Pope Francis has just spoken about confession in a very beautiful way:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-be-courageous-go-to-confession/
It's definitely worth a read, and we should all take his advice and go to confession over the next few weeks, it truly is a wonderful Sacrament.
I will however suggest one way for him to actually make a practical change in the Vatican at least regarding confession - have all day Confessions! I visited Rome last year and went to make a confession of my sins around lunchtime but was told that I would have to come back later as there were no priests available. No priests available for confession in the home of western Christianity? I then tried two other local churches, no confessions either. I also tried a religious community next to the Vatican and was turned away. I understand that one priest probably can't stay in the confessional all day due to other responsibilities (perhaps Padre Pio and John Vianney would disagree) but surely in the Basilica of St. Peter there should at least be some priests available throughout the whole day?
This isn't the only time this has happened. I had the same experience in Lourdes this autumn. I went to the building where confessions are heard and saw that it was also closed around lunch-time. I went back much later in the afternoon and was able to confess in Spanish, no English speaking priests available at that time. Again, in one of the great places of Catholic pilgrimage how could they not have a priest for confession the whole day? I can't see there being any practical reasons why there shouldn't be as I've had the pleasure of being able to visit Fatima three times and there was always at least one priest hearing confessions, usually at least two or three in fact.
Of course, in Rome, Lourdes and Fatima there are always visiting priests looking around that one could ask for confession should one have an urgent need for it. However, the lack of confessors in the Vatican only highlights the sad state of affairs in normal parishes with regard to this Sacrament. In England at least there are limited times for confession in most churches, with a few notable exceptions, and in my own parish there is now just thirty minutes a week for confessions on a Saturday morning. If you can't go then your only option is to travel across the city or ask for it by special request if the priest is around.
The whole foundation of Christian life is realising that one is a sinner and seeking God's forgiveness. With this in mind perhaps Francis could consider having all day confessions in St. Peters and then perhaps encourage local parishes to open up the confessional and also preach about it on Sundays. Indeed, why not have confession before Mass on Sunday if it's not available already? The fact that it's almost pushed to the side of the timetable gives the appearance that it's obviously not that important.
I've experience the fruits of the Sacrament of Confession in my own life and were it made more available to the faithful I'm sure the fruits would be enormous for the Church as a whole.
