Page 9 - The Priest, Summer 2015

Resources for the
Jubilee of Mercy
‘Your guide to a good confession’
O
recently hosted. The programme in- cluded 25 hours of eucharistic adoration and 17 hours of scheduled confessions. Fr Michael Romeo, a recently ordained priest for the Adelaide Archdiocese, co- ordinated these efforts, printing 5,000 high-quality pamphlets which assisted penitents to examine their conscience and make a good confession.
Readers may be interested in obtain- ing surplus copies of the pamphlet at cost price (plus postage and handling). The brochure is targeted at secondary school students, but it is also suitable for adults. Please e-mail Fr Michael Romeo: fr.michael.romeo@bigpond.com.
Four-fold design
The design includes a detail from Murillo’s Return of the Prodigal Son, and a graphic quoting Pope Francis: “Do not be afraid of Confession.” The text of the pamphlet is based on Fr Charles Bel- monte’s ‘Guide for a Good Confession,’ which many readers of The Priest would recognise from the Daily Roman Mis- sal and the Handbook of Christian Prayers, both published by the Midwest Theologi- cal Forum. (A free eBook of Fr Belmon- te’s Handbook is available at his website: http://fsubelmonte.weebly.com.)
The guide is divided into four sections:
Examination of Conscience
This is an updated adaption of Fr Bel- monte’s examination. One addition, for example, was a question relating to Inter- net and social media. The examination is reproduced in full on this page.
Before Confession
This section includes an extract from the Introduction to the Rite of Penance which relates the necessity and character of heartfelt contrition.
There is also a reference to the possibil- ity of confessing face to face or behind a grille, and the rationale for each practice.
During Confession
This section provides an eight-point step-by-step outline of the rite of reconcili- ation for individual penitents. It includes the full text of the act of contrition, the formula of absolution, and the priest’s dis- missal. (“May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the intercession of the Blessed Vir- gin Mary, whatever good you do, etc.”)
After Confession
The nal section includes a note en- couraging immediate exercise of the pro- scribed penance, and a reassurance that a sincerely forgotten sin is forgiven. “Just be sure to mention it in your next confes- sion.”
Examination of
• When was my last good confession? Have I received communion or other sacraments in the state of mortal sin? Have I intention- ally failed to confess some mortal sin in my previous confession?
• Have I seriously doubted my faith or put myself in danger of losing my faith through readings hostile to Catholic teachings or involvement in non-Catholic sects? Have I engaged in superstitious practices: palm- reading, fortune telling, etc.?
• Have I taken the name of God in vain? Have I cursed, or taken a false oath? Have I honoured God’s holy creation and be- haved as a good steward in my treatment of the environment?
• Have I missed Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation through my own fault, without any serious reason? Have I kept the required fast and abstinence on Good Fri- day and other prescribed days?
• Have I disobeyed my parents and just au- thority in important matters?
• Have I hated anyone, or sought revenge? Have I refused to forgive? Have I injured anyone?
• Have I deliberately become drunk? Have I taken illicit drugs?
• Have I respected the sanctity of life, and protected life from conception to natural death?
• Have I looked at indecent images or watched pornographic movies? Have I en- gaged in impure jokes or conversations? Have I committed impure acts, alone or with others?
• Have I browsed the web and used social media responsibily? Have I used my time well?
• Have I stolen or deliberately damaged an- other person’s property? Have I made rep- aration for the damages done? Have I been honest in my business relations?
• Have I told lies? Have I sinned by calumny or detraction — repeating the faults of others without just cause, even if they are true? Have I rashly judged others in serious matters?
If you remember other serious sins besides those in- dicated here, mention them in your confession.
Conscience
Journal of the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
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ver 3,500 young Catholics at- tended the Australian Catholic
Youth Ministry which Adelaide