Fr Z's post QUAERITUR: Confessions on Good Friday reminds me that it is high time to post (again) on the question of hearing confessions on Good Friday. Yes - we can.See the link above to Fr Z's post or mine from last year: Let's smash this old chestnut once and for all.
Just in case anyone is in the area and wants confession, I'll be hearing confessions at Blackfen this week as follows:
- After 10am Mass Tuesday and Wednesday
- After Maundy Thursday 8pm Mass
- After 11am Stations on Good Friday
- After 3pm Liturgy on Good Friday
- 11am-12noon and 5-5.30pm on Holy Saturday
10 comments:
Isn't that a coconut?
:)
That's a coconut, Father... ;p
OK guys - so it's a coconut!!!
I think Fr. Tim was emphasising in graphic fashion, just how big this 'old chestnut' had really grown!
The more opportunity for the Faithful to attend to matters of reconciling their Souls to God the better. To attend Confession on such a Holy day as Good Friday would seem to me to be a very worthy and meritorious thing to do for Our Blessed Lord, who suffered the most agonising Passion and Death to redeem us from sin.
Thank you to Fr. Tim and to all our Priests who will be available throughout Easter to hear our confessions and to help us make a good confession allowing God to flood our souls with His Grace once again so that we can accept His only beloved Son in Holy Communion with that purity of heart and soul in which He can dwell.
A Happy and Holy Easter to all.
Fr,
Just out of interest why is it thought by some that Confession should not be heard?
I understand the no Mass thing after the Good Friday Mass till the Easter vigil on Saturday evening and the Church waiting in silence but can't see why people would thing confessions should not be heard.
As all seven sacraments were instituted by Our Lord, let's look at His example from Scripture.
He forgave and absolved the Repentant Thief on.........Good Friday.
(Actually, prohibiting confessions on Good Friday is morally no different from the Pharisees opposing healing on the Sabbath.)
Every year this comes up and it is good to point out that confessions during the Triduum are not forbidden as had been asserted in the past. HOWEVER, that does not mean the same thing as asserting that they SHOULD be heard during the Triduum. It is important because many priests refuse a penitent who comes to them during the Triduum on the grounds that it is "forbidden" which is wrong. However, there are parts of the world where bishops are trying to teach their people that it is not preferable to have confessions during the Triduum which is not only the most sacred time of the year but is also one continuous liturgy spread over three days. Haven't any of you ever wondered why there is no blessing and dismissal on Holy Thursday or Good Friday? Because the liturgy is not over yet, that's why! The season of Lent is a preparation for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery which is accomplished over all three of the days of the Triduum. It isn't just Easter Sunday that we are preparing for.
In my parish and diocese we go to GREAT lengths to provide extra and ample opportunities for the faithful to confess as a way of preparing for Holy Week and Easter all during Lent (which is, after all, OVER once the Triduum has begun) and right up until the Wednesday of Holy Week but seeing to it that this is done prior to the Triduum so that the confession is a preparation for the three holiest days of the year. Often those efforts are under-appreciated or even ignored by lay people who stay away from confession because they want to wait until the last possible minute. In addition, many American parishes are extremely large but have a serious deficiency in numbers of priests. However, in the days prior to the Triduum we are able to get the assistance of priests from other parishes facilitating the extra confessions we schedule for people in Lent.
To what extent are those who purposely want to wait until Good Friday to go to confession just being lazy and/or inconsiderate or even possibly selfish? When people ask what is so wrong with wanting confession as close as possible to Easter so as to remain in a state of grace for Easter I have to ask if it is really so impossible to go to confession on Wednesday and avoid mortal sin for 4 days? REALLY?
In these very busy days with the church requiring much decorating and un-decorating for each day, homilies to be prepared/refined/finished for each liturgy and trying to maintain some sense of my own prayer and recollection as well I really do admire those priests who also add scheduled confessions to their Triduum schedules. What I resent is the carping of lazy and selfish lay people who simply want what they want when and how they want it who try to claim that we are wrong who don't hear confessions during the Triduum.
In addition, everyone glosses over the fact that Good Friday is supposed to be a day where the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion is the only liturgy. The rest of the day is a-liturgical and EVERY celebration of a sacrament is a liturgy, even confessions. So, on Good Friday it should be reserved to those in danger of death or in some other circumstance of genuine need.
Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done. What should or shouldn't be done is a matter of opinion. In my opinion what should be done is that people should use the penitential season of Lent for the purpose for which it is intended: to prepare for Easter and to accomplish that BEFORE the Triduum begins so as to enter into the entire Triduum already prepared by the grace of the Sacrament of Penance.
While no priest should ever refuse to hear someone's confession even during the Triduum (or teach that it is forbidden so to do) the instruction of bishops about a strong preference that confessions be concluded before the start of the Triduum cannot be simply ignored. Certainly it cannot be ridiculed by those who want confession on Good Friday simply because they couldn't be bothered to go before that when they had many opportunities to do so.
Fr Guy - I'm sorry, I have to disagree with you on this one. although private confession is a part of the Liturgy, it is not so in the same way as the services of the Triduum. For example, you can hear confessions while Mass is being celebrated: something you could not do with other liturgical celebrations.
I don't agree that the rubric simply "permits" confessions during the Triduum. I would say that it restores the common sense custom that was in place previously.
Remember too, that if confession is encouraged, many people come once a fortnight and therefore will want to come in Holy Week even if they have been earlier in Lent.
You're at perfect liberty to disagree with my opinion with no hard feelings of course. However, I was also commenting on the teaching of both my own bishop and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I think you'd agree that while you have no obligation to them at all I owe them at least some respect and compliance. I suppose what I mean is that while opinions may differ on this topic it is also not possible to speak in universal absolutes on the subject because both teachings and particular law (not to mention custom) differ from place to place.
Last Easter everything was so exciting, overwhelming and new (not to mention nervous) it was a lot to take in a times, this year having a basic understanding of what is happening around me (I think!) means I can notice the little details of the services and I am really enjoying it.
Interesting fact about the blessing and dismissal on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, I had noticed but had honestly thought it was an over sight of the priest with so must going on during the different services.
As for lay people putting off confession till the last minute I think I am missing something, but why? I understand that a person wants to be prepared and contrite for what they have done but why put off going to Confession any longer than necessary. When I have done something that requires I go to Confession it affects every part of my being. I feel completely cut off from God. It affects me when I go to Mass and have to reframe from receiving Holy Communion, it affects me when I go to say my daily prayers, it even affects me when I go about my daily routine and find myself thinking of God. It’s a shameful, sorrowful, unclean feeling and I long for God’s forgiveness, which sits heavy in the center of my stomach and only gets worse and worse the longer I wait. Why would anyone, say who needs Confession on the second Sunday of Lent wish to wait till Good Friday before going to seek God’s forgiveness. Not wanting to sound flippant with regards God’s forgiveness but why not go on the second Sunday and if something were to happen that requires you to go again before Easter just go.
To wait just seems ludicrous. Admittedly it can be embarrassing if it has not been long since your last Confession or if you have done something you are particularly ashamed of but to purposely put off seeking God’s forgiveness for the sake of it just seems worse some how, especially during a season which is meant to be for spiritual and prayerful.
Ok this is my first Lent as a Catholic so perhaps I have it wrong and perhaps it’s different for people who don’t choose to go to confession very often but the first Confession I made which fell in the Lenten season I prepare for more careful by making a very vigilant examination of my conscience and assigning myself additional penance with the purpose of it being my Lenten Confession and made an extra firm resolution not to need to go again during Lent but it I failed and have since needed to go to Confession again, so once prepared and contrite I have gone again I have not waited!
As for really trying to avoid mortal sin for 4 days I have a least felt inside a need to especially avoid occasions of sin not just for 4 days but for all of Holy Week since hearing the account of the Passion of Palm Sunday but I suppose that is just a personal thing. Saying that, it was through listening to the Passion and at the time feeling so personally accountable for Christ having to die for my sins on the cross that once again led me to Confession on Monday. I have also found both Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to be very personal and emotional experiences and am glad Confession is available where possible for people who require it even if I don’t understand why some people choose to purposely want to put it off till now.
Catherine - thank you for your comment: your instincts are entirely right. But people do not necessarily "put off" confession to the last minute. Some just worry too much and leave it too late, others just don't get round to it, others still have been already and want to go again. As a priest, I try to be there for all of them.
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