Priests are allowed to hear confessions during Holy Week; and during the Triduum. Every year, I mention this because of the silly positivistic interpretations of an older version of the Novus Ordo Missal which has now been corrected. See, for example: Let's smash this old chestnut once and for all (and yes, I know it is a coconut in the picture.)Fr Z, with tremendous patience, has addressed the matter yet again this year: Confessions during the Triduum.
I am on my own in the parish and therefore cannot usually have confessions during Mass (which is permitted - see the link to Fr Z above.) During Holy Week I have the policy of hearing confessions after all services. Monday to Wednesday, we have two Masses each day: usus antiquior and usus recentior with confessions afterwards. there are confessions after the Maundy Thursday Mass, after the Good Friday stations, and after the Liturgy of the Passion, and at the usual times on Saturday. (If you want to come to anything at Blackfen, here is a link to our times of services.)
I estimate that we have more confessions than we would have if we set up a communal penance service: and the advantage is that people who have not been for a while experience the sacramental celebration in its usual context rather than as a one-off celebration that might give the impression that it is not necessary to go again until the next penance service.
Sometimes people are kind enough to sympathise with me, saying that it must be a very busy time. In fact, Palm Sunday is the most exhausting for the solo parish priest because you have to celebrate an extended Liturgy several times. (In Blackfen our usus antiquior blessing, procession, sung Passion and High Mass took two and a half hours this morning.) For the rest of Holy Week, it is actually very relaxing. Nobody has meetings or conferences, so all I have to do is celebrate the Liturgy of the Church. I almost become a monk for a week! BTW I will be attending Tenebrae at St Mary Moorfields in the City on Wednesday at 6.30pm. If you can get to it, I recommend it.
10 comments:
Thank goodness for that. I am having mine heard on Tuesday preparatory to being received into the Church through the Ordinariate and I'd hate to think that the priest was doing anything illicit!
We have Confessions on Good Friday, but not on Holy Saturday "because the Church teaches that no Sacrament may be celebrated on this day before the Easter Vigil".
But what does the CDWDS know?
Ttony - I'm sorry to hear that your parish still labours under this misapprehension. I just might be worth sending your parish priest chapter and verse from Fr Z's post in 2008.
How can the layman understand what is allowed and what is not if there is confusion among the Clergy.
Besides is God not all forgiving any day of the year.
Glad to hear you have some down time, Father. Although I have to tell you, you were in one of my dreams last week -- you were saying Mass at my church; I think you were deacon while my Father was the celebrant. Guess this is what happens after watching EWTN shows discussing the new translation of the Mass! :-D
Peter - you are absolutely right. That's why Fr Z and I hammer on this point every year from the contents of the missal and the clarification from the CDW.
am - always happy to deacon or subdeacon at High Mass but seldom able to because of the parish schedule. Perhaps one day ...
Father,
The only oppurtunity my wife and I have of going to confession this month and next is at the SSPX chapel we will go to Mass too on Easter Sunday.
Really, this is the only scheduled confession we can make it to, physically.
Would we be allowed under these circumstances?
nb: I have written our Ordinary over 2 months ago if we could do this and have not recieved a reply.
Cruise - the disputed question is whether the SSPX have the faculties to hear confession. They claim to have an extraordinary jurisdiction and many writers have discussed whether this is so or not.
My opinion would be that if the priests of the SSPX do not have extraordinary jurisdiction, they would have supplied jurisdiction through common error or positive doubt and that therefore if a lay person goes to confession to an SSPX priest, the absolution is valid.
This question might start up a bit of a discussion, but my pastoral advice would be that if you can only get to the SSPX chapel for confession, then that would be a reasonable thing for you to do.
It is a pity that your ordinary has not responded to this question from a member of the faithful. If you have the time and energy, you could submit the same question to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei with a copy of your letter to the Bishop and the information that he has not replied. Many of us would be most interested to hear of any reply from the PCED.
"...have the time and energy, you could submit the same question to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei with a copy of your letter to the Bishop..."
Dear Father
Thank you for the pastorly advice to one so far from your parish.
Over a year ago I wrote to the P.C.E.D. with the same question and have not recieved a reply.
Do you advise that I write again, with the more recent letter to the Ordinary included?
Again, thank you Father for putting my mind at ease, at least for the present, to confess any grave sins to an SSPX priest.
Yes, I would advise writing again, with the letter to the Bishop. Just a short factual letter. If you do not receive a reply, don't worry, it still does good.
Post a Comment