"Everyone say to himself: ‘When was the last time I went to confession?’ And if it has been a long time, don’t lose another day! Go, the priest will be good. And Jesus, (will be) there, and Jesus is better than the priests - Jesus receives you. He will receive you with so much love! Be courageous, and go to confession.”

“Someone can say, ‘I confess my sins only to God.’ Yes, you can say to God, ‘forgive me,’ and say your sins. But our sins are also against our brothers, against the Church. This is why it is necessary to ask forgiveness of the Church and of our brothers, in the person of the priest.”

“Forgiveness is not something we can give ourselves,” cautioned the Pope. “One asks forgiveness, one asks it of another person, and in confession, we ask forgiveness from Jesus.”

“Forgiveness is not a result of our efforts, but is a gift. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit who showers us with mercy and grace that pours forth unceasingly from the open heart of Christ crucified and risen.”

“Even embarrassment is good. It’s healthy to have a bit of shame... it does us good, because it makes us more humble.”

“Don’t be afraid of confession. When someone is in line for confession he feels all these things - even shame - but then, when he finishes confessing, he leaves (feeling) free, great, beautiful, forgiven, clean, happy.”

“The sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament of healing.”

“When I go to confession, it’s for healing: healing the soul, healing the heart because of something that I did to make it unwell.”

The sacrament of confession is “the sacrament of those who, in Christ, experience the merciful love of God.” The central messages of Jesus’ teaching are mercy, forgiveness of sins and conversion. The Jubilee Year of Mercy is a “privileged moment” to look at the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a way that captures its beauty and effectiveness. Prayerfully reflect on this sacrament. What do the words “sin,” “forgiveness,” “mercy,” and “reconciliation” mean? What do they mean to you?

“There is no sin which (God) won’t pardon. He forgives everything…

If you go (to confession) repentant, he will forgive everything.” Pope Francis