Monday, March 23, 2009

Confession - Bishop Finn

Confessional
And to think that frequent confession was at times discouraged by well-meaning, but misguided individuals, including some clergy, who have forgotten the beauty of this particular sacrament.

...Pope Pius XII in Mystici Corporis (#88) urged frequent confession of venial sins “to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue.”

According to the Pope, some of its benefits are these: Genuine self-knowledge is increased; Humility grows; Bad habits are corrected; Spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted; The conscience is purified; The will strengthened; A helpful self-control is attained; and Grace is increased in virtue of the Sacrament itself.

I have found personally that frequent confession – I try to go every week – helps me to try harder to be a better and more holy bishop.
Read Bishop's Finn's article in it entirety here

H/T to Father Z


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3 comments:

  1. When I read this on Father Z's blog, too, I was really struck by that list of benefits.

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  2. Frequent confession is a blessing indeed, I am sad that it isn't practiced more.

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  3. Charlotte, it is one of my favorite sacraments because of the benefits but especially because it completely wipes away our sins if we are repentant.

    Mimi, is it a sacrament in the Russian Orthodox church too? Sorry for my ignorance.

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