II. Communities that celebrate their faith and give thanks for the gift of God

Sacrament of Forgiveness-Reconciliation

In a world that is shattered, disrupted, and seized by the forces of evil, individuals need to find havens of liberation, places for reconciliation with oneself, with others, and with God. The Sacrament of Forgiveness-Reconciliation always provides a refreshing encounter between the human sinner and Jesus Christ, the liberator.

We note, in our Church, a fairly generalized dissatisfaction with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This distancing from the Sacrament of Reconciliation may, in the long run, lead to a loss of the sense of sin, indeed even to the loss of the sense of God. Only a sustained pastoral effort can help the baptized recognize the benefits of this sacrament. All pastoral leaders must be deeply concerned with helping the baptized rediscover the liberating energy of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

There are several forms of the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

the individual form,

the communal form with individual absolution,

the communal form with general absolution.

The individual celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

For the penitent, this form offers a special opportunity for spiritual growth. It encourages spiritual direction, a valuable support to the believer journeying on the road to holiness.

The communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

The faithful greatly appreciate a well-prepared communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation experienced in a climate of peace and fraternity. It facilitates an awareness of the sense of sin and enables one to better grasp its communal dimension. It highlights the merciful love of a Father-God. United in intercessory prayer and thanksgiving, the penitents find comfort and strength to be more faithful to the practice of the Gospel.

The communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation with individual absolution offers the opportunity to promote the value of the personal relationship of the penitent with the priest, the minister of the sacrament. The accompaniment provided by the priest helps the believers to find again and to taste the spiritual riches of the individual dimension of God's mercy. One will understand that to celebrate this sacrament meaningfully requires conditions that pastoral leaders should strive to ensure.

During the synodal process, many members of the diocese expressed the wish that the Bishop would authorize the communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation with general absolution.

In 1972, a Roman document recalled the conditions for a communal celebration with general absolution: the scarcity of priests or the large number of the faithful. The Church of Montreal cannot be said to lack priests today, at least not in absolute numbers. Nevertheless, taking into account the decrease and the aging of the clergy, it will be necessary, within several years, to reconsider the question of the number of available priests.

Non-sacramental means of Reconciliation. Moreover, in Church practice, many forms of pardon or of reconciliation exist besides that of the sacramental celebration: mutual acceptance, listening to the Word of God, prayer (cf. Mt. 18:15-20).

Subsequent to the work of the Synod, I promulgate the following proposals:

30. That the pastors of the Church of Montreal make more accessible the Sacrament of Reconciliation under its individual form. (A-09)

31. That the Archbishop of Montreal authorize communal celebrations of Reconciliation with general absolution during peak times of the liturgical year and on other special occasions. (A-08)