Pope Francis likes to remind us that the confessional is not supposed to be “a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy”. Who would disagree? Who has known different? It’s very rare nowadays for priests to turn into the Spanish Inquisition. In my experience, the biggest problem is a confessor who insists that you’ve done nothing wrong.
The Pope’s words betray a generational divide. He grew up in an era when the practice was more widespread and, probably, more intimidating. Catholics of a certain age tell stories of priests who would interrogate them over the smallest of things and demand outsized penances: 30 Hail Marys for hiccupping at Mass.
