Have you ever felt burdened by the weight of your mistakes, shortcomings, failures, and faults? If so, you’re not alone. I know I could sit and write a list of all the ways in which I am limited, struggle, fail, and fall. I could list all the things I wish I had done differently—from my childhood to my youth and throughout adulthood—right up to this very moment. If only… Right?
Well, maybe we don’t need to be weighed down by our sins. My children have also shared sentiments related to their own mistakes—the times they didn’t listen to Mom and Dad, or when they didn’t want to share a toy. Fortunately, the Catholic faith offers beautiful doctrine that strengthens us as we recognize our failures.
Mercy
When my children share a bit of remorse for their mistakes, I remind them, first, that we are all children of God (1 John 3:1). Next, I remind them that God makes beautiful things out of our mistakes—as I wrote about in a previous post. And finally, I share with them one of my favorite Scripture verses: “God has delivered all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (Romans 11:32).
Wow—wait—what? God actually created us in His image, found us very good (Genesis 1:31), only to deliver us to disobedience? Because he wants to have mercy on us? If this is the case, there must be something unfathomably good and beautiful about God’s mercy.
And there is. And there are many ways that we can access it—most simply, just by being open and attentive to God’s mercy which He is always pouring out upon us.
The Sacrament of Confession
But there’s another unique way to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. It’s through the Catholic Sacrament of Confession—also known as Reconciliation.
Catholic Sacraments are fascinating because they are tangible ways in which we experience God’s grace. As Dr. Matthew Minerd describes in this Ascension Press article, the sacraments are “expressions of the mysteries of faith through physical realities.” And this one, in particular, is surely a mediation of God’s grace through human, and divine, interaction.
When you go to Confession, you sit or kneel before a priest. You choose whether you want him to see you face to face or whether you want your identity to be concealed by remaining behind a cloth or screen of some sort. You verbalize your sins, vocalizing all the ways in which your actions didn’t align with your core values. You recite a prayer of repentance. Finally, the priest performs a blessing and, in the name of Christ, absolves you from your sins.
Wondering why Confession?
Confession is a beautiful and sacred interaction to which all are invited—although there is a bit of formal preparation involved.
You might wonder why the Catholic Church invites us to vocalize our sins to another person—someone whom we may or may not even know, and who is surely not perfect themselves (especially since we are all consigned to disobedience!). I’ve wondered this, too. Yet through exploring and testing out this practice and observing its benefits, and through studying psychology, I have come to a deeper, more solid belief in the beauty of this Sacrament.
Explore the Sacrament of Confession—test it out
So for one, I encourage you to give it a try. If you’ve already received the Sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation, then all you have to do is search online for a parish and Confession times, or just call one and ask to meet with a priest for Confession. If you haven’t yet been baptized or received the Sacrament of your first Reconciliation, you can call a Church and ask about their formation program. This will allow you to learn more about the Catholic faith and the Sacraments on a deeper level.
What does science say about Confession?
Another way of exploring faith is by asking questions and seeking answers through science—the study of creation. Since creation is the handiwork of God, it reflects His goodness and truth. So we can turn to the study of creation to learn more about His ways.
So let’s get to it. What does science say about confession? Well, the Sacrament itself has not, to my knowledge, been examined empirically. Yet related practices, such as self-disclosure, forming a narrative, and intimacy, have been studied.
Self-disclosure
Self-disclosure involves sharing one’s past experiences and emotions through writing or speaking. In Confession, a person discloses their mistakes, shortcomings, emotions, and personal experiences—often aloud and in the presence of a priest. Though distinct in form and purpose, the practice of self-disclosure shares important elements with the Sacrament.
Research has consistently shown that self-disclosure leads to benefits across multiple domains, including physical and mental health. It has been linked to reductions in depression and anxiety in adolescents and adults (Gonsalves et al., 2023) as well as in middle-aged and older adults (Magai et al., 2009).
In fact, researchers at the University of Birmingham conducted a comprehensive review of self-disclosure studies and found that it produces numerous benefits: improved sleep, fewer health-related symptoms, fewer doctor visits, and overall better physical and mental health (Meads et al., 2003).
