The Sacrament of Penance in Need of 'Reform'?
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| Confession in need of reform? |
‘Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor believes that Confession is in need of significant reform and should be discussed at a special synod on the sacraments.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster has called for “proper reform to the sacrament” and says Confession has not received “serious reflection by any authoritative people within the Church” despite declining numbers of Catholics making use of the sacrament.'
The remarks come in a private letter to the Cambridge academic and author John Cornwell, who is campaigning for a ban on childhood Confession and who sent the cardinal a new book he has written on the sacrament.
Mr Cornwell, who says he was the victim as a boy of sexual solicitation by a confessor, has written an open letter to Pope Francis calling for a ban.
A spokeswoman for the cardinal stressed that he was not endorsing an end to childhood Confession, had not read Mr Cornwell’s book when he replied to the author, and in no way associated himself with the letter to the Pope.
The spokeswoman told The Tablet the issue should be discussed by bishops from around the world. “The cardinal believes that Confession could be considered as a topic for an Episcopal Synod on Sacramental Life. [He] thinks there needs to be much serious reflection in the Church as to why people are not going to Confession and what would encourage them to return to the Sacrament.”
Right. Well, we can all agree that the Church might reflect seriously, at the Synod on Sacramental Life, on the urgent need to promote the Sacrament of Penance, or Confession, that enables we Catholics to 'reform' our lives by this glorious Sacrament of healing and forgiveness as the Lord Jesus, by His free gift, crowns those who are contrite and make a firm purpose of amendment, with mercy and reconciliation with God and strength in the spiritual warfare in which we Catholics are all engaged.
However, quite what 'proper reform of the Sacrament' in this age, in which prelates of the Church promote a form of light, or even counterfeit Catholicism, would look like is the stuff of nightmares. May God grace those in authority in Holy Mother Church to meditate and reflect seriously on this great gift from Christ to His Church, but also to protect this Sacrament from any human interference that may harm it under the guise of 'reform'. As a Catholic Cardinal, there was no higher authority in the United Kingdom during his time at Westminster.
As Deacon Nick has suggested, if the guidance of Holy Tradition, as well as Blessed Pope John Paul II on promoting this Sacrament of mercy and grace was generally unheeded by this prelate during his reign at Westminster, by a retired prelate who is said to be privileged enough to have the ear of His Holiness Pope Francis, then perhaps he himself might reflect seriously on who may take some share of the blame if the Church continues to see 'declining numbers of Catholics making use of the sacrament.'
Comments
St Pius X's exhortation on frequent reception was not a permission to receive - regardless.
On the contrary, conditions for reception remain. One must be in a State of Grace, free from Mortal Sin, otherwise pleasing to God, and have observed the current stipulated fast. Reception out of routine, or vain glory, or for seeking human respect is forbidden.
Now that would appear to disqualify an awful lot of people at your average Sunday Mass such as casual occasional attendees at Sunday Mass, contraceptors, abortionists, co-habitors, those with anger in their hearts, the glutinous, the avaricious, the envious and so on, not to mention those who don't really believe in the Real Presence!.
The answer is regular individual Confession, as specified by the Church, for all who have reached the age of reason. The Confessionals in our churches should be crowded before Mass and priests should make this clear from the pulpits, or whatever they use, in frequent sermons, dealing specifically with this subject.
Maybe then the reception rate will fall back somewhat, perhaps to the circa 30 – 40% it used to be, before the concept of sin was allowed to fade in the post-Vatican II Catholic mind.
Viterbo - there were many abuses by clergy during confession before Vatican 2. Just read the Cloyne / Murphy reports to see the number of priests who admit making sexual advances to minors during confession.
Depends. If you feel you are glutinous and have to go to Confession just because you have honey on your fingers at breakfast, you are in a bad way. Case of extreme scruples I would think, and not much hope for you. Sad really, that’s not what it’s about, you know!
Mark you, if you are say, 5ft 5 ins, and weigh 35 stns, there is a reasonable chance you might, all things being equal, possibly, just possibly, be glutinous.
Note how conditional, and non-judgemental I have been!!
In that case you might well mention this through the grill along with all your other sins, next time.
Oh dear is that me being judgemental again? Must make a note for my next Confession.
ps : just had a thought. What about trying the old “fast from midnight”, of my youth. That should solve the problem, and if I remember correctly, you really do then enjoy your breakfast!
