Confession

The Latest

Pope Francis addresses members of the Apostolic Penitentiary on March 8, 2024, in the Clementine Hall in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: The heart of repentance is God’s ‘infinite love,’ ‘boundless mercy’

Mar 8, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

“Repentance is neither the fruit of self-analysis, nor of a psychic sense of guilt,” the pope said. Read more

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‘Your confessional is ready’: Buzzing into confession at a Denver Catholic high school

Dec 29, 2023

By Denver Catholic

Students at Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver don’t wait in line for confession. Instead, they pick up a buzzer... Read more

Pope Francis confesses in St. Peter's Basilica.

Hearing the pope’s confession: Vatican confessor reflects on sacrament

Dec 10, 2023

By AC Wimmer

A veteran Vatican confessor spoke about his time as confessor to Pope Francis, stressing the enduring and essential role of... Read more

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Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence by praying before a Nativity scene 

Nov 25, 2023

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

From Dec. 8 until Feb. 2, Catholics will be able to receive a plenary indulgence by praying before a Nativity... Read more

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Thieves repent, sacramentally confess, and return stolen objects to chapel in Spain

Nov 13, 2023

By Nicolás de Cárdenas

A week after desecrating and robbing a chapel in the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain, the thieves have confessed and... Read more

Cardinal Mauro Piacenza.

How to bring peace to the world? Start with sacramental confession, cardinal says

Oct 31, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

We can take hope in the reconciliation, mercy, and peace of Christ in confession, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza said in a... Read more

Francisco Velarde, a 21-year-old Spaniard, was one of the young people who had the privilege of going to confession with Pope Francis on Friday, Aug. 4, at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal.

Young man after confession with the pope: ‘I told him the sins that pain me the most’

The 21-year-old Spaniard told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the details of what he considers “the confession of my... Read more

Pope Francis hears the confession of a young pilgrim at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 4, 2023.

Pope Francis hears young people’s confessions in Lisbon

Aug 4, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Pope Francis on Friday heard the confessions of three young people in the Jardim Vasco da Gama, renamed Reconciliation Park... Read more

Pope Francis heard confessions at a parish in Rome on Friday, March 17, 2023, and encouraged people to remember that God “holds out his hand and lifts us up whenever we realize that we are ‘hitting rock bottom.’”

Pope Francis hears confessions at Roman parish: God lifts us up when we hit ‘rock bottom’

Mar 17, 2023

By Courtney Mares

In the presence of eucharistic adoration, the pope presided over a Lenten penitential service on March 17 to open “24... Read more

The Diocese of Phoenix is offering the sacraments and free sacramentals — as well as information on Sunday Mass times and locations — to pedestrians in the city on the days leading up to the NFL Super Bowl, which is Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona.

Diocese of Phoenix hits the streets to evangelize during Super Bowl LVII week

Feb 10, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

Volunteers are setting up outside the arena to hand out sacramentals like rosaries and miraculous medals, in addition to informational... Read more

One car was damaged after an accident on a road in Mexico, witnessed by Father Salvador Nuño, who stopped to ask if the man in the car needed help. The man made a surprising request: “I want to confess.”

Mexico priest recounts ‘amazing’ confession of accident victim he stopped to help

Jan 31, 2023

By CNA Staff

Father Salvador Nuño, a Legionary of Christ priest who serves in Monterrey, Mexico, shared the story on Facebook Jan. 27. Read more

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An expert answers 6 common reasons for not going to confession

Oct 22, 2022

By Hannah Brockhaus

Monsignor Krzysztof Nykiel is regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the office of the Roman Curia responsible for issues related to... Read more

Archbishop Allen Vigneron carries the Blessed Sacrament during a Corpus Christi procession in June 2016.

Poll finds half of Catholic likely voters believe in the Real Presence

Jul 14, 2022

By Carl Bunderson

A poll released this week found that of Catholic likely voters in the U.S., half believe in the Real Presence... Read more

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The prayer of absolution will change for US Catholics in 2023. Here’s how

Jun 10, 2022

By Jonah McKeown

The changes are subtle, and the essential formula will stay the same. Read more

Pope Francis greets Father John Paul Mary Zeller during a meeting with Missionaries of Mercy at the Vatican on April 25, 2022.

The Missionaries of Mercy are growing — and their ministry is changing lives

Jun 1, 2022

By Luke Coppen

Pope Francis established the Missionaries of Mercy in 2015. Read more

Pope Francis meets with Missionaries of Mercy at the Vatican on April 25, 2022.

Pope Francis expresses joy at growth of Missionaries of Mercy

Apr 25, 2022

By CNA Staff

The pope commissioned the first Missionaries of Mercy in 2016. Read more

Pope Francis goes to confession during a penance service in St. Peter's Basilica on March 25, 2022.

Pope Francis: In confession, the priest should guide penitent to holiness

Mar 26, 2022

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis spoke to around 800 priests and seminarians at the end of a course on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Read more

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Analysis: The Church in France must uphold the confessional seal

Oct 13, 2021

By Fr. Gerald Murray

The French bishops’ conference has seemingly tried to walk back the straightforward comments of the Bishop of Reims, who recently... Read more

Pope Francis addresses young people at Lokomotiva Stadium in Košice, Slovakia, Sept. 14, 2021.

Pope Francis to Slovakia’s young Catholics: Confession is the ‘sacrament of joy’

Sep 14, 2021

By CNA Staff

The pope spoke to around 25,000 young people in Košice, eastern Slovakia. Read more

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, addresses the July 28 online panel hosted by Georgetown University's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

Confession must be part of talks on worthiness to receive Communion, Nuncio says

Jul 28, 2021

By Matt Hadro

The sacrament of confession must be part of the U.S. bishops’ discussions on worthiness to receive Communion, the Apostolic Nuncio... Read more