The three teachings that a young American friar learned after hearing confessions for 6 years. An interesting video by Father Casey Cole.

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What did the Franciscan Father Casey Cole learn by listening to the confessions of the faithful for six years?

He is a young American friar serving in Georgia, creator of a YouTube channel started in 2015 and followed by thousands of people every day.

In a recent video, without violating the sacramental seal of confession, he shared his experience as a confessor at schools, universities and parishes from which he drew three teachings important truths about faith, sin and Christian life.

 

1) No sin is original

The first reflection concerns the universal sharing of human struggles.

Father Casey Cole observes how, in the confessional, the same difficulties and the same fragilities always emerge.

Many penitents, especially young people, often live their sin convinced they are the only ones making certain mistakes or even ashamed to confess a certain sin for fear of what the priest might think.

«After thousands of confessions», the friar explains, he realized that «no sin is truly unique». Nothing surprises him in the confessional and, in fact, «for three or four years I haven’t heard a new sin anymore».

By saying this he does not mean to minimize the pain or the seriousness of what is confessed but that «entering the confessional there is very little chance of sharing something that a priest has not already heard dozens of times in the same week».

The message is that whatever has been committed you are not the only ones and, above all, «you are not alone», encouraging greater openness with one another. He indeed recalls the Letter of James (5:16), urging to put its words into practice: confess sins not only to the priest, but also to one another to share our vulnerability and ask for support.

«You are not the only sinners, so why fight alone? Seek support in the community and let us work together to overcome sin».

 

2) The faithful are often holier than the priests

The second lesson concerns the holiness of the laity.

The friar dispels the false idea (he calls it «pure madness») that only those who dedicate their lives to Christ, such as priests, nuns or friars, can live a superior life of holiness.

Listening to confessions, he instead discovered that many lay faithful manifest a deep faith, an extraordinary commitment and dedication. Often showing «a stronger urgency to grow in spiritual life than priests and religious».

The latter, in fact, are more likely to «fall into the temptation of complacency», that is, to think they have already reached a certain level of spiritual growth. «It is sad, but sometimes it is the nature of ministry itself», explains Father Casey.

Many priests live in holiness and take their vocation seriously but that does not mean that they do not sin in the same way as the faithful. Indeed, the friar explains, «as a priest, I am constantly humbled in the confessional in front of the lives of the laity. I am amazed by their dedication to the faith, their rejection of sin and their desire to grow in holiness».

The message is: know that priests do not judge you for your sins, in many cases they learn and grow thanks to you.

 

3) We feel more guilty than necessary

The third reflection concerns the proper weight of sins.

Often, the American priest says, «many people feel more guilty than they should».

There is quite a bit of confusion about what sin is and too often «I have been told to feel gravely guilty for a mortal sin, to have refrained from receiving Communion for a week because of this sin, only to discover that what they confess is nothing serious».

For this reason he clarifies the definition of mortal sin and the three conditions:
1) Such gravity as to break the relationship with God (so not episodes of gluttony, rudeness or greed, for example)
2) Full awareness: one must know that the action is wrong and understand its consequences. There is no mortal sin committed by accident.
3) Total freedom: one must act by one’s own choice and will, without external pressures or constraints, since these reduce or annul culpability.

«Mortal sins exist, but not with the frequency with which they are thought to occur in the confessional», the friar explains. «Those who spread the idea that every action is a mortal sin harm people spiritually». Equally wrong is to preach a theology that «leads to believe that every action leads to condemnation».

For this reason he considers a greater education in moral doctrine essential: to know the Catechism, the Church’s documents and to consult with a priest or a spiritual director.

 

Also very relevant is the conclusion of the video, in which Father Casey Cole invites not to fall into the temptation of scrupulosity.

«Do not try to be perfect according to a list of sins», he tells the listener. «Focus on following Jesus. Fix your gaze on Him: He only asks for faithfulness. Do that, and you will never be far from His grace».