest queues are generally for the portable toilets and bar but at World Youth Day in Sydney, the Catholic Church's version of Woodstock, one of the biggest queues is for confessing sins.
| ADVERTISEMENT |
With some 300,000 young Catholic pilgrims attending WYD from July 15-20 the Church is staging the world's largest confessional, with more than 1,000 priests at anyone time hearing sins and dispensing penance at 250 locations.
"The notion in Sydney was to decentralize the celebration of reconciliation (confession). The groups received reconciliation in over 250 locations throughout greater Sydney," said Monsigneur Marc Caron, the man in charge of the mass confessional.
With pilgrims from more than 170 nations, confessionals had to be organized not just geographically but also according to different languages, Caron told Reuters.
"Some of the locations are from concert halls downtown to function halls to schools and churches. Those are assigned by language, the French have so many venues, we have a Norwegian venue, a Korean and so many Chinese venues," he said.
Organizers have tried to be attentive to the sensitivity of confession and ensure pilgrims do not overhear each other's sins.
"Whilst we don't have sound proof venues, they are padded dividers between stalls and they are in locations where there is so much going on and background noise," said Caron.
"I've been to each of the locations and I think people's privacy is perfectly assured."
Confessions are being heard for up to six hours a day. In order to avoid overloading the priests hearing confessions they are allotted a break every 90 minutes.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I took a deep breath before posting this thread, but did so for purposes of demonstrating how poorly the secular media, assigned to cover this event, are unprepared to give proper reporting. From a Catholic perspective, it is good to see the number of penitents who availed themselves of this Sacrament and the extraordinary coordination of the local dioceses to accomodate the pilgrims.
That is an absolutely extraordinary story!
That is one thing is would love to see in this country: consistently good teaching on the Sacrament and then to make it conveniently available (i.e., before Mass...or in a separate chapel during the Mass). There are places, even here, where the lines go out the door. And there are places where the priest may as well take a good book with him. The quality of the catechesis determines the situation.
What an incredibly blessed opportunity to rid oneself of the burdens of the world and to receive the Lord’s love.
Ah, Mark, there were those who sought to destroy the Church who said that there would be NO personal confession, only a general confession at Mass. It was untrue. But I expect that many have not learned of that apostacy, and still believe they don’t NEED confession.
And there are so many who omit even that (who omit the Confiteor Deo) in the N.O. mass. Thankfully not all, but far too many.
The closest thing to this that I ever attended was when St Therese of Liseux’s reliquary came to Montreal. There were dozens of confessions being heard at any time and there were signs identifying which priests spoke English, French or both. It was quite moving to see so many people inspired to seek forgiveness.
I don’t know what all the hoopla is about...Far more Protestants than that go to confession on a daily basis...Every day...For many, all day long...
At our church (and I assume it is the same for the other churches) we have a short prayer service with the explanation of the sacrament of reconciliation. Pamphlets which explain how to examine one's conscience are handed out.
There are usually about 20 priests at the services(from our parish, other parishes, retired priests, and visiting priests from elsewhere in the archdiocese). Individual confessions are heard in temporary confessionals scattered all through the church.
Oh, I love your tag line. That’s absolutely the best Obama put down I’ve ever seen.
***I don’t know what all the hoopla is about...Far more Protestants than that go to confession on a daily basis...Every day...For many, all day long...***
Ah, but you see, Iscool, the Catholic Church teaches exactly the same thing about examination of conscience on a daily basis as does Protestant religions. We just have in addition to that a more formal Confession which includes, among other things, the opportunity to receive helpful counseling about our sins.
You're the first to comment on it...Thanks...
This is a Catholic Caucus Thread.
It is a miracle to see so many young people celibrate reconcilation with so many priests!
**Catholic Church’s version of Woodstock**
Reuters needs to bone up on their Catholicism.
I have heard it quoted that the marks of a vibrant and growing church are the length of the lines of those going to Confession and the number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Our priest is always going over his time in the confessional. He needs an assistant soon!
It is really bad here in my parish. They do confession early in the morning on weekdays and for just one half hour on Saturday afternoon, right before Mass. There are two Churches in my parish, but with only one half hour before the Mass at each, it is amazing that any people get to make a proper confession at all. Considering the size of the Parish, this is not nearly enough time if people used the sacrament properly.
yesterday, at the Saturday evening Mass I saw the Priest finally emerge from the confessional half way through the liturgy
wow. sounds like Protestant "confession" is lacking something, if they have to do it all the time.
I’m amazed that they are doing individual confessions instead of a general absolution.
Not at all...We sin on a daily basis...Amd we don't differentiate beteen sins...
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Therefore, we're pretty busy...
God doesn't agree with you. John 19:11 ... Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.
YOPIOS gets it wrong, again.
And don’t forget 1 John 5:16-17, either.
God gets one over the bow before the rebel in Berlin.
I wasn't talking about your sin, Moses, I was talking about your "confession."
You see, Catholics get absolution.
Anything short of that is a fraud.
What are you talking about???
You see, Catholics get absolution.
Sure you do ;) ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.