Pope Francis: “God forgives everything”

“There is no sin which He won’t pardon. He forgives everything.  ‘But father, I don’t go to confession because I have committed so many really bad sins, so many that I can’t be forgiven….’  No, this is not true.  He forgives everything.  If you go (to confession) repentant, He will forgive everything.  When… so many times He doesn’t even let you speak! You start to ask for forgiveness and He lets you feel that joy of forgiveness before you have even finished confessing everything…

…Confessions often seem like a procedure, a formality.   Everything is mechanical!  No!  Where’s the meeting in this? The meeting with the Lord who pardons you, hugs you and rejoices.  And this is our God who is so good.  We too need to teach (others): teach our children, our youngsters to make a good confession, because going to confession is not like going to the dry cleaners to get a stain removed.  No!  It’s about going to meet with our Father who reconciles, who forgives us and who rejoices.”

—Pope Francis, daily homily, January 23, 2015

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