Confession and the early Christians (or, Dudes who went to Confession before Pope Francis made it cool)

The saddest thing about ignorance is that it often leads to hate.

That’s why it irks me big time when people say that Confession was “invented” in the Middle Ages, so that people would share their dirty little secrets and “useful” information to their equally corrupt clergy.

I’ve always admired the early Christians. They were close enough to Jesus’ time yet far enough from seeing the billion-strong membership that is the fruit of their faithfulness to God. And they’re the original Catholic hipsters. 😛 Photo by Live Action Hero on Flickr under CC BY 2.0

Truth is, Confession has been here — at least in its rudiments — since biblical times! And even before Jesus instituted it formally, St John the Baptist already heard people’s confessions before he baptized them in the Jordan River. (Of course, his version of confession rite was merely symbolic of the people’s repentance, with no effects equal to those of the Sacrament which Jesus would institute years later.)

Immediately after Jesus ascended to heaven, the first Christians were already encouraging each other to go to Confession. They looked at the Sacrament as necessary for salvation. Their faith was sincere and simple, as can be gleaned in these quotes from some early Christians:

“If the serpent, the devil, bites someone secretly, he infects that person with the venom of sin. And if the one who has been bitten keeps silence and does not do penance, and does not want to confess his wound . . . then his brother and his master, who have the word [of absolution] that will cure him, cannot very well assist him.”
– St Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:11 [AD 388]

“It is necessary to confess our sins to those to whom the dispensation of God’s mysteries is entrusted. Those doing penance of old are found to have done it before the saints. It is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sins to John the Baptist [Matt. 3:6], but in Acts [19:18] they confessed to the apostles.”
– St Basil the Great, Rules Briefly Treated 288 [AD 374]

“Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who . . . confess their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience. . . . I beseech you, brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is still in this world, while his confession is still admissible, while the satisfaction and remission made through the priests are still pleasing before the Lord.”
– St Cyprian of Carthage, The Lapsed 28 [AD 251]

“[A final method of forgiveness], albeit hard and laborious [is] the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner… does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord and from seeking medicine, after the manner of him who say, ‘I said, “To the Lord I will accuse myself of my iniquity.””
– Origen, Homilies on Leviticus 2:4 [AD 248]

“[Regarding confession, some] flee from this work as being an exposure of themselves, or they put it off from day to day. I presume they are more mindful of modesty than of salvation, like those who contract a disease in the more shameful parts of the body and shun making themselves known to the physicians; and thus they perish along with their own bashfulness.”
– Tertullian, Repentance 10:1 [AD 203]

“Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure.”
– The Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]

These quotes were culled from Catholic.com

Getting to know St John XXIII (Hint: he also confessed to an ordinary priest!)

At 9:00am Roman time today, Pope Francis declared two former popes Saints of the Catholic Church.

Everyone, of course, knows St John Paul II — but St John XXIII…?

St John XXIII was also known as “the Good Pope” — and, some say, had the same sense of humor as Pope Francis’. Image from mahhai on Flickr.

Like most Catholics now, I’m also a recent “acquaintance” of John XXIII. I used to recognize him only as the fat, jolly pope who convened the Second Vatican Council in the ’60s. I also knew he had a published journal — modestly titled Journal of a Soul — which gives us glimpses of his interior life.

But that was all.

Now that his canonization has finally come, I did some research. Of course, you know my bias. 😉

It turns out he also went to Confession. Haha! Of course, all popes (not just Pope Francis) would go to Confession regularly! Didn’t I say even St John Paul II used to confess once a week?

St John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962. Whooooaaaa, clergy galore. Photo from CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano

Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in 1881, St John XXIII reigned as Supreme Pontiff only for about five years. Brief, but what a church-changing period! He convened the Second Vatican Council, in a move that Pope Francis described today as a bold “openness to the Spirit”, as was the entire life of John XXIII. That Council, of course, had been misinterpreted by some but, in the mysterious ways of God, later on produced so much fruit and its true message came to light especially starting with the pontificate of St John Paul II. (Part of this message was the universal call to holiness — that everyone is called to become saints!)

And Confession — penance in general — was so much in the mind of the St John XXIII that he urged Catholics to do penitential acts in preparation for the Council. Months before the Council opened in October 1962, he issued the encyclical Paenitentia Agere (Doing Penance), in which he underlined the importance of penance in the spiritual life, both individual and ecclesial.

“Doing penance for one’s sins is a first step towards obtaining forgiveness and winning eternal salvation,” he wrote. “No individual Christian can grow in perfection, nor can Christianity gain in vigor, except it be on the basis of penance.”

