February 20, 2009
Note about Father Sauer's Feb. 20 column
In his February 20 column, Father Jim Sauer made a broad statement about the use of General Absolution for the Sacrament of Reconciliation that is in need of some clarification. To merely say it may be used “if the proper circumstances are present” without providing what those circumstances might be is misleading.
Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way in which the sacrament of reconciliation is celebrated. In particular cases of serious necessity and with the understanding that individual confession be made as soon as possible, General Absolution may be imparted to a group of penitents without previous individual confession. “Serious necessity” would mean either in danger of death, with no time for priests to hear a number of individual confessions; or when the number of penitents is so great that there are not a suitable number of priests to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable amount of time and the faithful, through no fault of their own, would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In danger of death needs no other explanation. The number of penitents alone is not enough to warrant the use of General Absolution. Intentionally scheduling a communal penance service without enough priests to hear individual confessions would also not warrant the use of General Absolution.
It is understood that what is meant by a “long time” is between two to four weeks. We are blessed in the Diocese of Evansville to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation so readily available on a regular basis in the ordinary manner either at scheduled times in our parishes or by contacting a priest near you. For example, Saint Benedict Cathedral offers the sacrament before nearly every Mass, seven days a week. It would be safe to say that no one in the diocese would be forced to go without the sacrament for a long period of time.
Therefore, General Absolution should not be seen as a regular practice but only as a last resort in the most extreme of circumstances. As with the rest of the sacraments of the Church, the bishop stands as the judge in these cases and as the caretaker of the great gift we have been given in Reconciliation. I would encourage all to take advantage of the opportunity we have been given to confess our sins against God and come to reconciliation with Him and His Church.
- Matt Miller | Diocesan Director of Worship