CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- As many dioceses the world over begin to offer special round-the clock periods of Confession, Pope Francis stressed that conversion is \u201ca commitment that lasts a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\u201cWho among us can be assumed not to be a sinner? No one,\u201d the Pope said at a March 28 penitential service at St. Peter\u2019s Basilica which stressed the power of forgiveness through Christ.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe love of Jesus Christ lasts forever, will never end, because it is the very life of God. This love conquers sin and gives strength to get up and start anew, because with pardon the heart is renewed and rejuvenated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe said that many participants in the penitential service will make themselves \u201cmissionaries to the experience of reconciliation with God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cTo everyone you meet, you will communicate the joy of receiving the Father\u2019s forgiveness and regaining full friendship with him,\u201d the Bishop of Rome told his flock.<\/p>\n
\tOn March 24, he had called for churches around the world to join Rome\u2019s parishes in \u201c24 Hours for the Lord,\u201d a \u201ccelebration of forgiveness\u201d to make Confession available for a full day.<\/p>\n
\tThe Friday penitential service at St. Peter\u2019s Basilica included Psalms, scripture readings, and hymns about repentance and the mercy of God.<\/p>\n
\tDeacon Pat Rogers, the Archdiocese of San Antonio\u2019s communications director, said the worldwide celebration is \u201cthe opportunity to extend God\u2019s forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation and through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tDeacon Rogers told CNA March 28 that San Antonio\u2019s Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller responded to the Pope\u2019s call.<\/p>\n
\tThe archbishop has opened San Antonio\u2019s San Francesco di Paola parish for Confessions for a 24-hour period beginning Saturday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWith love and respect I invite all those who seek God\u2019s mercy to come to the sacrament of confession,\u201d the archbishop said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI promise you will be received with the joy that comes when our hearts are freed from the heavy weight of sin. I also pray that these 24 hours will be a time when we can forgive those in our lives who have wounded us and make reparation with those we have hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tSeveral U.S. dioceses already hold special Confession periods through campaigns such as \u201cThe Light is On For You.\u201d The Boston archdiocese has set aside six days during Lent to make select parishes especially available for confession, and the Archdiocese of Denver opened nearly all its parishes for confession the evening of March 20.<\/p>\n
\tIn Canada, the Diocese of Saskatoon is hosting a 24-hour period of Confession and Eucharistic Adoration at St. Paul\u2019s Co-Cathedral from 1 p.m. March 28 through midnight, and continuing through the night. It will also adoration and Confession at the Cathedral of the Holy Family from 12 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n
\tThe Diocese of Hamilton opened its Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King for 24 hours of Confession beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday, while the Diocese of Calgary opened its St. Anthony\u2019s parish for round-the-clock Confession at the same time.<\/p>\n
\tIn England, the Diocese of Middlesbrough will open three parishes for Confession from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Over a dozen parishes in the Diocese of Shrewsbury set aside special periods for Confessions.<\/p>\n
\tThe Archdiocese of San Jose de Costa Rica is holding a \u201cFeast of Pardon\u201d shortly before Easter, on April 9. Its cathedral will be open for Confessions from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., with more than 30 priests available for penitents.<\/p>\n
\tIn Peru, the Archdiocese of Piura is providing six parishes for \"24 Hours for the Lord\"; the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Trujillo is also being kept open for Confessions.<\/p>\n
\tAnd in Argentina, the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires is holding two days of Confessions at its cathedral, on both March 28 and 29. It includes a Mass said by Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Garcia, petitioning God for repentance and conversion for the entire Church of Buenos Aires.<\/p>\n
\tDn. Rogers said Catholics go to Confession because \u201cit is the sacrament of love and mercy and reconciliation,\u201d and a \u201cgreat sign of God\u2019s unconditional love and mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe \u201cfirst step\u201d in turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel is \u201ca turning toward God,\u201d he said. Confession helps \u201cprepare our hearts for the joy of Easter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe encouraged those who need guidance about Confession to look at resources on the websites of the San Antonio archdiocese, or the U.S. bishops\u2019 conference.<\/p>\n
\tCatholics can also walk into the door of the confessional and talk to the priest about it, he noted.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI assure you that our priests will \u2026 do all they can to gently guide you through the steps of the sacrament so that you may feel that you have celebrated it well and have received the forgiveness of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tArchbishop Garcia-Siller encouraged all Catholics to \u201ccelebrate this opportunity to gain the peace and reconciliation that comes through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ in this sacrament of mercy and love.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
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Vatican City, Mar 28, 2014 \/ 04:59 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- As many dioceses the world over begin to offer special round-the clock periods of Confession, Pope Francis stressed that conversion is “a commitment that lasts a lifetime.”<\/p>\n
\t“W…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\n
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