I strongly believe that any proposed revisiting of the beautiful and necessary Sacrament of Reconciliation should seek to re-establish the much needed and much missed Third Rite of Penance with General Absolution.I was impressed by Mgr Mark Langham’s account (Letters, 22 February) of how rewarding, in a university context, or even at Westminster Cathedral, the celebration of Rite 1 can be. I can corroborate this experience from 40 years at the coalface in less prestigious pastoral locations.He fails to mention, however, that the real pastoral dilemma facing the Church is that an overwhelming majority of Catholics all over the world are never likely again to darken a confessional door. This is true no matter how well lit and comfortably furnished the confessional may be. Sin is still
27 February 2014, The Tablet
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