Confessing Sins
The Catholic Church is lamenting the fall-off in attendance at the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and calling for greater devotion to it by Catholics.
Maybe the sacrament had an important place in the early Church but one wonders at its relevance today.
There is no doubt, biblically, that Jesus Christ gave his faith-leaders the power to forgive, or refuse to forgive, sins. The ritual of Reconciliation for the individual, associated with that forgiveness, is however a product of the Church.
The sacrament involves the humility of the confessee admitting sins to a confessor, a priest likely to be little more than a stranger. There may be advice offered, and there is the promise of God’s forgiveness but only if there is true contrition.
So, the confessee can go through the ritual and still wonder if their sins are forgiven. Not that I’m offering a theologian’s opinion but, as I understand it, the confessee’s sins probably won’t have been forgiven if the confessee has even the slightest inkling of not accepting responsibility for their sin or (knowing in their heart that they’ll probably be weak again) insincere about their resolution not to sin again.
Now some Catholics might find the ritual very therapeutic and consoling but it seems the Church is recognising that the majority of Catholics don’t, in this day and age.
If the Church is really committed to forgiving sin why doesn’t it keep individual confession for those who want it on a voluntary basis and institute group reconciliation for the faithful (say by a simple blessing at Mass after the congregation’s recitation of the Our Father)?
Surely that would be a display of God’s love and willingness to forgive humankind’s trespasses. And wouldn’t that be ritual enough in His eyes?
Maybe the sacrament had an important place in the early Church but one wonders at its relevance today.
There is no doubt, biblically, that Jesus Christ gave his faith-leaders the power to forgive, or refuse to forgive, sins. The ritual of Reconciliation for the individual, associated with that forgiveness, is however a product of the Church.
The sacrament involves the humility of the confessee admitting sins to a confessor, a priest likely to be little more than a stranger. There may be advice offered, and there is the promise of God’s forgiveness but only if there is true contrition.
So, the confessee can go through the ritual and still wonder if their sins are forgiven. Not that I’m offering a theologian’s opinion but, as I understand it, the confessee’s sins probably won’t have been forgiven if the confessee has even the slightest inkling of not accepting responsibility for their sin or (knowing in their heart that they’ll probably be weak again) insincere about their resolution not to sin again.
Now some Catholics might find the ritual very therapeutic and consoling but it seems the Church is recognising that the majority of Catholics don’t, in this day and age.
If the Church is really committed to forgiving sin why doesn’t it keep individual confession for those who want it on a voluntary basis and institute group reconciliation for the faithful (say by a simple blessing at Mass after the congregation’s recitation of the Our Father)?
Surely that would be a display of God’s love and willingness to forgive humankind’s trespasses. And wouldn’t that be ritual enough in His eyes?
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