Catholic Online Forum

In some ways I suppose it can be a bit difficult when one reaches the age that the priest is younger than your youngest son, but it is not a problem.

I am not sure how things operate in the USA, but in Australia, at least my part of it, most parishes have the "second rite" in both Advent and Lent. I have never been a "lover" of that. I much prefer the "one on one". So I always make that part of the beginning of the observance of both seasons.

In order to understand what it means for the priest to act in persona Christi Capitis in the person of Christ the Head and to realize what consequences derive from the duty of representing the Lord, especially in the exercise of these three offices, it is necessary first of all to explain what "representation" means. The priest represents Christ. What is implied by "representing" someone? In ordinary language it usually means being delegated by someone to be present in his place, to speak and act in his stead because the person he represents is absent from the practical action. Let us ask ourselves: does the priest represent the Lord in this way? The answer is no, because in the Church Christ is never absent, the Church is his living Body and he is the Head of the Church, present and active within her. Christ is never absent, on the contrary he is present in a way that is untrammelled by space and time through the event of the Resurrection that we contemplate in a special way in this Easter Season.

Therefore the priest, who acts in persona Christi Capitis and representing the Lord, never acts in the name of someone who is absent but, rather, in the very Person of the Risen Christ, who makes himself present with his truly effective action. He really acts today and brings about what the priest would be incapable of: the consecration of the wine and the bread so that they may really be the Lord's presence, the absolution of sins. The Lord makes his own action present in the person who carries out these gestures.

BENEDICT XVI
GENERAL AUDIENCE

Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Thank you for sharing Grace.

I'm not sure what a second rite is. I'm assuming it's something like our penance services. During Lent and Advent area parishes get together and offer penance services (one at each parish) where there are several priests available for confession. They begin with a small prayer service (it often includes an examination of conscience) followed by the congregation praying the Act of Contrition together. After that everyone goes to individual confession to confess their sins and receive absolution. The only thing different is that you don't pray the Act of Contrition in confession since you already did that at the service.

Effie



What you describe seems to be what I refer to as the "second rite".

Though in what I refer to as the second rite, one does not have to make a full confession, and under those circumstances I don't think the priest can spend time giving you counselling, which is why I prefer the "one on one".

Nice to exchange views with you again

Peter

A revised rite of the Sacrament of Reconciliation was given to the Church by Pope Paul VI on December 2, 1973. The new rite presents the sacrament in three different ritual forms:

The first form — The Rite for Reconciliation of Individual Penitents — is similar to the way most Roman Catholics remember "confession"; however, provision is made for the reading of sacred Scripture, and the penitent is given the option of speaking to the priest face-to-face or remaining anonymous. The priest may offer advice and gives a suitable penance. The priest pronounces absolution (the prayer for absolution was revised and extended) and the rite concludes with a short thanksgiving.[35]

The second form — The Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution — usually begins with readings from scripture, hymns, prayers, a homily and an examination of conscience, followed by a call to repentance. Private confession and reconciliation follow and a final thanksgiving, blessing and dismissal. Paul VI said in 1974 that he hoped this communal rite would "become the normal way of celebration."

The third form — The Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution — is similar to the second, except that the penitents do not make an actual confession, but only manifest contrition (general confession). The prayer of absolution is given collectively or "generally" to all those gathered to celebrate the sacrament (general absolution). The penitents are obliged to actually confess each grave sin in their next confession.[36] Form three is intended for emergencies and other situations when it is not at all possible for the priest(s) to hear all the individual confessions. This rite has been discouraged for widespread use by the Vatican in many countries recently.

I find myself less willing to confess some (venial) sins in the sacrament because I am far too concerned with what the priest will think of me. Despite all I know, intellectually, about how priests forget 99% of what they hear in the confessional, that my sins are no different from those of a couple billion other Catholics in history, etc, etc, I still find myself concerned with that. It's something I'm trying to get beyond.

Jeff,



I may be way off base here, and I apologize in advance if I am. That being said, you may want to reflect on why you are so concerned about what the priest will think about you. Is it because his opinion matters so much to you, or is it because of pride? If it's because of pride, that's what you have to work on. Once you get to the source of the problem it's easier to fix it. And if pride is keeping you from making a good confession.........

Another thing you can do is talk to him about your hesitations - outside of the confessional. It won't be the first time he's heard it, and it won't be the last. You may also find that the priest deals with some of the same sins that you do, after all, they are human.


Effie

2 Corinthians 2:10
[10] And to whom you have pardoned any thing, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ.

Douay Rheims Commentary: I also: The apostle here granted an indulgence, or pardon, in the person and by the authority of Christ, to the incestuous Corinthian, whom before he had put under penance, which pardon consisted in a releasing of part of the temporal punishment due to his sin.

James 5:16
[16] Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

Douay Rheims Commentary:Confess therefore your sins one to another: That is, to the priests of the church, whom (ver. 14) he had ordered to be called for, and brought in to the sick; moreover, to confess to persons who had no power to forgive sins, would be useless. Hence the precept here means, that we must confess to men whom God hath appointed, and who, by their ordination and jurisdiction, have received the power of remitting sins in his name.