Pope Francis: Catechesis on the Sacrament of Reconciliation
(Vatican Radio) Below, please find the English language synthesis of Pope Francis’
Catechesis for the General Audience on Wednesday 19 February 2014:
Dear
Brothers and Sisters: Through the Sacraments of Initiation, we receive new life in
Christ. This life we carry in earthen vessels, however, and we still experience temptations,
suffering, and death. Because of sin, we can even lose this new life. Jesus therefore
willed that the Church continue his works of salvation for her members, in particular
through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which flows from the Paschal Mystery. The
forgiveness we receive is not the result of our own efforts, but is the gift of the
Holy Spirit reconciling us to God and to each other. While the celebration of the
Sacrament is personal, it is rooted in the community of the Church, in which the Holy
Spirit is present, uniting us all in Jesus Christ. When confessing our sins then,
we confess to the priest who represents not only God but also the community of the
Church that accompanies us on the path of conversion. Though this Sacrament is a
great treasure, we may be tempted to dismiss it, perhaps due to laziness or embarrassment,
or because of a diminishing sense of sin and its effects. Too often, we see ourselves
as the centre and measure of all things, and our lives can go adrift. The Sacrament
of Reconciliation calls us back to God, and embraces us with his infinite mercy and
joy. May we allow his love to renew us as his children and to reconcile us with him,
with ourselves, and with one another.