I’m sure the elderly priest whose prodigal son homily I heard on Sunday meant well. But I daresay he hasn’t listened to as many “away” Catholics as I have.
Confession. That was his key to any returning Catholic’s rekindling of faith. He urged us all to step up and go to confession if we see people we don’t know waiting for the sacrament, to serve as a positive example.
Confession. If we can just get them to confession, all will become clear, he in essence said. They’ll unburden themselves and then they’ll instantly become upright, every-Sunday-and-holy-day-Mass-going Catholics.
The problem is that confession, studies have shown, is the thing those away from the Church fear more than anything else. Time in a box behind a screen takes Baby Boomers back to their childhoods and a system of quid pro quo: x times talking back to your parents equals x Hail Marys. X times stealing equals x Our Fathers. As for those who are younger, many were baptized and then never experienced the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist at all. Others may have uncomfortable memories of sitting face to face with a priest, and then squirming every time they encountered the priest thereafter, sure he remembered every word they said.
Here’s some advice from a returned Catholic: Yes, confession is an amazing, healing, 
beautiful sacrament. But the time to talk about it isn’t when people are taking their first tentative steps back inside a parish. That’s the time to listen… and answer questions. That’s the time to reflect the face of Christ in a gentle, loving, non-threatening way, to put your arms around the prodigal son or daughter and welcome that person back into the fold, just as the father did in the story. There will be plenty of time to explain the glory of confession and to reintroduce the prodigal to the Holy Eucharist. But the welcome must come first.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
As a protestant, I’ve always been curious about the notion of Catholic confession. Why can’t you confess your sins directly to God through prayer? Why the need for an in-between guy? Like your returning Catholics, I would find that intimidating and a deterrent to confession in general. Didn’t Jesus tell us to pray privately? Not being critical; only curious.
I, too, was raised Catholic, left and attended a “Christian” school where I became “Born again.” I’m currently church-less, but still stop in to my old Catholic church. You cannot imagine how much I’m enjoying your blog. Nope. You just can not imagine. Thank you!
Hi, I’ll post the “official” catechism reason later this week, but I believe it’s related to the catharis of opening the light/speaking out loud of your offenses and the tangibleness of. Christ offering forgiveness through a member of the Body who can be seen and heard.
Thank YOU. I am humbled. God bless!
As a Baptist convert… We need outgoing loving Greeters that make people feel lived and welcomed!! Working on this in my on church!!
Totally agree! Greeters are so important!
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