How should I begin my confession?

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ILLUSTRATION OF CONFESSION
(CNS photo illustration by Mike Crupi, Catholic Courier)

Msgr. Charles PopeQuestion: A priest at our parish told me I should not say “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned ….” He explained that it is not part of the Rite of Confession. Is this so? I have been saying this for years, and no priest ever stopped me.

Name, location withheld

Answer: The opening of confession with the expression “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned …” is a widespread custom in the United States and in some other regions. In different parts of the world, there are other expressions used to begin the confession. The insistence that you should not say “Bless me, Father …” is puzzling from a pastoral point of view, since it is a small matter and so widely practiced. However, for the record, the prescribed ritual for beginning the Sacrament of Confession is as follows:

“The priest should welcome the penitent with fraternal charity and, if the occasion permits, address him with friendly words. The penitent then makes the Sign of the Cross, saying: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen.’ The priest may also make the Sign of the Cross with the penitent. Next the priest briefly urges the penitent to have confidence in God. If the penitent is unknown to the priest, it is proper for him to indicate his state in life, the time of his last confession, his difficulties in leading the Christian life, and anything else which may help the confessor in exercising his ministry. Then the priest, or the penitent himself, may read a text of holy Scripture, or this may be done as part of the preparation for the sacrament. Through the word of God the Christian receives light to recognize his sins and is called to conversion and to confidence in God’s mercy” (Rite of Penance, No. 16-17).

Very few places in the United States follow exactly the introductory rites set forth above for confession. Most settings feature the abbreviated ritual a priest is permitted to use. I have traveled widely in the U.S., and most penitents begin by saying, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned ….” While this varies from the more formal introduction set forth in the rite, variations and local customs are allowed, and have practically become the norm. As for the reading of a passage of Scripture at the beginning, which is also indicated above, I have never found this routinely done. But the Rite of Penance also says, “When pastoral need dictates it, the priest may omit or shorten some parts of the rite but must always retain in their entirety the confession of sins and the acceptance of the act of penance, the invitation to contrition, and the form of absolution and the dismissal” (No. 21).

So, the correction by the priest, while technically correct, indicates more his preference than what is required of you. You are free to say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned …” since it is such a widespread custom.

Eternal Son of God

Question: Is Jesus eternal, or did his life begin when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary?

Mary Waters, Washington, D.C.

Answer: Jesus Christ is eternal. He has existed from all eternity as the Second Person of the blessed Trinity, the eternal Son of God. Scripture says of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (Jn 1:1-2). Jesus also describes his eternal existence when he said, “Before Abraham was, I AM “(Jn 8:58). Further, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8)

Theologians usually refer to the eternal quality of Jesus as his “pre-existence.” That is to say, prior to his taking on human nature in our time, Jesus had always existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the Second Person of the blessed Trinity. As such, he is the eternal Son of the Father. There is a saying from the early Church: “There never was a time when the Son was not.” So, there was never a time when the Father was alone. Jesus has always been the Father who has the Son, and they together have the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from them both.

Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C., and writes for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. at blog.adw.org. Send questions to msgrpope@osv.com.

Msgr. Charles Pope

Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C., and writes for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. at blog.adw.org. Send questions to msgrpope@osv.com.