In a section where he discussed Baptism, he said:

…[W]ell may those sinners who have stained the white robe of their sacred baptism fear the just punishments of God. Their remedy is “to wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb”(cf. Rev. 7.14 )—to restore themselves to their former splendor in the sacrament of Penance—and to school themselves in the practice of Christian virtue. 

Former splendor! Restored to grace, we can indeed become as angelic as newly baptized infants.

The body of St John XXIII in the crypts of St Peter’s Basilica. The lady is taking a picture…and praying. Photo from Fox News

And did you know that St John XXIII also did something like what St John Paul II did decades later? A story goes: when he was still Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Roncalli knelt and asked to go to Confession to one of his priests, whom he had caught doing something that a man of God wouldn’t. What he told the priest was simply edifying. Read the full article on page 2, par 1 »

After all this meager information I got, I’m now curious to know more about St John XXIII. His Journal should be a good start, right?

Soon-to-be Pope St John Paul II and why he used to confess once a week

I watched his funeral on TV, and I became interested to learn more about my faith. That was Blessed John Paul II’s first miracle for me. The next one was the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

One of the most charismatic persons in modern times, the future Pope St John Paul II also knew his shortcomings and went to Confession like all other sinners who want to become saints. Photo by Dennis Jarvis on Flickr

And on Sunday Pope John Paul II will finally be declared a saint, along with Pope John XXIII.

Everyone, of course, thinks he should be. Even while he was still alive, he was labeled along with Mother (now Blessed) Teresa of Calcutta a “living saint.”

The miracles and his other virtues aside, one remarkable aspect of Pope John Paul II was his love for the Sacrament of Penance or Confession. He was known to go to Confession once a week.

In a forum in 2004, he said: “It would be illusory to desire to reach holiness — according to the vocation that each one has received from God — without partaking frequently of this sacrament of conversion and sanctification.” He added that together with the Holy Eucharist, “[Confession] accompanies the path of the Christian towards perfection.”

His Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliation and Penance is another testament to his desire for Catholics to find God’s mercy in Confession and acts of penance. (I still haven’t yet read it in full, but so far so good!)

Also, if we were so edified by Pope Francis’ unexpected Confession last March, imagine how such a saint as JP2 must have also walked his talk.

I remember an anecdote about how Pope John Paul II invited a group of priests to dinner. One of the priests brought along a man he had met only a few days ago; the man was actually a priest who had gone astray many years ago and was now in the streets of Rome begging for alms. Long story short, the priest-turn-beggar-turned-lucky-man-to-have-dinner-with-the-pope was pulled aside by the Supreme Pontiff. Pope John Paul II confessed to him! The priest was at first hesitant since he had long ago been deprived of the “faculty” to hear confession, but the Pope said he was the Bishop of Rome and he could restore that faculty! Later on — though I’m not 100% sure — the priest himself was restored to his diocese.

I still get goosebumps when I hear this story.

Happy Priests’ Day! (or, Why a world without priests is a sad, sad place)

I was late for the Chrism Mass today at the Manila Cathedral.

I was at the threshold of the centuries-old church (rebuilt several times after wars and destructive earthquakes), where I could only see the Mass presided by Cardinal Tagle, but not hear it.

The Last Supper, the First Mass. Today priests continue to make Christ present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Juan de Juanes (c. 1560). Image from artbible.info

Marshals already closed the glass doors when people inside already occupied most of the back area. Unlucky, tardy me. It was too warm in my spot and some of the crowd were already beginning to complain, like the Hebrews at Massah. It was impossible to participate in the Mass properly.

I left.

Lo and behold, a large crowd had already gathered at the plaza outside the minor basilica. Many were holding streamers congratulating their respective parish priests. “Happy Priests’ Day!” one banner seemed to shout.

And I have to agree: it is Priests’ Day, although technically there is no such Day. But what we commemorate today — the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, and therefore the priesthood — kinda justifies it. It’s a day for our priests, our confessors!

The world would be such a sad place if Jesus — the One Eternal Priest — didn’t institute the priesthood. Imagine a world without priests:

• No sanctifying grace — channeled through Baptism and Confession — which allows us to share in God’s very life and nature
• No Blessed Sacrament — the physical and real presence of Jesus Christ in the world!
• No Pope, who is the visible head of the Church, leading us by concrete words and actions to God
• No grace given to married couples, who need supernatural strength to overcome the difficulties of married life
• No spiritual strength and peace given to the ill through the Anointing of the Sick
• No blessing for homes and other buildings, which may be hosting demons
• No exorcism (because, as Pope Francis says, the devil is real and denying its existence is being naive)
• No spiritual guidance given by men who are specially blessed by God and completely dedicated to Him and His Church
• No Holy Mass — the most amazing thing that can ever happen on earth (an infinite number of beautiful universes is nothing compared to a simple Mass), where God gives Himself and become truly, really, and substantially present!

