Do Catholics Go to Confession?

Confessing sins to a priest is part of the Catholic religion.

Confessing sins privately to a priest became customary in the Catholic Church after the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. A confession consists of a believer stating all the sins he can recall since his last confession, followed by doing some penance assigned by the priest.

Purpose

Catholics believe that by confessing their sins God will forgive them. Additionally, the Catholic Church maintains that sin adversely affects interpersonal relationships and hence confession can help mend those social bonds.

Requirement

Canon 989 states "All the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins at least once a year." The age of discretion refers to the age at which a child is able to tell the difference between right and wrong, typically around seven years old or shortly thereafter. Generally, the term "grave sins" refers to immoral actions of a serious nature.

Modern Society

Church attendance among American Catholics has declined since the mid-1900s; likewise, the proportion who attend confession has dropped as well. According to the National Opinion Research Center, 40 percent of US Catholics claimed to have attended confession monthly in 1965, while in 2010 that figure is estimated to be under 25 percent.

References

• Slate: The Sin Box
• Catholic Online: A Guide for Confession
• American Catholic: Update Your Faith Questions and Answers
• Intratext: Code of Canon Law
• Boston: A Rite That's Passing
• Free Republic: Catholic Confession Has Evolved Over Time