Lack Of Confessions

[Dave]

Why is it that so few people go to confession frequently these days? I have to wonder if maybe it's because of all the rampant ignoring of Church teachings, for example, the teaching against contraception. If people don't want to admit that a given act or omission is sinful, why would they even bother to go to confession? And could it be that, in falsely convincing themselves that they're not guilty of sin for contracepting or whatever it is they happen to be doing or not doing, they also succeed at convincing themselves that they're not guilty of sin in general? Thoughts?

[jasJis]

Church teaching is at least once a year. More frequent participation in the Sacrament is encouraged because of the 'bonus' graces, but obligation is for mortal sin and once a year.

[Dave]

Church teaching is at least once a year.  More frequent participation in the Sacrament is encouraged because of the 'bonus' graces, but obligation is for mortal sin and once a year.

True. But why should people be content with the bare minimum? Also, if the surveys are true and Catholics are really using contraception like there's no tomorrow or doing or encouraging other sins like crazy, then, objectively speaking, they're in the state of mortal sin. And yet, because they refuse to admit that such actions are sins, they're surely not confessing them.

Besides, once a year has been the rule even before Vatican II, right? Yet there were always long lines for confession then!

Edited January 29, 2004 by Dave

[Mary's Knight, La]

the fact of the matter Dave is that many people use the name catholic without acting catholic whether they do it out of convenience, ignorance, or for political reasons, the fact remains there are too many people who don't believe what teh catholic church believes i'll try to remember to post some stats on it tomorrow. personally i know i end up needing to go at least once a month.

and sometimes people don't realize the priest doesn't say that what they did was wrong, they do "forgive me father for I have sinned" other times they don't want to admit they did something they shouldn't have especially in america where we have a sort of do what you want history for the entire nation it can be very much one of those "who is the church to tell me what i should and shouldn't do after all i'm an adult I can do what i want" many times people need to be reminded there is a God and He will hold them accountable to unrepented sins

[IXpenguin21]

i think that more people don't go because they don't think they've done anything wrong.

i think people justify their sin with reasoning for why it was right in the first place, or why they can do something even though it may seem like they cannot.

plus, i think less people know why it's important.

it used to be that people would go to confession every saturday so that they could recieve comunion on sunday... no one thinks that anymore.

[Carrie]

I go to confession once a month. It makes me feel so much better when I go regularly, even if I haven't committed any mortal sins. My priest is very patient and allows me to tell him all the venial sins I have committed. I don't understand why people don't go more often. It is such a wonderful feeling!

[M.SIGGA]

i think this is an easy answer; when was the last time you heard a priest preach on the importance of confession? my family's influence is one of the main reasons I see the necessity to go because otherwise I would never even know what confession really means, and that's sad.

[jasJis]

I've discussed this with a number of priests over the years of teaching confirmation class.

One of the big problems is people getting caught up with the NEED or REQUIREMENT aspect of it. People are going/not going based on their understanding of meeting the Need or Requirement.

What Carrie posted is excellent. For her, it's all a positive experience. Priests like it when people approach it as Reconcilliation and recieving Grace. It's so much more. I go 4 or 6 times a year, especially if I've just been stressed out in life, regardless if I feel if I've been sinful or not. A little examination of conscience, a chat with a priest, God saying "I love you. I understand. Don't worry." What's not to love about it?? :wink:

As one priest told my group of kids last month when they asked him when MUST they go to confession, Father said if the question even comes up, take it as that's when your sould is saying you WANT to go, so go everytime you want to. Maybe you just want to hear that God really does love you. That's what it's all about anyway.

[Laudate_Dominum]

Some places are better than others too. I found it hard to find confession in the place I lived before (only one parish that I know of had an actual confession schedule), but the place I live now has tons of confession. On place hears confessions for 2 hours, three days a week always with long lines. Another parish has it twice a week also with very long lines. The Tridentine parish I sometimes go to has confession before every Mass and both sides of the Church will have exceedingly long lines. They could double the confession schedule around here and still have long lines that's how many people go to confession regularly. So I think it depends on a lot of things. I've noticed as a general rule that if the priest of a parish is solid and preaches the faith, the parish tends to be more strong. The priests around here are often very good and preach Catholicism so people are more likely to live it. Pray for good priests!!

[M.SIGGA]

Why isn't hell and the penalties of sin taught anymore like it used to be? The necessity to avoid sin is always mentioned, but HELL has become the h-word.

My mom literally scared the hell out of her kids when we were little children so we had a real fear of falling into sin. Since there is no longer any emphasis on what happens when people die unrepentant, how is it expected that the masses will want to 'formally' seek forgiveness.

God is ever merciful and forgiving, but preaching seems to be lacking the fact that forgiveness must be sought in order for it to take place. It seems that a lot of people are going to have a rude awakening after they die.

[cimlog]

I think a lot of people don't go to reconciliation because they feel they have done nothing wrong. I talked to a lot of people about this and they all hinted the knowledge factor of a mortal sin. A mortal sin is the wrong doing in the name of our Lord. Knowing it is wrong but still doing it.

Most people don't know what sins are mortal and which are venial. Most don't even know the difference now a days. So in theory, the more knowledgeable about sin the more your are to go to confession. So, the less you know about right and wrong means the less need to go to confession because you did not know that it was right or wrong?

[jasJis]

My mom literally scared the hell out of her kids when we were little children ...

I saw that in a movie once. The kids had more issues than a newspaper stand. :rolling:

But seriously, different people, of different personalities respond differently. I went to school with nuns who could (and did) literally beat you. Some kids just learned to be sneakier and just learned to face the consequences that caught up with them. Vague spiritual consequences that we don't witness are hard to grasp and easily ignore by those sort of kids.

[willguy]

I don't think its a problem of people thinking that they haven't done anything wrong. I think there are several issues:

1. People thinking that they're "good enough" and don't need confession

2. Fear, especially in your local parish with a priest you know. People are afraid of what the priest will think (I know I've felt that way). The thing is, the priests usually forget very quickly. I've only had a priest remember something once that I know of, and that's because I went to confession on a Sunday and then the next Saturday (so 6 days later) went again (the situation was there, so I figured might as well go again). He only barely remembered what we had talke about, just that we had talked. He only remembered because it was an unusual circumstance when I asked him on Sunday and because he doesn't do many confessions (he's a monk, so he doesn't see a lot of people).

3. People don't want to face their sins. They know that they've sinned, but think its easier to just forget it. No one likes thinking about how they've failed.

[M.SIGGA]

I'm feel really nervous and tense and guilty every single time that I go, and sometimes I want to turn and leave, which I have done before, but I always came back and I continue to go because 'being clean' is so refreshing. The lack of preaching and teaching on the subject has made a lot of people develope a dangerous protestant point of view, to the point where people don't even go the required once a year. There are guys and girls I know that haven't been since Confirmation in 8th grade.

[willguy]

The lack of preaching and teaching on the subject has made a lot of people develope a dangerous protestant point of view, to the point where people don't even go the required once a year. There are guys and girls I know that haven't been since Confirmation in 8th grade.

I was like that until last spring. I just didn't think about it. Didn't really care one way or the other.