As Voltaire said: 'Repentance for our faults can alone take the place of innocence, and that, to show ourselves repentant, we must begin by declaring them.’ Few Catholic customs have been subjected to greater criticism than that of going to Confession. One can do no better than to initiate this discussion with the sneering comment of George Bernard Shaw to G.K Chesterton after his conversion: 'Your portly kneeling figure’ in the confessional would be 'incredible, monstrous, comic.’ More enlightened was Chesterton’s answer: 'When a Catholic comes from Confession, he does truly, by definition, step out into that dawn of his own beginning… in that brief ritual God has really remade him in His own image. He may be grey and gouty; but he is only five minutes old.’

All of us 'who are over 30′ remember the long confessional lines that plagued us every week in our childhood. Saints like the Curé of Ars were known to have spent 17 hours continuously in that 'dark box’ – and those that suspect some 'voyeristic’ pleasure in such a function would do well to meditate on the fact that man’s inventiveness in sin is limited, and that priests have always complained that listening to pettiness of man’s repetitive sins is the least pleasant and most boring of all their obligations.

All this has changed. Currently only 6% of those who consider themselves Catholic and who go to Church regularly go to Confession on a monthly basis and only 1% more often than that. According to the Notre Dame study in 1983, 26% of those formally affiliated to their parishes never go to Confession at all. Now all this is occurring at a time when higher percentages of practicing Catholics are receiving the Eucharist on a regular basis. Studies show that among those who go to Confession once or twice a year or never at all, more than 80% are communicants. Are we to assume that sin has lessened? One may be permitted to doubt this.

A recent report by the American Bishops’ Committee for Pastoral Research and Practice considers the results of such polls 'puzzling.’ Religious liberals conclude that the old forms are no longer serving the believers’ needs. Others suggest that the more obvious explanation is a lessened fear of hell and a decreased awareness about the nature of sin and the purpose of the Confessional.

Confession is not a psychiatric session

Considerable confusion has been spread abroad by liberal Catholics who attempt to explain away Confession as a 'way of getting rid of guilt,’ and hence as a Catholic variety of psychotherapy. It should be clear that, while the forgiveness of sins carries in its train the removal of guilt – at least that obvious guilt that relates to the sin involved – this is a far cry from the analyst’s couch. The Catholic penitent is just that – a penitent. He admits that he is guilty of sin and his forgiveness is among other things totally dependent upon a 'firm purpose of amendment.’ The psychoanalyst who by definition passes no moral judgement on his patient, functions to uncover the root causes for a patient’s sense of guilt. This sense of guilt the psychiatrist deals with is in no way objective; it is not an offence the patient is aware of. The psychiatrist functions to help the patient uncover suppressed or false reasons for this sense of guilt. If and when he does this, he then attempts to teach the patient how to live with those 'negative’ (never evil) traits within his and every person’s soul. The psychiatrist never forgives – it is the patient who must forgive himself. The psychiatrist never demands retribution, for this also is left to the patient – indeed, if the patient felt the need to perform some penitential act it would be viewed by the analyst as evidence of a persisting guilt complex. The psychiatrist does not demand any amendment of life other than that which the patient may himself recognize the need of.

A brief history of confession

As a result of Adam’s 'fall,’ the material and animal principle in man declared war against the spiritual and intellectual – the net result of which is, as St. Paul expressed it, that 'I find a law, that when I have a will to do good, evil is present with me. For I am delighted with the law of God according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin’ (Rom. VII:22-23). While such is the underlying principle leading to sin, the ten commandments clearly codify those offences against God and one’s fellow man.

We see also, that even among the Jews, Confession was a 'sacrament.’ In Numbers V: verses 6 and 7 we read’ when a man or woman shall have committed any of all the sins that men are wont to commit, and by negligence shall have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and offended, they shall confess their sin and restore the principal itself, and the fifth part over and above, to him against whom they have sinned. But if there be no one to receive it, they shall give it to the Lord, and it shall be the priest’s besides the ram that is offered for expiation, to be an atoning sacrifice.’

As with the other sacraments, Confession was established by Our Lord when he said 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven’ (2. Cor. II:6-8 Cf. Also John I:9; James V.16).

And from the foundation of the Church the Fathers have encouraged Confession. As St. Clement of Rome said in the First Century: 'For whatsoever things, therefore, we have transgressed by any of the suggestions of the adversary, let us supplicate pardon. Tertullian says of this Sacrament that ’Confession of sins lightens their burthen, as much as the dissembling of them increases it; for Confession savoureth of satisfaction, dissembling of stubbornness… if thou drawest back from Confession, consider in thine heart that hell-fire which Confession shall quench for thee; and first imagine to thyself the greatness of the punishment, that thou mayest not doubt concerning the adoption of the remedy.’ St. Cyprian teaches: 'we have an Advocate and an Intercessor for our sins, Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, if only we are penitent that we have sinned in time past, and confessing and understanding our sins whereby we now offend the Lord, we promise, for the future at least, to walk in his ways, and to fear his commandments.’ St. Cyril of Jerusalem instructs us to 'Put off the old man, who is corrupted according to the deceitful lusts, by means of Confession, that you may put on the new man.’ St. Ambrose tells us that 'Sins are remitted by the word of God, of which the Levite is the interpreter, and also the executor; they are also remitted by the office of the priest, and the sacred ministry.’

