Catholic priest urges regular churchgoers to make their confession early

MANILA — A Catholic priest is urging the faithful, particularly the regular churchgoers, to make their confession early and not wait for the mass confession during Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

According to Fr. Carmelo Arada, Assistant Director, Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of Manila, those who are regularly attending Church service are asked to confess during Holy Monday until Holy Wednesday so as not to add to the volume of people who are expected to make their confession during the mass confession.

“We ask regular churchgoers to make their confession during the regular confession day since we have observed that many people attend the mass confession,” he said in an interview.

“We encourage them to let us give it to them so that many people will be able to receive the sacrament of confession,” he added.

The Catholic priest said that people should not worry that they will not be able to confess because of long queues outside the confession booth, as priests are ready to hear all of them.

“They will not stop until the last man/woman in line has been heard. Priests really take time to hear confessions since it’s been a practice of Filipinos to go to confession during Holy Week,” he explained.

In case there is shortage of priests, Arada said that vicariates, which are group of parishes, will help assign priests to help receive confessions.

He noted that that there is no age requirement or limit to those who want to confess, as long as they have been baptized as Catholics.