Pardon and Peace

Good Reconciliation Service in St Paul's this evening. Some said Monday is not a good day - but whatever day you choose for these kind of things, it won't suit everybody. More of a concern is the question whether this sacrament suits some people at any time... Allowing for the fact that some parishioners go to other parishes for Confession or Reconciliation, but that some from other parishes also come to us - I wonder what proportion of parishioners ever actually celebrate this sacrament? I suspect that the confidentiality that surrounds it actually provides a reason - or should that be excuse - to avoid talking about it at all. When priests talk about the huge drop in people coming, they usually get round to talking about a loss of the sense of sin, which in turn is connected to a loss of the sense of God.

Now this would be a good subject for some of you out there to chip in and offer your comments here. Go on - what's happened to Confession?