Whatever the reason may be—lack of trust in the Church hierarchy after the sex abuse scandal, disagreement with the Church’s definition of sin (especially when it comes to birth control, homosexuality, etc.), or the rise in popularity of communal confession services—Catholics around the world have stopped going to confession. And this has not gone unnoticed by the Vatican.
In an effort to bring Catholics back to the confessional, the Vatican has offered the public an insider view into its oldest and most secret tribunal, the Apostolic Penitentiary. For 830 years, the Apostolic Penitentiary has handled the confessions of sins so severe that only the pope can grant absolution. The five sins that make the cut are shocking—or perhaps it is the sins left off the list that seems a bit off. Murder isn’t on it, nor is sexual abuse. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, two out of the three cases involve sexual sins. Here are the cases that the penitentiary deals with:
A man who directly participated in abortion (through, for instance, funding) and wants to enter priesthood
A priest who has broken the seal of confession and revealed the sin and the sinner
A priest who has offered absolution to their own sexual partner
Someone was has desecrated the Eucharist
Someone who has attempted to murder the pope.
According to Cardinal James Francis Stafford, the head of the penitentiary, those who commit these sins are automatically excommunicated but once absolution is granted in the tribunal, the excommunication is lifted. The process is somewhat simple: An account of the case is sent to the tribunal. They study it and make sure the sinner is really sorry. Then, they recommend “an appropriate, proportionate penance.”
While these sins are considered grave, Cardinal Stafford noted that clerical sexual abuse is only “very serious.” These cases haven’t been deemed worthy of the Apostolic Penitentiary; rather, they are handled by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
While opening the Apostolic Penitentiary may appeal to folks for the “secret society” nature of the tribunal, it is doubtful that this will bring Catholics back to the confessional. Until the Church hierarchy reviews and updates its doctrine in a way that is meaningful to modern culture, that aligns with the “signs of the times,” Catholics will continue to avoid the sacrament of confession.
