Love in the heart of a good confession

Pope Francis: Love in the heart of a good confession

Pope Francis meets participants in the annual course of the Internal Forum organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary
Vatican News

Pope Francis told confessors on Friday that love is at the heart of good confession.

He was speaking to participants in the annual course at the Internal Forum organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
This year’s course was conducted online due to the corona virus pandemic.
Abandonment

During the meeting in Paul VI Hall, the pope spoke of three expressions that describe the meaning of the culture of reconciliation: first, “abandon yourself to love”; The second, “Allow yourself to be transformed by love”; Third: “In accordance with love”.

Addressing the gathering, the pope commented, “Going to confession is not going to remove a stain from dry cleaners. No. It is something else.”

The first step to a good confession is, “Exactly the act of faith, abandonment, the repentant approaches mercy.”
“Therefore, every confessor must be able to amaze the brethren who are always asking God for forgiveness,” the pope continued. The pain of one’s sins is a sign of such faithful abandonment of love.

Transformation
“If confession is to be lived in this way, allow yourself to be transformed by love,” he said.

Reflecting on this second phrase, the pope commented, “Let the repentant face a ray of this welcome love and be transformed by love,” which “turns the heart of the stone into flesh.”

He added, “The same is true in emotional life: one changes through a confrontation with great love.”
Pope Francis told those present that a good confessor is called to “see the miracle of change, to notice the work of grace in the hearts of repentant ones, and to encourage the work of conversion as much as possible.”

Agrees with love
Turning his attention to the third phrase – to match love – the pope said, “The true will to transform becomes concrete in the correspondence of God’s love received and received.”
By loving our brothers and sisters, he underscored, “It shows that we truly love ourselves, the world, and God. We are always inadequate and in harmony with His mercy.”

Forgive sinners
Pope Francis continued, “The good confessor always points out, along with the primacy of love, the indispensable love of neighbor and the daily gymnasium for training love for God.”

The Pope emphasized the importance of constant confession, “a means of sanctification, a school of faith, abandonment, change, correspondence with the merciful love of the Father.”

In conclusion, Pope Francis wrote, “Each of us is a forgiving sinner and is ordained in the service of others, so that they too may face that love which has attracted and changed our lives through ritual encounters.”