three teachings<\/strong> important truths about faith, sin and Christian life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
1) No sin is original<\/h2>\n
The first reflection<\/strong> concerns the universal sharing of human struggles.<\/p>\nFather Casey Cole observes how, in the confessional, the same difficulties<\/strong> and the same fragilities always<\/strong> emerge.<\/p>\nMany penitents, especially young people, often live their sin convinced they are the only ones<\/strong> making certain mistakes or even ashamed<\/strong> to confess a certain sin for fear of what the priest might think.<\/p>\n\u00abAfter thousands of confessions\u00bb<\/i>, the friar explains, he realized that \u00abno sin is truly unique\u00bb<\/i>. Nothing surprises him<\/strong> in the confessional and, in fact, \u00abfor three or four years I haven’t heard a new sin anymore\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nBy saying this he does not mean to minimize<\/strong> the pain or the seriousness of what is confessed but that \u00abentering the confessional there is very little chance of sharing something that a priest has not already heard dozens of times<\/strong> in the same week\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nThe message<\/strong> is that whatever has been committed you are not the only ones and, above all, \u00abyou are not alone\u00bb<\/i>, encouraging greater openness with one another. He indeed recalls the Letter of James<\/i> (5:16), urging to put its words into practice: confess sins not only to the priest, but also to one another<\/strong> to share our vulnerability and ask for support.<\/p>\n\u00abYou are not the only sinners, so why fight alone? Seek support in the community<\/strong> and let us work together to overcome sin\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
2) The faithful are often holier than the priests<\/h2>\n
The second lesson concerns the holiness of the laity.<\/p>\n
The friar dispels the false idea<\/strong> (he calls it \u00abpure madness\u00bb<\/i>) that only those who dedicate their lives to Christ, such as priests, nuns or friars, can live a superior life of holiness<\/strong>.<\/p>\nListening to confessions, he instead discovered that many lay faithful manifest a deep faith, an extraordinary commitment and dedication. Often showing \u00aba stronger urgency<\/strongstrong> to grow in spiritual life than priests and religious\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nThe latter, in fact, are more likely to \u00abfall into the temptation of complacency<\/strong>\u00bb<\/i>, that is, to think they have already reached a certain level of spiritual growth. \u00abIt is sad, but sometimes it is the nature of ministry itself\u00bb<\/i>, explains Father Casey.<\/p>\nMany priests live in holiness and take their vocation seriously but that does not mean that they do not sin in the same way<\/strong> as the faithful. Indeed, the friar explains, \u00abas a priest, I am constantly humbled<\/strong> in the confessional in front of the lives of the laity. I am amazed<\/strong> by their dedication to the faith, their rejection of sin and their desire to grow in holiness\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nThe message is<\/strong>: know that priests do not judge you for your sins, in many cases they learn and grow thanks to you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
3) We feel more guilty than necessary<\/h2>\n
The third reflection concerns the proper weight of sins.<\/p>\n
Often, the American priest says, \u00abmany people feel more guilty<\/strong> than they should\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nThere is quite a bit of confusion about what sin is and too often \u00abI have been told to feel gravely guilty for a mortal sin<\/strong>, to have refrained from receiving Communion for a week because of this sin, only to discover that what they confess is nothing serious\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nFor this reason he clarifies the definition of mortal sin<\/strong> and the three conditions:
\n1)<\/strong> Such gravity<\/strong> as to break the relationship with God (so not episodes of gluttony, rudeness or greed, for example)
\n2)<\/strong> Full awareness<\/strong>: one must know that the action is wrong and understand its consequences. There is no mortal sin committed by accident.
\n3)<\/strong> Total freedom<\/strong>: one must act by one’s own choice and will, without external pressures or constraints, since these reduce or annul culpability.<\/p>\n\u00abMortal sins exist, but not with the frequency<\/strong> with which they are thought to occur in the confessional\u00bb<\/i>, the friar explains. \u00abThose who spread the idea that every action is a mortal sin harm people spiritually\u00bb<\/i>. Equally wrong is to preach a theology<\/strong> that \u00ableads to believe that every action leads to condemnation\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\nFor this reason he considers a greater education in moral doctrine<\/strong> essential: to know the Catechism, the Church’s documents and to consult with a priest or a spiritual director.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Also very relevant is the conclusion of the video, in which Father Casey Cole invites not to fall into the temptation of scrupulosity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\u00abDo not try to be perfect according to a list of sins<\/strong>\u00bb<\/i>, he tells the listener. \u00abFocus on following Jesus. Fix your gaze on Him: He only asks for faithfulness<\/strong>. Do that, and you will never be far from His grace\u00bb<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The three teachings that a young American friar learned after hearing confessions for 6 years. An interesting video by Father Casey Cole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":32,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2068,2069,2070,2071],"class_list":["post-62383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-confession","tag-confessions","tag-father-casey-cole","tag-sacrament-of-confession"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Father](\"https:\/\/www.uccronline.it\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/confessioni.webp\")
<\/p>\n