They said of a queen that she was so clean, so clean, that it was more than enough for her to shower once a year. They don’t say, however, that even if she approached the horses, they would run away as fast as they could, since they need to wash more. The evil lies not in washing too much, but in washing too little. Now, what most defiles human beings are mortal and venial sins. The sacrament of confession cleanses us. Therefore, by analogy, it is advisable to confess with a certain frequency. In accordance with this logic, the Magisterium of the Church recommends frequent confession. In line with this, priests of souls must be very willing to confess penitents. This is illuminated by the saints of mercy, particularly the holy Curé of Ars, Padre Pio, and the priest Leopold Mandic.

Father Leopoldo Mandic (May 12, 1866 – July 30, 1942), a Capuchin like Padre Pio, dedicated his priestly life to the ministry of confession. A very vivid symbol of this confessor’s life is that the hand with which he gave absolution is incorrupt, as is the tongue of the preacher Saint Anthony of Padua. He was a very merciful confessor. He had a strong character, but knew how to control himself. Thus, in the confessional, he was never impatient; he was all understanding and gentleness. When confessing, he was very firm in his doctrine. He would say: when I confess, I feel the full weight of my ministry and I cannot betray my conscience; first and foremost, the truth. With a confessor like this, it is a great pleasure to confess; he embraces and, with supernatural charity, bestows the truth. He spent his days in the confessional, always besieged by penitents. For decades, he spent ten to fifteen hours a day in the confessional. He heard the confessions of countless souls. He can, therefore, be considered a martyr of the confessional. He was willing to make any sacrifice for the good and service of souls. He lived, therefore, according to his saying: a priest must die of apostolic labor; no other death is worthy of a priest. He was canonized by Saint John Paul II, the Great, in 1983. In short, in the confessional, he served much, and many, according to merciful charity and truth.

Padre Pio (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968) lived so far removed from modernity that it seems as if, to the modern world, he would be buried deep within the heart of the planet, in the most distant place, thus remaining totally ignored. However, surprise! This Italian friar is the most popular saint of the 20th century. Each year, his tomb attracts 7,000,000 visitors. In 2002, when Saint John Paul II canonized him, 300,000 people were present. Millions followed the event through the media. But even at his funeral, there were 100,000 attendees. He achieved this fame not with rhetoric and other gimmicks, but by being another Christ. And that happened, even though he had spent most of his life without leaving his convent in San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy), having been a Cyrenian of Jesus and wanting to be simply a praying friar. Pope Saint Paul VI summed up his work this way: he heard confessions from morning to night. Padre Pio himself stated: “I don’t have a free minute: all my time is spent freeing my brothers from the snares of Satan […]. And this is exactly what I do day and night […].” From 1950 onward, people sometimes had to wait more than two weeks to hear confession with him, even though he confessed for at least fifteen hours a day. In short, Padre Pio was one of the greatest saints of the 20th century. And, curiously, the most famous of that century. That great, famous, and famously great man, what he did was hear confessions. A true example!

The Curé of Ars (May 8, 1786 – August 4, 1859), a secular priest, was in charge of Ars, a small town of only 230 people, where almost no one went to Mass and where such horrible things as blasphemy and hatred abounded. In other words, darkness had descended upon the town. The outlook was bleak. Could anything flourish there? However, there the fire of his love ignited. Thus, over time, the frozen mountain became a fiery furnace. What stands out most in his outstanding priestly work is the length of time he dedicated to confessing. From November to March, he spent at least eleven or twelve hours in the confessional. On long days, he spent between sixteen and eighteen hours confessing. Many people from many places, even very distant ones, came to confess with him and discuss spiritual matters. He confessed a great deal. He converted many. It’s a great impact that he managed to do so much good while still in that small town back then. A very important key to such a great achievement was the sacrament of confession, which he administered with the merciful charity of the Heart of Jesus, which binds up the wounds of his sheep. He is the patron saint of all parish priests throughout the universe. And, therefore, the teacher and model of all of them. In short, by confessing frequently, with great paternal love, he showed everyone the immense good this sacrament does.

In short, may we rediscover, with vibrant enthusiasm, the immense wonder of the sacrament of confession, which is one of the richest, most fantastic, beautiful, poetic, brilliant, resplendent, dazzling, dazzling and flashing treasures of the Church.