After I flew back to Phoenix and claimed the keys to my new apartment, one of my first acts of settling in was to pay a visit to the Motor Vehicle Department. My passport was my only remaining valid form of identification. Rather than afflict it with new creases and sweat stains, I thought I’d Read more
A former priest in Ireland has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl during her first Confession. John Calnan, 76, was sentenced in Cork to three years in jail, with the final year suspended. He had pleaded guilty to the offending which happened in 1989. Police told the court the girl was preparing for Read more
An Italian journalist has been blasted for reporting in newspapers the answers by several priests she misled in confessionals. Laura Alari, who writes for Quotidiano Nazionale, invented stories about herself that she told priests during the sacrament of Confession. She pretended to be a lesbian mother asking to baptise her daughter, a woman who lives Read more
Responding to an invitation from Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera to seek reconciliation with Christ during the season of Advent, nearly 5000 Catholics stood in line for hours to receive the Sacrament of Confession. According to the Archdiocese of Mexico City’s News Service, some 30 priests spent 12 hours in shifts hearing confessions at the Cathedral Read more
A Catholic academic in England says Catholic priests should refuse absolution to people who confess to abusing children. Cambridge academic John Cornwell made this call after the Church of England announced it would look at whether abuse admitted in the confessional should stay confidential. Dr Cornwell, who has written a book on Confession and is Read more
The Anglican Communion has demonstrated, yet again, how eager it is to keep up with changing times. In line with society’s greater recognition of the devastation wrought by child sexual abuse, a recent Synod has sought to remove any impediment to good professional practice and individual conscience by allowing individual priests to report on serious Read more
When I entered the confessional that day I assumed I would be absolved of whatever transgressions I chose to reveal. From what I’ve been told, Father Charles has never been known to withhold his forgiveness and mercy. He understands the frailties of human virtue. He knows about the appetites of the flesh. In fact, I’ll Read more
The Louisiana Supreme Court in the southern United States has issued a decision that may require a priest to violate the secrecy of confession. The case involves the possible confession of a 12-year-old, who was allegedly abused by a parishioner in 2008. The complainant said she told the priest in three separate confessions of her Read more
Pope Francis has announced 24 hours of special opportunities for prayer, Confession and forgiveness on March 29-30. This will happen in Rome and in parishes and dioceses around the world. Continue reading
There have been calls from some quarters to reform Confession, and a recent Tablet article listed many reasons why Catholics said they had stopped going. Even a cardinal, Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, has called for “proper reform to the sacrament” – an idea Pope Francis has signalled he does not want to look at. Recently I came Read more