Instruction regarding Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation
with General Absolution, Lent 2020
With Ash Wednesday on 26 February this year, the Season of Lent begins. We pray that this special time of grace may touch many bringing about hue conversion and newness of life.
Dates and times for the yearly Penitential Services in the parishes for Lent (beginning from 2nd March 2O2O) has been published.
However, to avoid the numerous and close personal contact individual confessions involve,
and as a prudent precaution against the possible spread of the COVID-19, the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu has decided on the following:
l. Dates and times as published for the Penitential Services in the parishes are to remain.
- Penitential Service shall be celebrated as usual, with a full Liturgy of the Word (2 readings 1 of which should be from the gospel), Homily, aid for the Examination of Conscience, and Act of Contrition.
- A common Penance decided by the priest shall then be imposed on all, which is to be done/fulfilled by each Penitent.
- Instead of personal confession however, the priest presiding shall give General Absolution to all present.
- The presiding priest is to instruct Penitents who have committed grave sins to go to Individual Confession as soon as it is available. To facilitate this, taking note of the prevailing condition of the COVID-19 epidemic in the near future, parishes may organize and schedule times for individual confessions in their respective parishes at the appropriate time.
We urge all priests and parishes in the Archdiocese to follow this instruction, and we wish everyone a joyous and fruitful Lent.
Depending on the development of the COVID-19 epidemic, other appropriate instructions may be given by the Archdiocese in the near future.
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St Simon Catholic Church Likas 