Posted on 03/01/2015 12:52:48 PM PST by NYer
The confessionals are empty. The sinners have gone away. Or should I say, “sin has gone away.” Not to be judgmental, but rather to be observant, I sense poignantly a lack of what I would call “sin awareness” among modern Catholics. We seem to have assimilated the secular notion that the concept of sin places outdated, even psychologically damaging restraints on people, or that the feeling of guilt for wrongdoing (or wrong-thinking) is emotionally debilitating. Thus, we see in society the virtual elimination of the word “sin.” We don’t want to hurt anybody’s self esteem. Catholics, perhaps innocently, have bought into this nonsense.
Cohabitating young adults are seen going to communion with apparent impunity. Our children are taught in public school health classes that masturbation is “normal” (as if a mathematical average equals absolution). They are told that abortion is a legitimate medical procedure, as if “medical” means okay. Some adults with decades-long resentments against others apparently have no problem allowing these self-destructive feelings to fester and to ignore the basic Christian concept of unconditional forgiveness.
Our young appear to have almost universally adopted the idea that pre-marital sex is acceptable. Pro-choice Catholic politicians take the sacraments in a blatant display of hubris, arguing ignorantly that abortion is a matter of conscience. Football fans cheer when a member of the opposing team has his head nearly separated from his body. Marriage seems in many cases to be about as serious as “going steady” was when I was in high school. And on and on.
Our pope is emphasizing the need to welcome the disaffected and to affirm them as Catholics. Fine, but we need also to reaffirm doctrinal truth. These objectives are not at loggerheads; both are mutually, authentically Christian. In making Catholicism a living faith for sinners of all stripes, we must also meet the challenge of truth telling and not lower the bar for re-entry.
We are weak, all of us, and in constant need of the wonderful sacrament of reconciliation. I am a sinner, and as such I have a need for the confessional at least monthly. Not because I have a scrupulous conscience or because I’m “hard on myself,” but because I believe human frailty to be a constant state requiring constant vigilance.
I suppose with a profoundly informed conscience many of us could survive spiritually with a once-a-year confession. Not I. I know myself better. I would become lazy, apathetic, and removed from the spiritual world. From a purely selfish standpoint I am spiritually refreshed by the sacrament of reconciliation. It’s not a question of merely “staying out of Hell this week.” Rather, it is a moment of understanding of my potential for some degree of holiness and a realization of the nature of God’s mercy.
I want to be straight with Him. I want to thank Him for his mercy. Thank him for His Cross. Ask Him to shape me up. Give me more self-discipline. Respond to His will. This is when I am most happy, most optimistic and most confident.
Why have we forgotten these things? Have we been so misguided by warped interpretations of Vatican II that we think that serious sin has disappeared? Do we even know what is venial and what is mortal? Do we think that examination of conscience and an act of contrition are always enough to prepare for the Eucharist? Do we really understand what is sin and what isn’t? Are we so naive as to think that secular psychobabble can replace doctrinal truth?
If the laity can’t answer these questions satisfactorily, why shouldn’t we expect our clergy to answer them – the same clergy that would admonish us to take advantage of a confessional that may be open, in most cases, no more than forty-five minutes to an hour each week? My pastor is pretty good at this. His message is strong and fairly frequent. But I have lived a long life as a Catholic, lived it in nine different parishes, and have seen the sure but gradual decline in the use of the confessional.
How can Catholics take the confessional seriously when they do not have the answers to these questions? When a parish of 3,000 people produces fifteen or twenty penitents at the confessional each week?
The problem of a seriously diluted sacrament lies as much with the clergy as with the laity. Not to be hard on the clergy, who have probably become discouraged at the dramatic downturn in confessional visitations, but the educational problem (from the pulpit) is theirs to solve. And in the process, as the British would say, they need “to put a little stick about.”
I am sure there are some priests who believe that the confessional, for a time, had become a Jansenistic ritual of scrupulous excess, that we needed to “loosen up, ” and know that we are all basically good and needn’t be too worried as long as we haven’t created a major “separation” from God. Like what? Murder? Adultery? Coveting my neighbor’s goods? And any number of other sins, great and small, that have not disappeared from human hearts or the world.
If we are going to argue historically that private confession only appeared after several Christian centuries, we had better still today know exactly what would take its place. Because what we seem to have at present is Eucharistic anarchy: “I’m a good person. I can go to Mass and Communion any time I want.” So why, exactly, did Christ have to come into the world and die a horrible death on the Cross?
Agreed. My old parish priest was a strong believer in frequent opportunities to recieve the sacrament, right up to holding an hour of confession time before every mass. Funny thing about it - when the line is right there in front of you, it’s a lot harder to pretend like it doesn’t exist.
