“Hoover Dam Breaks – People Urged To Bring Buckets and Towels”
“Giant Asteroid Headed For Manhattan – People Advised To Hide in Basements”
“Use of Confession at All Time Low – Vatican To Publish Handbook”
A Handbook? Yeah, that ought to do it.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Vatican official is lamenting that many faithful no longer confess their sins, and says some confuse a psychologist’s couch for a confessional booth.Archbishop Mauro Piacenza has told Vatican Radio the sacrament of penance has been experiencing a “deep crisis” for decades. Piacenza, an official for the Vatican office on clergy, says fewer people distinguish between good and evil, and as a result don’t go to confession.
The archbishop said in the interview Tuesday that if faithful don’t have a sense of sin, they might “confuse” confession with “the couch of a psychologist or a psychiatrist.”
He says the Vatican plans to publish this year a kind of handbook on confession to drum up enthusiasm among Catholics toward the sacrament.
Perhaps if they use the handbooks to beat people over the heads, that might be a start.
I think Archbishop Piacenza is right to lament the lack of use of this very important sacrament and also to point out that the psychologists couch is no replacement. However, I don’t think a handbook is going to cut it. Nothing is going to change until every priest in every diocese preaches relentlessly about the need to return to this sacrament. Oh, and as an added incentive why don’t we try having confession more often than 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon or by ‘appointment.’ How ’bout every Bishop makes sure that nobody in the Diocese must drive more than one hour from 7am to 9pm to have their confession heard. How ’bout a handbook for that?
Actually, there is an idea. Why not create handbooks for Bishops, Priests, and Pastors about the need to preach on the subject (often) and make it more readily available. Then maybe, just maybe, we might get somewhere.
June 3, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Father Tom,
Your response was witty I will give you, but ultimately misses the mark.
Is it to run down people to suggest that the notion of handbook, while nice, is inadequate to the nature of the problem?
Is it to run down people to note the fact that the average Catholic rarely, if ever, hears the call to confession from the ambo?
Is it to run down people to note the fact that in the vast majority of parishes here in the US, confession is available in only the most minimal way?
Is it to run down people to suggest some actions that we believe would help remedy the situation?
I don't think so. To tell the King "Hey dude, you are naked. Might wanna put on pants" is not running down the King. It is to point out the obvious.
Extending the metaphor of the naked king, the handbook is like asking the naked to king to cover up his nipples. It is progress, but it doesn't really get the job done. Know what I mean?
June 4, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Dear Patrick: Thank you for your observant follow-up response to my comments and the kind way you expressed them. Thank you also for allowing me my earlier comments.
June 4, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Here on long Island we have many parishes with only one or two residing priests. They must be extroadinarliy busy.
I'm thinking that has to be a major reason to the limited confession times.
christopher
June 5, 2009 at 3:52 am
Carlos – something along your idea has already been masterminded by our great Pope: 2009-2010 is announced to be the Year of the Priest, under the patronage of St. Jean Vianney (the Curé d'Ars)- I understand this saint heard confessions 16-18 hours/day (and this without bi-location I may add).
My guess the Pope's intention is in part to remedy the problems described here. I think and pray that St. Jean Vianney will inspire zeal for the Sacrment of Penance for both priests and penitents.
June 5, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Before making assumptions about what the Vatican intends to do, I would suggest reading what Mr. Jimmy Akin has to say on the subject: http://www.jimmyakin.org/2009/06/vatican-says-.html
June 6, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Let's not put the onus only on priests. Many, many times I've been the only person showing up for Confession. Yes, priests need to mention it more but we can also encourage others to accompany us when we go. The more people that show up, the longer the priest will need for Confessions. Just a thought. Oh and I'm looking forward to the Handbook (I'll take any opportunity to buy a new book).