"Traditional" Catholicism was invented in the 19th century according to priest.
Peter Spichtig: "Frequent confession has broken the sacrament of reconciliation".
"Traditional" Catholicism was invented in the 19th century - "and with it the elevation of the priest", says Peter Spichtig of the Liturgical Institute. That had an impact on confession. Today, parishes tend more towards the path of reconciliation. Spichtig criticises: "The German-speaking church authorities have not yet dared to define a binding form for the celebration of reconciliation".
Many children are currently celebrating their first Holy Communion. Traditionally, confession is scheduled before the big celebration. Doesn't confession overwhelm the children?
Peter Spichtig*: It is important that children are embedded in a benevolent atmosphere. If the confession is done well and sensitively, there is no harm. But it depends on how the priest does it.
Are priests sufficiently trained for this?
Spichtig: When a child goes to confession, a priest must be able to handle it. He must be attuned to this level of child psychology. At the same time, the priest must make it clear to the child that confession is about an experience of mercy - and not about intimidation.
Do priests need tutoring on how to properly deal with children in confession?
Spichtig: I assume that candidates for the priesthood are sensitised to this. But still: In theology studies there is a lack of individual specifications. I am amazed that there is relatively little psychology there. A priest must develop a highly reflective understanding of his role, especially in the context of liturgical actions. He must not, of course, question anyone during confession, and confession is secret. In a good sense, this means that it is a protected space. The priest must give encouragement. If the priest does this well, there should actually be no abuse in the confessional.
"Besides, there is a big power imbalance."
In the past, the confessional became a crime scene. Priests abused children there. Confession was used to prepare crimes, because the children were questioned and thus scanned as potential victims. Where and how should confession take place nowadays?
Spichtig: A one-to-one setting is suspect to many today. Moreover, there is a great power imbalance. If abuse is to be prevented, there needs to be a general, sober mentality about how to form relationships - especially towards the priest. Catholicism, which we consider traditional, was invented in the 19th century - and with it the hearing of the priest. These structures need to be critically examined. But there is also a need for structural measures in the church. In many institutions there is already a rule that there must be no closed rooms.
So instead of a confessional, a glass room?
Spichtig: Yes, something like that. This way, parents can see that the distance to the child is maintained. Nevertheless, this does not prevent spiritual abuse. Hierarchical relationships are potentially always abusive.
The author of the German MHG abuse study, Harald Dressing warns against child confession. What do you say to that?
Spichtig: For our latitude, I would strongly favour strengthening the path of reconciliation. This should be preceded by age-appropriate First Communion preparation. The next step would be to address the difficulties in dealing with each other.
"With a path of reconciliation, one saves the basic idea of the sacrament of confession."
First Communion would thus be detached from confession. In many parishes, a path of reconciliation is celebrated instead.
Spichtig: In the last 30 years, the path of reconciliation has proven its worth. There, children in the 4th or 5th grade deal with the topics of guilt, repentance, contrition and reconciliation. With a path of reconciliation, one saves the basic idea of the sacrament of confession.
What does the path of reconciliation look like?
Spichtig: The whole family is often involved in the path of reconciliation. They deal with the topics of guilt, repentance and forgiveness and then come together to the church for the Way of Reconciliation. Children go through various stations - together with an adult. When the child is ready, he or she can go to the priest who sits in a corner of the church. The sacrament of confession can then be administered there. This is transparent and there the role of the priest is embedded in the group dynamic that carries the whole reconciliation journey.
"A consciousness of guilt requires more reflection and maturity."
Sometimes, however, the paths of reconciliation take place without a priest. Does this make the sacrament of confession less important?
Spichtig: Frequent confession has broken the Sacrament of reconciliation. We need to re-establish the theme of reconciliation. Because evil exists in the world - and everyone knows that inner abysses can open up in every human being.
Is it enough to make a reconciliation journey once?
Spichtig: I think it is important for parishes to have regular communal penitential celebrations, but also to offer the form of pastoral counselling and the classic confession.
Do you think that children at the age of nine or ten can already commit such great sins as to need to go to Confession?
Spichtig: Children can certainly understand that they have made a mistake. But the distinction between mistake and moral guilt, to see the sin in it, is a complex process. An awareness of guilt requires more reflection and maturity.
What age is optimal for the first Confession?
Spichtig: I don't want to commit myself to an age for lack of competence. But certainly not children in the 1st or 2nd grade.
Today, the path of reconciliation is predominantly celebrated in parishes. How has the Sacrament of confession changed over the centuries?
Spichtig: The current order of celebrating penance comes from the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, it dates back to 1974. In the first 1000 years, the person who had sinned was excluded from the sacramental communion. He was given a work of penance. For example, to wear a penitential garment and go on pilgrimage to Rome or Jerusalem. If he then returned alive, he was solemnly incorporated at the Easter Vigil. There was no auricular confession in the first millennium. It is a development that has to do with the monastic missionisation of Europe. Confession as we know it today only appeared in the late Middle Ages. The origin of the Seven Sacraments is also not original. It came about in scholasticism.
Could the Seven-fold number of sacraments be changed today?
Spichtig: Just because something has developed historically does not mean that what came out of it is bad. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit was active along the way.
How did Confession develop?
Spichtig: In the Middle Ages, Eucharistic piety developed, which showed itself in show piety. There was a distancing from the reception of the sacraments with a simultaneous spiritual hearing of the sacrament. This led to the Eucharist being received only once a year - and accordingly Confession only once a year.
When was the frequency increased again?
Spichtig: At the beginning of the 20th century under Pope Saint Pius X. It was he who set the age for receiving Communion at six or seven. At the same time, it was inculcated that one must go to Communion purely. Unfortunately, this led to an extreme increase in confessions in connection with the celebration of the Eucharist. This was taken ad absurdum.
"It must not be the case that something that is valid for the world church is dismissed as secondary."
Can you give me an example?
Spichtig: My grandmother once told me that she tried the baby's bottle before the service. She had to check whether it was the right temperature. She then seriously asked herself if she still had to go to confession before Mass, because at that time the Eucharistic fast still had to be observed.
Let's get back to today: the reconciliation path is not an official form of confession in the Catholic Church.
Spichtig: The German-speaking Church authorities have not yet dared to define a binding form of the celebration of reconciliation. We are now obviously in a process of development. I think that the Bishops know that the classic auricular confession has its limits somewhere. That one allows that there is process development.
Is there no need for a rule or at least a recommendation?
Spichtig: That is an expectation that one can have. But we are in a complex, multi-cultural reality. In Switzerland, too, we notice that there are different speeds in the different language regions. It must not be the case that something that is valid for the world church is dismissed as secondary. If this is the case, we should try to develop a complementary methodology so that different paths are possible. Already there is rarely only one form for a valid sacrament. I think it would be much more important to think about how pastoral care of the Sacraments succeeds in multi-cultural societies.
*Peter Spichtig (55) is a staff member of the Liturgical Institute of German-speaking Switzerland and Secretary of the Liturgy Commission of the Swiss Bishops' Conference.
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