While Confession and psychological self-disclosure are absolutely not the same thing, Confession does involve some degree of self-disclosure. As such, it’s reasonable to think that Confession may also yield such psychological and health benefits.
Words and language
In the Sacrament of Confession, we are not only invited to recognize our sins and shortcomings—but we are also encouraged to name, and vocalize, them. Scientific research suggests that the simple act of labeling emotions can reduce the intensity of negative emotions and even decrease activation in brain regions associated with emotion, such as the amygdala (Lieberman et al., 2007).
Additionally, research shows that forming a coherent narrative about past traumatic or emotionally significant events can foster post-traumatic growth, resilience, and a deeper sense of meaning in life (Ng et al., 2021). Confession may also involve generation of a narrative about one’s past experiences and emotions.
Since Confession may involve labeling emotions and experiences, and forming, or telling a story about one’s experiences, it may yield similar psychological benefits. It might, for example, promote emotion regulation, resilience, and meaning in life.
Intimacy
Moreover, psychologists have noted that today’s youth and young adults are experiencing a rise in loneliness—driven partly by increased technology use (Twenge et al., 2021) and partly by anxiety surrounding intimacy and vulnerability. It’s difficult, or maybe impossible, to be comfortable with others if we’re not comfortable with our true selves—and that means all of us, including our mistakes and faults.
The Sacrament of Confession invites us to gently confront the parts of ourselves we may prefer to ignore—our mistakes, shortcomings, and sins. With this, we ask for, and receive forgiveness, thereby likely increasing self-forgiveness.
When we forgive ourselves, we become more comfortable with ourselves and thus, with others. We may also become more compassion and forgiving towards others (Neff & Germer, 2018; Clark & Reis, 1988).
Confession—benefits seen and unseen
When we recognize and share our own sins and shortcomings with another—in this case, a priest—we might feel free, loved, and renewed. You won’t know for sure until you try it. But creation does seem to support this Catholic practice—with benefits of self-disclosure spanning physical, mental, and social outcomes.
We might say that these benefits are “seen” or measurable. Yet Scripture expresses that eye cannot see, nor can we comprehend what God has ready for us. If creation points to these earthly benefits of Confession, what more might exist beyond what the human person can tangibly access? Well, those things are unseen, so that’s where belief and faith comes in. And it’s up to you whether you want to give it a try.
Related Posts
If you liked exploring the relationship between faith and science, check out my previous blog posts:
Mercy: Brokenness Transformed into Beauty?
Does Modern Science Support the Wisdom of St. Benedict?
Drink from It, All of You: Science Supports Jesus’ Words
References
Clark, M. S., & Reis, H. T. (1988). Interpersonal processes in close relationships. Annual review of psychology, 39(1), 609-672.
Gonsalves, P. P., Nair, R., Roy, M., Pal, S., & Michelson, D. (2023). A systematic review and lived experience synthesis of self-disclosure as an active ingredient in interventions for adolescents and young adults with anxiety and depression. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 50(3), 488-505.
Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
Magai, C., Consedine, N. S., Fiori, K. L., & King, A. R. (2009). Sharing the good, sharing the bad: The benefits of emotional self-disclosure among middle-aged and older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 21(2), 286-313.
Meads, C., Lyons, A. C., & Carroll, D. (2003). The impact of the emotional disclosure intervention on physical and psychological health: A systematic review. University of Birmingham, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology.
Neff, K., & Germer, C. (2018). The mindful self-compassion workbook: A proven way to accept yourself, build inner strength, and thriveÿ ÿ. Guilford Publications.
Ng, F., Ibrahim, N., Franklin, D., Jordan, G., Lewandowski, F., Fang, F., … & Slade, M. (2021). Post-traumatic growth in psychosis: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. BMC psychiatry, 21, 1-11.
Twenge, J. M., Spitzberg, B. H., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Less in-person social interaction with peers among US adolescents in the 21st century and links to loneliness. Journal of social and personal relationships, 36(6), 1892-1913.
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