Pope Francis recently gave a lengthy interview to an Italian newspaper which has happily been published as a small book entitled “The Name of God is Mercy.” At least three-quarters of this brief publication is devoted to the sacrament of penance. Recurring questions as I read the pages of this interview were, “What universe does this man (the Pope) live in? Doesn’t he know that no one goes to confession anymore?” His Holiness spoke as if frequent confession were an integral part of post-Vatican II Catholic life. His thoughts seemed naïve. Surely confessional lines are a thing of the past in Argentina just as they are in the USA. The reader might well ask right now when was the last time he or she confessed to a priest. But on the other hand, perhaps the Pope was being shrewd. Speaking frankly about the centrality of the sacrament of penance in the Christian life might give his hearers pause to reflect on what Catholics are missing by ignoring this sacrament.
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