Reform of the sacrament of reconciliation

Bill Huebsch writes in the November/December issue of Today's Parish Minister, "Advent is coming soon. Let's find a way to help folks celebrate [reconciliation] in a way that will touch their hearts and reconcile them to the gospel."

Below is a brief timeline of the reform of the sacrament after Vatican II.

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The Reform of the Sacrament

In 1973, a new rite for the sacrament of reconciliation was promulgated. The new rite followed norms set down by Vatican II itself, and there were five:

1. the rite should be clear and the effect of the sacrament comprehensible,
2. the role of the community should be emphasized,
3. a public form of the rite should take precedence over the private form,
4. readings from Scripture should be central to the rite,
5. and the rite should be short and free from useless repetitions.

The revised rite has four forms:

1. the individual rite,
2. the communal rite with individual confession and absolution,
3. the communal rite with general absolution,
4. a brief rite to be used in emergencies.