Communal confession: Could it be way forward?
General absolution urged to bring back those who don’t want priest’s personal blessing
Many Catholics today are asking why they are encouraged to participate in the Sacrament of Penance while other Christian religions do not follow the same approach.
Did Jesus tell the apostles to confess their sins to Him? Were the apostles told to reveal their transgressions to one another?
The question revolves around how we should go about confessing our sins. The Catholic Church maintains (with rare exceptions) that we are to confess to a priest in a private setting. To express one’s innermost sinful thoughts and actions to another human being goes to the very core of the person’s humanity. Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Ernest Hemingway wrote, “The worst death for anyone is to lose the centre of his being, the thing he really is.” Personally, I believe that only God is welcome there.
Some Catholics will drive a considerable distance in the hope that the priest will not recognize them or be able to identify their voice. Those who do go to confession tend to be the elderly. Yes, parish priests visit elementary and secondary schools with the purpose of promoting and hearing confessions. I commend them for their efforts.
However, the school population really represents a ‘captive audience.’ The reality is that only a few students will enter the confessional after they leave school.
This fact clearly indicates that the current approach to confession is ineffective.
There are other reasons why Catholics today do not participate in confession. Almost monthly we read about the scandalous behaviour of the clergy (priests, pastors, bishops, monsignors, cardinals). Their most disturbing actions have taken the form of defilement of minors (see Oscar winner “Spotlight”), homosexuality among the clergy, pornography, embezzlement, affairs and violations within the Vatican. The cumulative effect has been the erosion of confidence and respect for ‘men of the cloth.’
Nevertheless, some of the finest individuals I have ever met came from among Catholic clergy. I am indebted to many of them.
In general, Protestants confess their sins directly to God. It is a private matter with no go-between. Some Catholics appear to be following a path closely resembling the Protestant faith. For example, almost all Catholics who currently attend mass receive Holy Communion. Are we to assume that all of them are free from serious sin?
If not, do they simply say a quiet Act of Contrition and ask God for forgiveness?
In 2009 Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Anglicanorum Coetibus. This Vatican document is of the highest authority issued by the Pope and permitted Anglicans to “reassume full communion with the See of Peter and the Catholic Church universal” while maintaining their Anglican heritage. They would continue to recite their “Prayer of Humble Access” before receiving Holy Communion.
What I am proposing falls between Catholic private confessions and the Protestant way. I believe that the time for communal confession with full absolution is now. Having experienced this practice within our parish, I know that it has great merit. Let’s take a closer look. Our church was filled to capacity. The ceremony began with an opening hymn followed by a relevant scripture reading. The priest then led the congregation through a detailed examination of conscience. Less recognizable sins such as gossip, envy, withdrawing affection, noncommunication, selfishness, unwilling to forgive, etc. were also mentioned. Everyone recited the Act of Contrition. The ceremony concluded with a closing hymn. It was my impression that those who left the church felt a great sense of relief and inner peace.
To conduct communal confessions (including the key component of absolution) would require written permission from the Pope and the local bishop. The congregation must know a communal confession with absolution does not replace private confession, but rather represents a new acceptable alternative. Sins such as murder, rape, extreme domestic abuse, child and hard core pornography, adultery, abortion and perhaps grand larceny would not receive communal absolution. Grave sins can only be resolved through private confession. Obviously, most Catholics are not guilty of the above mentioned serious sins and only need communal confession with absolution.
Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron at a session of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu, Philippines (January 26, 2016) said that only 30 per cent of Catholics in the U.S. actually receive Communion. He called this a “disaster.” A similar situation likely exists in Canada.
Pope Francis on his recent trip to the U.S. once again emphasized the word “inclusiveness.” He specifically talked about those who had an abortion and others who had undergone an annulment.
His aim was to bring Catholics back into the church. “It is concern for the salvation of souls, which today as yesterday remain the supreme goal,” said Pope Francis.
I feel that this new approach to confession may very well compliment the Pontiff ’s call for a “Year of Mercy and Forgiveness.” Surely his words can also be extended to some of those who would come back to the church if private confession was not the only way to confess their sins. Dennis D’Alessandro lives in Grimsby