The Cloyne and Murphy Reports in fact reveal only about 3 cases each of actual abuse in the confessional - hardly the "many abuses" you allege. And might I add that of course those Reports refer only to Ireland, a small proportion of the universal Church.
They aren't going because they see no need to. They don't consider themselves particularly sinful and if they do feel a little guilty about something, well a quick word with God sorts it. (This sort of comment is commonplace in my parish). Really, of course, in this as in many other instances, a lot of people calling themselves Catholic have in fact become protestant- the fruits of ecumenism, I suppose.
It doesn't help when priests like my parish priest hold 'penitential rites' in Advent and Lent and tell people they can be absolved from their sins without individual confession and of course without any need for boring old penance, if they come up for a blessing during the service.
How to reverse this? Well, good catechesis by faithful priests. It's not impossible, it'll just take a few generations to undo the damage of the last 40+ years.
I have the impression that in Ambrosden Avenue they think we are all going to heaven regardless, which is nice of them but I fear it is not to be relied upon.
With respect, I'm not sure many Bishops have taught about Hell, damnation, etc since the 70s, or some time around then.
So, if people 'voted with their feet', you have to ask why.
Do you not believe that if you commit a mortal and do not repent you will go to hell?
The sad thing is that many, probably a majority, have stopped believing in hell and damnation. In fact they have probably stopped believing in sin, (which, incidentally, makes Christ nothing but a deluded, misguided, albeit harmless, religious nutter).
This means they are in a state of heresy, which if obstinately held, means excommunication, i.e., they are not Catholics. (CCC and CE)
In my humble opinion, it is not their fault. The fault lies with bishops, priests and lay officials such as RE teachers who over the past 50 years have not taught the Catholic Faith. When, for instance, did you last hear a priest even mention the word “Confession” from a pulpit.
Now, we will all sooner or later have to stand before Christ and give an account, including, I understand, bishops, priests, etc.
So the answer is to start teaching Catholicism again to the, as Benedict XVI has predicted, much smaller remaining Church!
Surely people have given up on the old ideas sin and hell because they are:
a. No longer taught
b. Contradicted by progressive clerics.
Most people I would imagine think that hell is the place with devils and eternal fire which God may condemn you to as punishment for your sins. Is this what you believe it to be, and if not what do you mean? If you define it precisely, then I will be able to answer your question.
It seems clear that most people no longer believe in the reality of the traditional picture, but have not received through the Church any more sophisticated idea of sin and damnation, so if we expect them to come back to confession we will need a new approach. This is what the Cardinal was suggesting.
Bishops haven't taught about Hell, mortal sin and damnation for ages.
People no longer go to Confession.
Quite possibly people no longer go to Confession because they hear nothing of the need for it from Bishops, as the chief Sacrament through which Christ's mercy SAVES souls.
Whether people believe in Hell or not is not the point. They need to be told the truths about Heaven, Hell, salvation and damnation by the Bishops appointed by Christ to teach.
What part of this is so hard to understand?
When I was young I heard such preaching and it persuaded me of the necessity of frequent confession. That was pre VII. Unfortunately that kind of preaching stopped and doubt was cast on whether certain sins were sins and indeed on the whole idea of mortal sin. There then came the idea of communal absolution when you did not have to confess your sins individually. Now going to confession is an embarrassing business confessing one's sordid failures so why bother when you are not sure that you have sinned or that grave sins actually matter? Rather wait until there is a general absolution and you are saved the embarrassment. That is what happened in my experience.
You are then left in a limbo of uncertainty, doubt and guilt. You do not get the grace of confession and the real joy you can experience when you have unloaded yourself and are absolved to make a fresh start.
Start teaching it and the people might come.
What is so difficult for you to understand?
Confession needs no reform. Bishops need only state the truth. If people don't like it, at least they can say, 'We tried'.
Savon'; serious - internet confession - over the phone confession (I'm sure the Greeks do this); remote - viewing confession? how many priests can do 'out of body'? but then we would have people suing the diocese for auric impropriety.
Skype-confession it is.
But where does this get us? Do you accept that eventually we will all end up in or other of these states?
I think it is extremely doubtful that abuse in confession was ever a large part of the whole deplorable abuse scenario worldwide.
I think it is extremely doubtful that abuse in confession was ever a large part of the whole deplorable abuse scenario worldwide.