Rome, Italy, Jul 21, 2010 / 15:11 pm
Cardinal Joachim Meisner spoke to a large group of priests last month about the important role of the sacrament of Confession for their ministry. Sin, he said, is the greatest obstacle in our relationship with God.
In its most recent edition, the Italian Catholic monthly 30 Giorni (30 Days) printed the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne's address on the importance of Confession. He originally gave the talk to thousands of priests during the international convention held in Rome for the close of the Year for Priests this past June.
Cardinal Meisner pointed out in the talk that the neglect for the sacrament of Reconciliation is "one of the most tragic 'failures' that the Church has experienced in the second half of the 20th century," which, he said, translates into a "tremendous" spiritual loss.
He explained that when lay Catholics ask him what they can do to help their priests, he tells them "Go to them and confess!" because a priest that doesn't hear confessions "becomes a social worker of religious character."