St John Mary Vianney, Patron of Priests, said it perfectly when he remarked that “the Priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus” (quoted in CCC 1589).

Happy Priests’ Day!

PS. Pray — especially today — that all our priests be truly faithful, holy, and happy. (Didn’t I say it’s Happy Priests’ Day?) 😛

Pope Francis on why Catholics confess to priests

I wrote something on why we confess our sins to a priest and not ‘directly to God.’

One thing I missed mentioning there is Pope Francis’ more prominent reason why we do it: to be reconciled with the Church, whom one wounds every time he or she sins.

Pope Francis is on a roll. Photo from wikimedia.org

Pope Francis’ words:

In the celebration of this Sacrament, the priest represents not only God but also the whole community, who sees itself in the weakness of each of its members, who listens and is moved by his repentance, and who is reconciled with him, which cheers him up and accompanies him on the path of conversion and human and Christian growth.

One might say: I confess only to God. Yes, you can say to God “forgive me” and say your sins, but our sins are also committed against the brethren, and against the Church. That is why it is necessary to ask pardon of the Church, and of the brethren in the person of the priest. [emphases mine]

I’ve always loved how the Holy Father makes sometimes-complex ideas seem like a crystal ball (for clarity) thrown at you (with impact).

Video: Pope Francis goes to Confession — and why we should, too

Talk about setting a good example.

Pope Francis, after presiding a penitential service (not equivalent to Confession, but leading to it) as part of the “Festival of Forgiveness” that started yesterday, unexpectedly goes to Confession!

The master of ceremonies, who was leading the Pope to his assigned confessional where he would hear confessions, was for a split second kind of disoriented, when the Holy Father detoured to a nearby confessional. The Pope knelt and is seen making his Confession to a (lucky) priest. The rite reportedly lasted a few minutes.

Now isn’t that a perfect keynote to the “Festival of Forgiveness”?!

So what are we waiting for? Let’s go to Confession!

Pope Francis’ ‘celebration of forgiveness’

And so, Pope Francis promises not a climax, but a powerful ignition, of a wild campaign of mercy.

Some days ago (sorry I couldn’t blog quickly enough!), the Holy Father announced in his Sunday Angelus that March 28-29 will be a “celebration of forgiveness.”

Pope Francis as champion of Confession. Photo from patheos.com

From midnight of March 28 to midnight of March 29, St Peter’s Basilica and various churches and parishes the world over will have prayer sessions and Confessions galore. Priests will be available to hear confessions.

Pope Francis calls the event “24 hours for the Lord.”

I really hope that bishops and parish priests would look at this as the signal to open the dams of God’s mercy and make the Sacrament of Confession available in all parishes regularly (if possible, daily!) — no more “by appointment only” Confessions!

How often should one go to Confession?

Here are three easy-to-remember points, ladies and gents.

1. Quite simply, we have to go to Confession if we know we have committed a mortal or grave sin. Such sin can only be forgiven in Confession.

2. What the Church also requires is that we go to Confession once a year (CCC 1457). And perhaps she has in mind that we do this before or in the Easter season, in which she requires us to receive Holy Communion (we are required to receive Communion at least once a year, specifically in this season). As you probably know, one cannot receive Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin. So one has to be in the state of grace first — received through Confession — in order to receive Holy Communion.

(I once questioned why the heck we have all these “requirements”. Then I realized — Confession as the embrace of our Father God, and Communion as the tangible self-giving of the Maker of the universe — what stupid question!)

A priest takes a break from hearing Confessions during the World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/

3. What the Church strongly recommends, however, is that we go to Confession once a month. This is just about enough for the Christian to follow an OK path to sanctity. Going to Confession in this frequency — whether or not one has committed mortal sin — can already help her or him to stay on track to holiness. Of course, this takes for granted that the person is also intensely striving to improve in other aspects of Christian life, such as in prayer, good works, apostolate, and especially, the Holy Mass.

But depending on one’s conscience, a Christian can always decide to go more frequently than once a month. Pope Francis goes to Confession every two weeks. Blessed John Paul II went every week. St. Josemaria Escriva even said sometimes he would go more than once a week, when he thought he needed it. It’s important to note that Confession isn’t just about having our sins forgiven, but also about receiving actual graces.

Blessed John Paul II hears a confession at the Vatican. Photo from http://www.fatimacrusader.com

In conclusion, then, frequent and regular Confession is beneficial to everyone. The minimum is set by the Church to, I guess, remind us how much we’re missing if we only go to Confession once a year, or less. That minimum requirement is an invitation for us to reconsider the true nature of Confession, which is astoundingly beautiful! And once we see that beauty, then we can decide to go monthly, or more frequently than that.