We see in these early examples all the principles required for a proper Confession: the admission of sin to a priest, a firm purpose of amendment; the acceptance of a penance (sacrifice), the need for reparation or restitution where appropriate; and absolution given by the priest as an alter Christus.

To whom we do confess?

It should be clear that through the medium of the priest – who functions as an alter Christus or 'another Christ’ – it is to Christ Himself that we confess, and similarly, the priest forgives us in the same capacity. This is made strikingly clear in the Eastern Rites where the priest and the penitent approach Christ’s icon on the iconastasis; the priest drapes his stole over the penitent who then confesses to both the priest and before the iconographic representation of our Lord.

Do we need a priest to confess to?

St Augustine addresses this issue. To quote him directly: 'Let no person say, I do penance in secret in the presence of God; it suffices that he who is to grant me pardon should know the repentance which I feel in the depth of my heart. If such were the case, it would be without reason for Jesus Christ to say, Whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven, or that He should have confided the keys to His Church. It is not, then, sufficient to confess to God; we must also confess to those who have received from Him the power of binding and loosing.’

And again: 'There are some who imagine it is sufficient for their salvation to confess to God, from whom nothing is concealed, and who reads the secrets of all hearts, for they are unwilling, either from motives of shame, or pride, or contempt, to show themselves to the priests, although our Lord has appointed them to discern between the different kinds of leprosy. Disabuse yourself of such an opinion, and be not ashamed to confess to the vicar of the Lord. For we must submit to the judgment of those whom He has not disdained to put in His place. When, then, you are sick, send for a priest to come to you and disclose to him all the secrets of your conscience. Do not permit yourself to be led astray by the false religion of those who tell you, in visiting you, that Confession made to God alone, without the intervention of the priest, is capable of saving you. We do not deny that it is often necessary to address ourselves to God, and make our Confession to Him, but, before all things, we have need of the priest. Regard him as an Angel sent by God; open to him the innermost secrets of your heart; reveal to him whatever causes you most confusion; be not ashamed to declare to one man what you have not blushed to commit in the presence of many. Make, then, an entire Confession, without dissimulation or excuses for your fault. Be simple and exact; make no evasions or circumlocutions, which only obscure and embarrass the truth. Note the circumstances of your sins, the places, occasions, and the persons, without however naming them.’

The Eastern Churches hold to the same opinion. The Confessio orthodoxa directed against Cyril Lucar by Peter Mogilas (1642), which was signed by all the orthodox patriarchs of the time, enjoys among them the value of a creed. It contains the following statement: 'This contrition of the heart must be followed by an oral Confession of each and every sin, because the confessor cannot forgive anything if he does not know what there is to be forgiven and what sort of penance he is to impose.’

The seal of confession

Brief mention must be made of what is called the 'Seal of Confession,’ or the obligation of the priest never under any circumstances to reveal what he hears in confession. The most trifling disclosure, either direct or indirect, is contrary to the very essence of Confession.

’The seal of Confession is of divine right; it rests on the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, on the obligation laid upon us to confess our sins; hence no power can dispense from the law, not even in the case of danger to the commonweal,’

Civil law has recognized this seal and priests have given up their lives to protect it. Priests who have gone insane, have on being questioned about what they heard in Confession, refused to answer. Priests who have left the Church and apostatized from the faith have somehow kept the seal. It is an extraordinary fact that over almost 2000 years of recorded history, no one can point to a documented case where this seal has been violated.

What if no priest is available?

God does not ask the impossible. Obviously, if no priest is available, one cannot confess to one. However, when in danger of death, a Catholic can request any validly ordained priest to hear his Confession. According to Father Augustine, such applies 'even [to a priest] who is a member of a schismatic or heretic sect, or apostatized or censured…’ Such a priest 'may validly absolve anyone in danger of death, even in the presence of an approved confessor.’ A further note has been added to this ruling by a decision of the Holy Office: 'provided no scandal is given to the faithful, no danger of perversion threatens the sick person, and finally, provided that it may be reasonably presumed that the schismatic minister will absolve according to the rite of the Church.’

If even such is not available the person can make what is called an ACT OF CONTRITION.

’O My God, I am heartily sorry for my sins, not only because I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell [up to now we have an act of imperfect contrition], but most of all because I have offended Thee My God, who art infinitely good and worthy of all my love. [It is this higher motivation – for the love of God – if sufficiently intense – that makes an act of contrition perfect.] I resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to amend my life, to confess my sins and to do penance’ [i.e., make satisfaction].

It should be added that for the dying individual 'The papal benediction with attached plenary indulgence may be gained by saying the Holy Name of Jesus. If unable to say it, the person must at least think it, and with contrition kiss a blessed crucifix.’

FOOTNOTES