It’s a fact. Do you doubt it? Consider these simple observations, which I derive from over four decades’ residence as a Catholic in the diocese of Buffalo, NY:
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Most parish priests schedule confession times about a half hour before the Saturday Mass.
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It is rare that more than one priest is available for confession in the same parish at the same time (admittedly, this is largely because most parishes don’t have more than one priest on staff anymore).
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Most parish priests schedule confession times about a half hour before the Saturday Mass.
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It is rare that more than one priest is available for confession in the same parish at the same time (admittedly, this is largely because most parishes don’t have more than one priest on staff anymore).
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It is also rare that confession times are scheduled during the week.
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Even with these abbreviated hours, priests spend much of their time sitting in their comfy reconciliation rooms, staring at the wall. Parishioners arriving early apparently prefer to sit in the pews, chatting up one another in fellowshippy ways.
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How many parishioners attend confession weekly? Bi-weekly? Monthly? Do you need both hands to do a finger count?
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If a bar chart of total number of parishioners vs. total number of parishioners attending Confession the previous Saturday were included in the church bulletin, would the latter bar be larger than, say, a pencil line? Would it even be visible?
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How many priests give more than a rare passing remark about this phenomenon in their homilies?
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How many priests give more than a rare passing remark about this phenomenon in their homilies?
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How many priests deliver that rare passing remark in a context and a tone suggesting that (a) sin is a deadly serious matter, and (b) confession of sins is positively crucial to the saving of your immortal soul?
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When was the last time you heard a priest say from the pulpit in even a vaguely imperative way that the reception of Holy Communion knowingly with a mortal sin upon one’s soul is itself a mortal sin?
