-My parish has “penance services” in which people go to confession in the context of the Mass. Is this permitted?
According to a most ancient tradition of the Roman Church, it is not permissible to unite the sacrament of penance to the Mass in such a way that they become a single liturgical celebration
-Does this mean that confessions cannot be heard during Mass? Sometimes I need to go to confession but haven’t been able to go before Mass. I’d like to go to one of the parish priests who isn’t celebrating, but I’ve been told that this isn’t appropriate because it would take the focus off the Mass being celebrated.
This does not exclude . . . that priests other than those celebrating or concelebrating the Mass might hear the confessions of the faithful who so desire, even in the same place where Mass is being celebrated, in order to meet the needs of those faithful. This should nevertheless be done in an appropriate manner