Confessions about Confession

So speaking as a Catholic I have to confess that there are many, many aspects of my faith that are mysterious and rich in Biblical ritualistic significance. What this translates to meaning for the everyday is that there are several misconceptions surrounding the Catholic Church and people talk about it like they understand it, when they don't (some Catholics are probably included in that). Tackling them all right here would be impossible. But I did want to talk about the Sacrament of Confession. Just because I recently read a pretty decent article about the conversation that needs to happen in Christian circles about sexual assault, how the survivors need support from their parish and stuff like that. I would agree with that sentiment, but the author singled out a priest or parishioner in a Catholic church who recommended that one of the victims go to Confession. And I could tell from the way it was presented, that the author found that suggestion offensive to the victim.

I understand the confusion and how that might come off to a non-Catholic. It would be insulting because it suggests that the victim has to go and ask forgiveness for being victimized, which would be moronic if it were true, because the essence of being victimized is that whatever happened was beyond your control, that it was not chosen. And it's easy for people to believe that the Catholic Church is moronic. It certainly suits the world's secular agenda, and I think there are many who enjoy believing that without actually worrying about whether their opinion is actually based in truth.

But, back to addressing the matter at hand, this particular victim, in this case a woman, committed no crime. So how am I going to make the argument that I believe Confession is a good idea for the woman in this circumstance, and that the person highlighted in the article was (based on my limited knowledge supplied from the article) not trying to be a dismissive jerk?

So glad you asked.

If a friend confided in me that they had been the victim of a sexual assault and they shared my Catholic faith, I would hope that the Sacrament of Confession would be the first thing I would recommend. Because all of my friends, as different as they are, have one thing in common: the fact that I love them. And I hope we can all agree that sexual assault is a crime that needs healing. So if I love my friend like I say I do, I would have to admit to them that I can't heal internal wounds like that. I would do all I could for my friend. I would be there for him or her, make them tea, offer my condolences, talk or not talk, go on long walks or whatever they needed to do, but I still can't heal them. I might be able to walk the mile with them at their side, but I can't walk it in their place. Only God can do that.

And when I need internal healing, the Sacrament of Confession is my first stop. Because, contrary to popular belief, Confession is not a place to go and list your sins in front of God so you can feel bad about yourself for the rest of the day. No, Confession is, to borrow the words from one of my favorite Dominican priests of all time, "a place to come and experience the mercy of God."

I know the mercy of God sounds a lot like forgiveness. It is a lot like forgiveness, but why limit yourself? The mercy of God is also the complete and total love of God, His descent into our misery. His caring about us in every way, no matter our sinfulness or present circumstances. And when we go to Confession, we choose to receive this love into our lives. No limit on how many times you can go. But the priest actually stands in persona Christi which is the Latin for "in the person of Christ." That is a big deal. It essentially turns an ordinary church room into a grace factory. (The love is as unique as the needs of each us, but factory still works as a comparison because the love of Christ can be supplied infinitely in Him and through Him.) To get back to the point, you are confessing your sins and your struggles to Christ Himself and receiving the graces to heal, to overcome, and to be made whole again. And I will confess that in Confession, I don't limit myself to confessing my sins commandment by commandment (or commandment broken by commandment broken, I guess would be more accurate). I confess attitudes, places I want to improve, and life circumstances that are hard for me and cause me to question my faith. And boy has the process (learning how to confess for real) ever been fruitful. It wasn't immediate, but I'm glad I stuck with it because I have gotten a lot of good advice, pertinent scripture passages, support, understanding, and forgiveness in the confessional. A good confessor is, for sure, something to thank God for, and if you've never had that, I'm sorry, but pray about it and continue to seek it out. (Then try a Dominican parish if there's one near you.)

But suggesting Confession is not just a cop out. It's where healing happens. That's why God put it there in the first place. It's not like a sexual assault victim could walk in there once and never struggle with the memories again (although here's hoping- that would be great!) but it's a place, to me, I always imagine entering in the heart of God, or like some cozy parlor where you meet with Jesus and you just chat, openly and honestly about your actual soul. God already knows what we've done or what has happened, and even more, He knows exactly what we need. And I believe that it's an important meeting place to have on the journey of life.

Confession may be the most important of all. And it makes me sad that so many Christians reject it. In the spirit of open honesty, to me, burning your sins on a paper or hanging them on a cross is nice symbolism, but can never compare with actually entering a space and handing them to Jesus through the intermediary of a priest and experiencing the full freedom of merciful love. It's knowing that God has looked on your unworthiness, and still decided on the most loving response available in this universe, to freely give you Himself.