A long and thorough Providence Journal article on the lost art of going to confession for Catholics. But it misses another key reason that confession has fallen out of favor for most Catholics: the way that most priests administer the sacrament, it’s way too psychologically simplistic for those sins that truly matter to people.
If I’m bothered by my own hurtful or wrong behavior, but I don’t understand it or I have no clue about how to stop it, what sense does it make to say “I’m sorry” and ask God’s forgiveness via a priest who mechanistically says I’m forgiven and then gives me a penance that has nothing to do with making amends or getting back on track?
I think confession in the hands of savvy priest could be a powerful and meaningful sacrament, more closely aligned to the practice and principles of the Twelve Steps of AA.