With Lent upon us, more people will likely be lining up outside confessionals, to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

A diocesan paper has posted this helpful guideline for the sacrament, which comes to us via CNS:

Q. In a recent column you discussed a question from a lady concerned about confession without mortal sin. She was told that since she had no mortal sins to confess she was wasting the priest’s time. After that, she had been to confession only a few times over many years, and wondered about going to Communion. In your response you wrote, “Nothing in anything you said is a reason to forego receiving Communion.”

Am I wrong that one of the commandments of the church is that we receive the sacrament of penance at least once a year, whether or not we are guilty of serious sin? We learned it is sinful to receive the Eucharist if we had not confessed within the prior year. Don’t the “six precepts of the church,” including yearly confession, exist any more? (Ohio)

A. In the year 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council decreed that all Catholics should confess any serious sins once a year. In spite of the rather different wording you remember, which I too learned in school in the l930s, that has been the law of the church during the past 800 years.

The old Baltimore Catechism No. 3 (St. Joseph Edition, Question 293), which for decades defined authoritative beliefs and practice for American Catholics, says the obligation for annual confession binds “if we have a mortal sin to confess.” The present Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 1457) and current canon law (No. 989) say the same.

It bears repeating again that the church does not recommend receiving this sacrament only once a year or only when one is conscious of a serious sin. It is simply the bare minimum required.

As I indicated in the column to which you refer, most Catholics who wish to benefit spiritually from this sacrament would receive it more than once a year, mortal sin or not.

As for the precepts of the church, current canon law describes the obligations and rights in general for all Catholics, and specifically for the laity, largely in canons 206-231. These regulations reflect what Catholic faith teaches about our common responsibility to cooperate in building and sanctifying the body of Christ. They can be briefly summarized as follows.

1. To lead a full sacramental life, especially to participate in the Mass on Sundays and holy days, share in holy Communion, and receive the sacrament of penance regularly, at appropriate times.

2. To provide proper religious education for oneself and one’s children, especially by use of Catholic schools and other education programs.

3. To observe the marriage laws of the church.

4. To strengthen and support the church, one’s own parish community and clergy, and the worldwide church.

5. To practice penance and self-denial in the spirit of Christ, including fast and abstinence on days appointed by church leaders.

6. To share in the missionary spirit and apostolic work of the local and universal church.

You can read more at the link — and get another challenging view on this often-neglected sacrament right here.