For that matter, though, I wish more people would realize how wonderful this sacrament is. If one looks at sacraments for what they are - vessels of God’s grace - then it quickly becomes apparent that this is a fantastic method of infusing the spirit with it. In my experience, grace accumulates in the soul like medicine. One dose a week through the Eucharist is wonderful, but once a day if at all possible is orders of magnitude better.
Much the same is confession - if once a week for the Eucharist is great, why not amplify that grace with the other sacrament? I’m sure it is no coincidence that every other sacrament features the Eucharist alongside of it. Unlike the others, however, confession is unique in that we can avail ourselves of it as often as we need it!
.....Or they wait until a very major crisis hits them hard.
He had actually been very good. VII had been a problem (he was from the generation of priests just before it) but the real crunch came after the introduction of the new Mass in 1970. He was devastated, because he used to celebrate beautifully, and he was indeed very devout.
But he had no support. The pastor was so upset by all of this that he literally retired to his room and he was drunk every time I saw him. And the other assistant suddenly discovered in his inner gay, pot-smoking guy and was out with the teenage boys, smoking dope and helping them fix their cars...well, sort of. I think, though, that he did leave the priesthood before approaching any of the boys, because he was gone not too long after the introduction of the New Mass.
The other priest hung on for a while, but then was captured by this rather predatory woman and left the priesthood and married her. I will say that he acted honorably, because he no longer believed the religion or accepted its dictates. So after the initial year or so, when he was evicting people from the confessionals because of his own conscience, he gave up and went off, married the woman, and ended up as an alcohol counselor in an oil camp somewhere.
VII was the source of incredible misery.
....Then when it gets close to the two major holy days, Christmas and Easter, the lines do begin to get long.
From the lips of Jesus:
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.How would an Apostle learn of any man's sins, unless a man confessed them, verbally?
And yes, this apostolic office was passed on, as we see in Acts:
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Your first sentence contradicts itself.
I've never doubted that he may have been right. My complaint is he could never have discerned that in a 25 second one-way conversation.
I thought when the Catholic Church could inflict us with clowns like this, confession was no longer for me.
I may have a change of heart before I check out. We shall see.
Thank you for a kind remark and an open mind.
"The Case for Confession", audio.
Today was the First Reconciliation of Rose, 7. Her Dad was “too busy” to take her to her class’ formal 1st, we were moving the week before and had a pre scheduled charity event with 9 beneficiaries in a semi formal ceremony for which we are primarily responsible the week after, we “forgot”.
We were instrumental in turning it around today, Deo Gratias. Rose received the gift of rose soap, a six pack of expensive cupcakes for Rose to share, she got 2. She got a rose colored bible.
We all were ready to go to Confession, I explained to Rose how, after absolution, God forgets her sins, the priest can’t remember them immediately afterwards, the Sacrament thoroughly tranforms her, no “dung covered over with snow”. I told Rose what my confession would be, from start to finish, but there were 12 people in line, so it will have to wait for next Saturday.
Rose was thrilled with the gifts and the ceremoniality. If there’s any chance she will avail herself of the Sacrament lifelong, Rose has received it.
A nice, easy, affordable package; “You deserve salvation today” marketing tool, all wrapped up in a nice tidy bow by Lucifer.
You got that right. The majority of folks, a great many Catholics included, have accepted the marketing hype that they can just rub a little Superslick Christian Liberty Grease on anything they want to do and it's the same as what they do no longer being a sin in the first place.
Go to Confession. You won’t regret it.
“Couldn’t you tell by the title this is something you didn’t want to click on? I don’t click on pro-evolution, gozillion year old universe, what I call science fiction threads because I don’t want the headache.
Get over yourself and pass on this stuff.”
Yet you felt the need to click on this, which is in the “Catholic Caucus”, and post what you did in #18?
hmmmm.........
There are some FRiends on the Catholic Caucus that know I have differences with Catholicism, but this satanic trend of a lack of confession is not one of them. What’s your problem with my post.
There are many liberal Parishes where equivocation on Church teachings and the notion of consequences have lead many to avoid any sense of guilt.
My apologies.
The wording of your post gave the impression that “the Catholic Sacrament of Confession and Penance” was the satanic false gospel.
Thanks for clearing that up.
I concur. Salvation without confession/s is purely satanic.
I don’t mean that Catholic Confession/Penance is satanic. Salvation without confession is satanic.
Are you currently, actively Catholic?
Yeah, FRiend, I see how my comment could be misconstrued. I re-read my first paragraph, and I kinda was using the title question of the thread “Is Confession Dead?” as the lead in. False gospel, as in the lack of confession, is what I was trying to communicate. The lack of confession in modern Christianity is feel good fluff, and by many of the posts on this thread, confession is not so dead in a lot of parishes. That’s good to see.
Can you please define what that might be? This thread has been labeled "Catholic Caucus" in order to limit the discussion to Catholics for whom this is one of the 7 Sacraments of the Church.
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