Catholic? Why don't you go to Confession?

Here's a genuine question for any practising Catholics out there - do you go to Confession? And if not, why not?

It is a well known from observation of Confessional queues in parishes that in recent generations there has been a steep decline in the practice of Confession; such that it must be concluded many Catholics regularly attending Mass are rarely, if ever, participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Given the centrality of Confession to the Catholic system of spirituality, this should be of great concern to anyone interested in the well-being of souls.

To that end, I would like to recruit the help of anyone interested in getting to the bottom of this problem: why are Catholics not going to confession?

Below are the links to a short guide explaining why we should go Confession, and how to get the most out of the celebration of this Sacrament - especially if we have not been in a long time.

Why Should I go to Confession? (Standard PDF)

Why Should I go to Confession (Printable PDF Booklet)

If you are a believing Catholic who has lapsed from going to Confession, can I encourage you to simply read it through - it will take you about 20 minutes? If, after having read it, you still decide that you are not going to make Confession a part of your life, can I encourage you to write to me at the address in the booklet, or leave a comment on this Blog, simply explaining your reasons why?

As a priest, the ministry of reconciling sinners to God is at the very heart of my raison d'être and if the faithful are not coming forward to access this important means of Grace, then I believe I have a responsibility to try and understand why.

Any who wants to get in touch is free to do so anonymously, and I promise neither to judge you, nor try and persuade you to change your mind. However, by sharing, you will be helping a priest of the Church to better fulfil his role in ministering to the People of God.