Can Married Catholics Go To Confession Together?

[hermit]

Can they?.

[cappie]

Short answer, if you are speaking of sacramental confession, no.

 

The Code of Canon Law states:

 

Can. 960 Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the sole ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and with the Church. Physical or moral impossibility alone excuses from such confession, in which case reconciliation may be attained by other means also.

 

Can. 961 §1 General absolution, without prior individual confession, cannot be given to a number of penitents together, unless:

 

1° danger of death threatens and there is not time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents;

 

2° there exists a grave necessity, that is, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available properly to hear the individual confessions within an appropriate time, so that without fault of their own the penitents are deprived of the sacramental grace or of holy communion for a lengthy period of time. A sufficient necessity is not, however, considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage.

 

§2 It is for the diocesan Bishop to judge whether the conditions required in §1, n. 2 are present; mindful of the criteria agreed with the other members of the Episcopal Conference, he can determine the cases of such necessity.