Confession During Lent---homebound

[TLMlover]

Hi,

I'm new here. I won't be posting much because I am ill, and writing saps my strength and makes my pain worse.

I was just wondering what to do about Confession during Lent. I know you have to go at least once during Lent, but I'm too sick to even have a priest come to my house to hear my confession. This is probably a dumb question, but am I exempt?

Thank you so much!

Yours in Christ,

Leah

[qfnol31]

Canon 989 states that Catholics must confess all grave sins at least once per year, but does not require that these sins be confessed during the Lenten season. If you have been to confession in the last year, you have fulfilled that obligation. The probable reason why most people associate confession during Lent is because we are also required to receive Holy Communion at least once per year during the Easter Season (unless for good reason we must receive it at least once at another point during the year [930 §1,2]) and so it makes sense that we go to Holy Communion close to the Easter Season so that we receive our Lord worthily. If you are not in the state of mortal sin and have been recently, then I would not worry about it. If you are too sick to receive Holy Communion during Easter, but see yourself recovering soon, then you are probably exempt from this (following the details you provided above).

 

However, I do hope that you can have a priest come visit soon to bring you Holy Communion and if you are as sick as you say, perhaps the Oil of the Sick. Depending on your illness, it is always good to participate in the Sacramental life of the Church as much as possible, but again to the extent permitted by your doctor and your illness. I hope you recover soon and are not kept away from these graces too long. However if you are kept away from the Sacraments of the Church for some time, Canon Law recognizes these difficulties arise from time to time and acknowledges them in its rules.