Confession minus mortal sin/Diocese vs. archdiocese

Q  Why should I go to confession if I have not committed a mortal sin?

A   Confession is not just for mortal sins.  Let’s face it; a venial sin is still a sin, a sin against God, Mary and all the saints and angels.  They endanger our soul because they can lead to more serious sins.  Confession with a priest can be one way to help prevent venial sins from developing into a pattern that could lead to mortal sins.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also recommends confessing venial sins.   “Confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the church.  Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit.  By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful” (CCC1458).

Additionally, the Catholic Church has five precepts which we are bound to follow.  The second of these precepts is “You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”  Celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation ensures our preparation for the Eucharist and “continues baptism’s work on conversion and forgiveness.”

The sacrament also gives us grace, as St. John Paul II once stated:  “It would, therefore, be foolish, as well as presumptuous, to wish arbitrarily to disregard the means of grace and salvation which the Lord has provided and, in the specific case, to claim to receive forgiveness while doing without the sacrament which was instituted by Christ precisely for forgiveness.”

There are many other spiritual benefits of Confession (CCC 1496):

Reconciliation with God – Sin is an offense against God; it weakens our connection with him.  Confession restores or strengthens our intimate relationship with God.

Reconciliation with the church – Sin damages our relationship with others; the church suffers from the sin of one of her members.  Confession repairs that relationship with others.

Decrease of time in purgatory – Before we gain heaven, our soul must be purified of all attachments to sin.  Our soul may be purified either here on earth or in purgatory.  The penance assigned by the priest during confession can reduce our time in purgatory.

Peace and serenity of conscience and spiritual consolation – Confession can bring about a true “spiritual resurrection” that can remove doubts and anxiety and help us feel connected to God.

Helps us lead a better life – By examining our conscience before confession and with the help of the priest, we can pinpoint weak and sinful tendencies and ways to combat these tendencies.

Jesus gave us this sacrament because we need it.  He did not give us this sacrament to burden us but to unburden us of our sins – all sins, not just mortal sins.

 So, go to confession – get the graces available and the help you need.   

Q  What is a diocese and what is an archdiocese?

A  All church parishes in a certain geographical region form a diocese.  The bishop of that diocese oversees all of the church parishes in his diocese and exercises pastoral care over all of those in that area, not only Catholics but also the baptized of other faiths, as well as the unbaptized.  An archdiocese is basically a diocese that includes a larger city or an area with a large Catholic population.  

The Diocese of Baton Rouge includes 12 civil parishes: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupée, St. Helena, St. James, Tangipahoa, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.  This encompasses 5,313 square miles and includes 64 church parishes.  

As of the latest official data (Jan. 5, 2021), the Diocese of Baton Rouge had a total population 1,001,957, of which 211,921 were Catholic.  Our diocese is serviced by 51 active diocesan priests, 21 retired priests, 33 active religious priests and 21 retired religious priests, as well as numerous religious sisters and brothers and deacons.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans is the only archdiocese in Louisiana.  It is also the metropolitan see, or the “head” diocese, of the Province of Louisiana.  The Province of Louisiana includes the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Dioceses of Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport.  Each bishop is in charge of his diocese; however, if a problem arises that he cannot resolve, he first goes to the archbishop before going any further.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge was carved out of the Archdiocese of New Orleans more than 60 years ago in 1961.  Bishop Michael G. Duca is the sixth Bishop of Baton Rouge, following Bishop Robert E. Tracy, Bishop Joseph Sullivan, Bishop Stanley J. Ott, Archbishop Emeritus Alfred M. Hughes of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and Bishop Robert W. Muench.

Deacon Hooper is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at [email protected].