Do Catholics Go to Confession?

Confessing sins privately to a priest became customary in the Catholic Church after the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. A confession consists of a believer stating all the sins he can recall since his last confession, followed by doing some penance assigned by the priest.

Purpose

• Catholics believe that by confessing their sins God will forgive them. Additionally, the Catholic Church maintains that sin adversely affects interpersonal relationships and hence confession can help mend those social bonds.

Requirement

• Canon 989 states "All the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins at least once a year." The age of discretion refers to the age at which a child is able to tell the difference between right and wrong, typically around seven years old or shortly thereafter. Generally, the term "grave sins" refers to immoral actions of a serious nature.

Modern Society

• Church attendance among American Catholics has declined since the mid-1900s; likewise, the proportion who attend confession has dropped as well. According to the National Opinion Research Center, 40 percent of US Catholics claimed to have attended confession monthly in 1965, while in 2010 that figure is estimated to be under 25 percent.