"Father, I am angry that my parents are divorcing" - This could be an example of a young person’s confession. I am often struck by the honesty and profoundness of what young people share. It highlights for me what the Sacrament of Reconciliation means which is a true desire to seek God’s saving grace in a situation that one would like to leave behind.
There is much discussion today about the Sacrament of Reconciliation as the “lost”, “under-used” sacrament that the younger generation ignores. As a missionary, I discovered this is not true. I believe it is a frequently used sacrament by the youth, given the proper conditions.
Ministering to people in four different continents, I have come to believe that while many of the older people utilize this sacrament more frequently, younger people who may go to confession less, frequently understand it better. This is particularly true when it is connected with pilgrimage.
With younger people, there is often a focus on their emotions and feelings about a particular situation. They seek a dialogue with God and forgiveness and compassion to better understand what they are feeling and living. The younger generation keeps the focus on themselves and rarely enters into the sins of the other.
The opening quote reflects this: The focus is the person’s anger, not the divorce of the parents. A person seeks guidance on how to handle their anger in a situation that deeply affects the family. For me, that is a true reconciliation moment.
So what compels a young person’s desire to seek the Sacrament of Reconciliation? And, when? The traditional style of providing the sacrament one hour a week, in a box in a church does not attract young people today.
That model might have served a previous generation. Young people seek an external expression of the faith linked to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is here that I discovered as a missionary in Chile the power of “pilgrimage”.
The early church linked reconciliation to pilgrimage. The penitent, after causing harm to the community, was sent on a pilgrimage away from the community. This physical distance from the problem gave the penitent time to contemplate and the community to heal. The physical struggles of the pilgrimage such as the long journey and harsh weather conditions, reflected the inner spiritual struggle. It was not just a spiritual renewal but a physical one as well.
Centuries later, the tradition of “boxed” confessions came in and the physicality was lost. I believe that many young people unconsciously seek a return to the early church’s tradition of reconciliation and pilgrimage.
In Chile, the most popular youth pilgrimage is through the foothills of the Andes Mountains to the Sanctuary of Santa Teresita de Los Andes. About 70,000 young people participate each year in this 27km pilgrimage along a dirt mountain track. The surrounding environment is semi-arid. The sun is hot and there is little shade. The mountainous terrain can be rugged.
During the 27km walk there are eight special areas called Stations. Here social and musical events are organized around the theme of the pilgrimage and conversion. Some stations provide group prayer like the rosary but the most popular stations are the ones providing the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
At these stations, dozens of priests line up alongside the dirt road to offer the sacrament to the pilgrims as they walk by. A priest can spend six hours hearing confessing without a break. Eventually, the pilgrims arrive at the sanctuary in the afternoon feeling physically tired but spiritually renewed. There they participate in the celebration of the Eucharist that closes the event.
The most popular and biggest pilgrimage in Chile, however, is the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Lo Vasquez on December 8 each year, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is estimated nearly one million people participate with many of them travelling on foot.
The sanctuary is located 75kms from Santiago on the motorway to the coastal city of Valparaiso. In fact, on that day, most of the motorway between Santiago and Valparaiso has to be closed. Usually the summer sun is extremely hot and the pilgrims walk all day. At the sanctuary the Sacrament of Reconciliation is provided and priests spend the whole day hearing confession. Many young people participate in the pilgrimage. Many confess.
This desire of youth to participate in a pilgrimage and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation demonstrates that this Sacrament is still popular with young people. They seem to prefer an integrated, holistic experience of reconciliation linked to pilgrimage rather than the more traditional form of going to confession.
Columban Fr Chris Saenz was ordained in 2000 and is currently working in Chile.
Read more from The Far East, April 2014