https://nzcatholic.org.nz/2019/03/08/seal-of-confession-issues-often-misunderstood/ The New Zealand National Catholic Newspaper Sun, 10 Mar 2019 23:43:38 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.6.2 https://nzcatholic.org.nz/2019/03/08/seal-of-confession-issues-often-misunderstood/#comment-24079 Sun, 10 Mar 2019 23:43:38 +0000 https://nzcatholic.org.nz/?p=19150#comment-24079 Very little relevant comment is applicable given the attendance by parishioners at confession, termed in many places as “reconciliation”, and the trend away from the kneeler behind the screen, to priest and penitent sitting and facing each other.
Given the laxity of parishioners in mass attendance, this adds to the paucity of penitents.
One priest in WA Fr Tim Deeter spoke of how, if a penitent said it was more than four weeks since their last confession, they came from a neighbouring parish. He was a strong Medjugorje supporter. In Medjugorje, there is a powerful engine for restoration to Sacramental life, but also to the foundation to both asceticism and mysticism, which have been neglected in recent times.
Lenten observances have been changed from daily penance to two days in Lent.
Until there is a return to traditional practices, Sacramental rites may dwindle, quite in contrary to the warnings given at Montichiari, and Garabandal, Akita, and Medjugorje.
The slithery slide into baser TV and video exposure must also continue as time goes on.
This can easily be fixed by faithful taking up the initiative and observing initiatives of their own that are regular weekly acts of asceticism and mysticism, fasting and deeper prayer, with listening skills.
Then “church’ can be slowly rebuilt.

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