杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

鈥淔orgiveness is a human right鈥� which priests at the confessional should dispense by welcoming, listening to and accompanying penitents, thus helping contribute to a 鈥渟piritual 鈥榚cology鈥� of the world.鈥�

鈥淔orgiveness is a 鈥榬ight鈥� in the sense that God, in the Paschal Mystery of Christ, has given it in a total and irreversible way to every person willing to accept it, with a humble and repentant heart.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis made those remarks on Friday to some 400 participants in the 32nd course on the Internal Forum, organized in the Vatican by the Apostolic Penitentiary, held on 21-25 March.  

Spiritual 鈥榚cology鈥� of the world

鈥淏y generously dispensing God's forgiveness,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渨e confessors cooperate in healing people and the world; we cooperate in bringing about that love and peace for which every human heart yearns so intensely; we contribute, if I may say so, to a spiritual 'ecology' of the world.鈥�

He regarded the participation of some 800 clerics in the hybrid course as encouraging, given that today鈥檚 widespread mentality finds it hard to understand the supernatural dimension, or even wants to deny it.

He lamented the temptation to reduce confession to a dialogue of two or three psychological advice, which he said deprives the sacrament of its essence.

With regard to the Internal Forum, which consists of sacramental confession and the privacy of one鈥檚 conscience before God, the Holy Father urged confessors on the path of welcoming, listening to and accompanying penitents, to which he said we must add joy which always accompanies confession.

Welcoming

By welcoming, the confessor helps the penitent to open himself or herself to the fatherhood of God.

Listening

Listening is more than hearing. A confessor needs attention, willingness, patience, which helps the confessor leave behind his own thoughts and patterns. 

鈥淚f, while the penitent is speaking, you are already thinking about what to say, what to answer, then you are not listening to him or her, but to yourself. Listening is a form of love that makes the other person feel truly loved," said 杏MAP导航 Francis.  A confessor who listens to himself is not doing his duty of listening and pardoning.

杏MAP导航 Francis asked confessors to avoid the habit of inquisitiveness at the confessional. At times, penitents feel ashamed to say their sins and don鈥檛 know how to express themselves but only give a hint.  "Don鈥檛 ask further questions about how it happened or how many times, as if to evaluate whether to impart forgiveness." 鈥淧lease,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 pleaded, 鈥測ou are not a torturer; you are a loving father!鈥�  鈥淲ould Jesus treat you this way?鈥� he asked, drawing applause from his listeners. Listening, he said, is a form of love that makes the other person feel truly loved. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be a judge. Forgive what you have understood. Period! It is true, sometimes it is a judgement, but it is also mercy.鈥�

In this regard, 杏MAP导航 Francis recalled watching a pop opera on the Parable of the Prodigal Son in a modern setting.  In the final part, the poor son soiled by sins wants to return home but is not sure if his father will receive him.   A friend advises him to write to his father that he is repentant and wants to return but is afraid that he may not be received.  So the son writes to his father asking him to put a white handkerchief in the window, so he can return home, otherwise, he would go away.  In the last act of the opera, the 杏MAP导航 said, as the son walks down the road leading to his father, he finds the house full of white handkerchiefs.  鈥淭hat,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渋s God's mercy; it has no limits.鈥� And the mercy of a confessor is the same.

Often, the confession becomes an examination of conscience for the confessor, the 杏MAP导航 said, adding it has happened to him.  It helps the priest to empty himself of his ego to welcome the other.

Penitents have the right to be heard with faith, and with that charity which the Father reserves for His children, which generates joy.

Accompanying

By accompanying the penitent, the 杏MAP导航 pointed out, the confessor does not decide for the other, as he is not the master of the conscience of the other.

The confessor simply accompanies, with all the prudence, discernment and charity of which he is capable, the recognition of the truth and the will of God in the concrete experience of the penitent.  

In giving advice to the penitent, the 杏MAP导航 encouraged only a few right words but not a 鈥淪unday homily鈥�, otherwise, the person would want to walk away as soon as possible.  

Here, he said, one should distinguish between the seal of confession and the dialogue of spiritual accompaniment, which is also reserved, although in a different form.

The 杏MAP导航 expressed concern that in certain quarters of the Church, the seal of confession or the sacramental seal is being relativized, saying only the part of narrating sins has the seal, not which precedes and follows the sins.  The 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渆verything is under seal.鈥�  It is the common doctrine, at least in this pontificate, that the seal is from the beginning to the end and not 鈥渦p to here鈥� and 鈥渦p to there鈥�. And this is the doctrine to be followed.

God鈥檚 mercy for all

The confessor should always have as his objective the universal call to holiness. From his conversation, he clearly discerns the needs of the penitent and accompanies him or her to an understanding and acceptance of God's will, which is always the way to the greatest good, the way to joy and peace.

杏MAP导航 Francis also encouraged confessors to confess themselves saying it is healthy for us.

The confessor鈥檚 final absolution is a very powerful medicine for the soul, and also for everyone's psyche.

The 杏MAP导航 set aside his text and recalled two great confessors whose testimonies he still carries in his heart.  One was a 93-year old priest, Father Aristi, who was the confessor of all the clergy in Buenos Aires. Even the lay people, including himself, went to him. 

One Easter Sunday, the future pope came to know Fr. Aristi had died and his coffin was in the basilica with only two old ladies praying the rosary.  He felt pained that the man who forgave the sins of so many had no flowers at his funeral. 

So the 杏MAP导航 bought flowers and while arranging them noticed Fr. Aristi鈥檚 rosary and wanted to have its cross.  The 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥淚 stole the cross of the rosary, praying to him, 鈥楪ive me half of your mercy", thinking of Elijah and Elisha.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said he asked for that grace and still carries the crucifix with him always. 

The other testimony is of a 96-year-old Capuchin priest, who still continues to hear confessions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Buenos Aires. At his confessional, there is always a long queue of priests, bishops, nuns, young people, old people, poor people, rich people, everyone ...

One day, the priest came to 杏MAP导航 Francis, who was then Archbishop of Pompei, asking him to be relieved of 鈥渢his torture鈥�.  When the 杏MAP导航 asked why, he answered, 鈥淵ou know I always forgive, I forgive everything, I forgive too much. Sometimes I feel the scruples." So the 杏MAP导航 asked him what he does when he feels the scruples.  The Capuchin priest said he goes to the chapel and asks the Lord for forgiveness. 鈥淏ut immediately I feel something inside: 'But be careful Lord, because it was You who gave me the bad example'."

In conclusion, 杏MAP导航 Francis reminded the Apostolic Penitentiary of the 2025 Jubilee Year.  He said that penitence is the 鈥減rofound nucleus鈥� of every Jubilee, and hence they should take care to make the Holy Year as fruitful as possible,  so that God's mercy may reach everywhere and to everyone.