What do Catholics believe about penance?

Loren, a reader, asked some honest questions about Catholic beliefs. The fourth question is on penance.
Q: I can’t find anything in the Bible about penance. The Bible does say that God’s forgiveness is a free gift we receive by turning away from our wrong ways and accepting it through believing in Jesus as our Lord [...]

What do Catholics believe about confession?

Loren, a reader, asked some honest questions about Catholic beliefs. I have chosen to write separate posts in response to her questions, for the benefit of keeping the topics separate and make it less confusing, and for the benefit of future readers.
Loren’s third question is on confession.
Q: Why must sins be confessed to priests? In [...]

Room requires dusting

I received an email yesterday containing an attachment about a brief life story of Padre Pio.
There is a particular paragraph that I liked very much:

Padre Pio went to confession frequently and he encouraged others to do the same. When some protested that they did not need to go to confession since they had nothing of [...]

Vatican updates sins for modern world

Here is an interesting article from CathNews:
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=6179

Vatican updates sins for modern world
Polluting the environment, drug pushing and genetic manipulation have been added to the list of mortal sins.
Reuters reports head of the Apostolic Penitentiary - the Vatican body which oversees confessions and plenary indulgence - Bishop Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti [...]

Wednesday, October 17 - Forgiveness

Romans 2:1-11
No matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge. We know that God condemns that sort of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those who behave like this while you are [...]

Monday, October 8 - Infection

A sin is a sin!
Anthony Mastroem wrote the following provocative comment:
No one steals any more… they simply lift something.
No one lies any more… they simply misrepresent the facts.
No one commits adultery… they simply play or fool around.
No one kills an unborn baby.. they simply terminate a pregnancy.

All of this, Mastroem [...]

Wednesday, Sep 26 - Forgiveness

Ezra 9:5-9
At the evening sacrifice I, Ezra, came out of my stupor and falling on my knees, with my garment and cloak torn, I stretched out my hands to the Lord my God, and said:
“My God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our crimes have increased, until [...]

Automatic confessional

This is a hilarious little clip I chanced across while visiting the blog of one of my visitors:

Thursday, August 16 - One Day at a Time

Joshua 3:7-11, 13-17
The Lord said to Joshua, “This very day I will begin to make you a great man in the eyes of all Israel, to let them be sure that I am going to be with you even as I was with Moses. As for you, give this order [...]

Friday, July 6 - Beauty of the Body

06 Jul - Memorial for St. Maria Goretti, virgin, martyr
St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902) was a beautiful, pious farm girl, one of six children of Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. In 1896, the family moved to Ferriere di Conca. Soon after, Maria’s father died of malaria, and the family was forced [...]