I will write a separate post specifically on frequent Confession in the future. For now, let’s settle with the basics. OK?

Why to a priest and not ‘directly to God’?

We often hear this question among our non-Catholic friends. Sometimes it’s even from some of our Catholic friends. You probably asked this yourself. I know I did.

“Why can’t I just confess directly to God?” I said aloud. But at the back of my mind I continued  “– so I don’t have to humiliate myself before a man who is probably more sinful than I am.”

Okay. I know how you feel, buddy.

Let me explain by slicing (to irrelevance, hehe) that quoted statement above.

Outdoor Confessions during the World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid. Photo from Catholic Church England and Wales

First of all, confessing “to a priest” is confessing directly to God. Not that the priest is God, but that Christ wanted his minister, the priest, to act in his name and person. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt 16:19),” Christ told his apostles, whose ‘descendants’ are our bishops and priests. Confessors —  that is, priests and bishops who hear Confessions — are mere instruments of God’s mercy shown in Confession. Jesus Christ wants us to actually hear him forgiving us!

As for that second part of the statement — “so I don’t have to humiliate myself before a man who is probably more sinful than I am.” Well, we are probably right that our confessor is more sinful. But can we please let God judge him instead? Who are we to judge the priest? Besides, the effectiveness of the Sacrament doesn’t depend on the holiness (or lack of it) of the priest, but on the mercy of God alone.

For now let us look at ourselves, who feel the need of a sincere acknowledgement that we are miserable sinners, thirsty for God’s forgiveness. Believe it or not, we need to be humiliated in order to repent deeply. Look at the prodigal son. On his return to his father, he humiliated himself, saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” The boy faced his father! He didn’t write a letter or thought to himself that his father had already forgiven him just because he knew his father was such a good man. He actually returned home!

Exit to safety. Photo: Hans Dinkelberg

So that shame or embarrassment we feel when going to Confession — that’s natural. We worry if we don’t have it; it could mean we’re not really sorry about sinning. Pope Francis said, “Even embarrassment is good. It’s healthy to have a bit of shame… it does us good, because it makes us more humble.”

In the end, then, confessing to a priest helps us to become humble. And then — wonder of wonders — the priest, too, is helped to become humble. I heard it from some priest friends that they are indeed humbled by their penitents (of course, they said it in a very general way, lest they toe the line of their secrecy vow). Oh, the amount of humble trust that penitents gave them! And the even greater trust that God gives them in order to carry out his continuous act of forgiving!

Confession as sacrament of forgiveness

My favorite parable has got to be the one of the Prodigal Son. You know the story. Boy gets his inheritance, boy squanders it, boy repents and goes back to father, father welcomes him back.

This story also happens to be the closest metaphor to what happens in Confession.

We offend God, but God welcomes us back — if we repent and sincerely return to him. But like the father in the parable, he doesn’t force us to come home; he waits at the door. Today he’s right there on the other door of the confessional (if your church has those traditional confession boxes, anyway).

Embed from Getty Images

The sad thing, though, is that many times we get stuck halfway through the process. We stop at the squandering-and-becoming-sad part. Or, at best, at the repentance part. No actual return to the Father whatsoever.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

[Confession] is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest’s sacramental absolution God grants the penitent ‘pardon and peace.’ (1424)

In order for our mortal or grave sins to be forgiven, we need the priest’s absolution. It’s that moment when he says “I absolve you of your sins,” or words to that effect.

And you know what? Nothing beats hearing the person we offended tell us that he has forgiven us! The priest, as minister of Christ, acts in the name and the person of Christ, whom we offended when we sinned. So it’s really Christ, God, who forgives us in Confession.

Confession is also helpful for us, poor sinners, who have to accuse ourselves of sins, so that we can become truly humble. This private humiliation — a secret between you, the priest (who will most likely forget immediately the sins you just told him), and God — can lead us to greater trust in God’s mercy and help afterwards.

Besides, as Pope Francis said, in Confession we also get reconciled with the Church, because we also hurt the Church — the People of God — whenever we sin. And it is in Confession where we can have those wounds healed through the representative of the Church, the priest.

Actually, even at a non-spiritual way of looking at Confession, the Sacrament spares us from sure insanity in difficult times. Things that weight heavily in our soul have to be unburdened somewhere, to someone. And who else is more worthy of being our confidant than Jesus Christ himself?

So every time you hear the word “Confession”, think about the repentant son who came home — to be lavished by his father with kisses, a tight embrace, and everything sonship entails.