ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE 36th COURSE ON THE INTERNAL FORUM
ORGANIZED BY THE APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY
Clementine Hall
Friday, March 13, 2026
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Eminence, Excellency, dear priests, deacons, and others accompanying us: good morning and welcome!
I am very pleased to meet those who—whether in the early stages of their priestly ministry or awaiting ordination—are refining their formation as confessors through the Course on the Internal Forum, offered annually by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
I extend a cordial greeting to His Eminence, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Major Penitentiary; to the Regent, Monsignor Nykiel; to all the members of the Penitentiary; to the Ordinary and Extraordinary Penitentiaries of the Papal Basilicas; and to all of you, participants in this Course. This initiative was strongly desired by Saint John Paul II, who supported it with his pastoral passion; it was confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI with his theological wisdom, as well as by Pope Francis, who has always shown great care for the merciful face of the Church.
I, too, exhort you to persevere in this service, deepening and expanding the scope of this formation, so that the fourth Sacrament may be ever more profoundly understood, fittingly celebrated, and—consequently—serenely and effectively lived out by the entire holy people of God.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation—as we know—has undergone significant development throughout history, both in its theological understanding and in its liturgical form. The Church, Mother and Teacher, has progressively recognized its meaning and function, thereby broadening the possibilities for its celebration. And yet, the reiterability of the Sacrament is not always matched—on the part of the baptized—by a corresponding eagerness to avail themselves of it. It is as if the infinite treasury of the Church’s mercy were to remain “unused,” due to a widespread distraction among Christians who, not infrequently, remain for long periods in a state of sin rather than approaching the confessional—with simplicity of faith and heart—to receive the gift of the Risen Lord.
It was the Fourth Lateran Council, in 1215, that established that every Christian is bound to make a sacramental confession at least once a year; and the *Catechism of the Catholic Church*, following the Second Vatican Council, confirmed this norm (cf. CCC, no. 1457), which is also a law of the Church: “Every member of the faithful who has reached the age of discretion is bound by the obligation of faithfully confessing his or her grave sins at least once a year” (CIC 989).
Saint Augustine affirms: “Whoever acknowledges his sins and condemns them is already in agreement with God. God condemns your sins; and if you, too, condemn them, you unite yourself to God” (*In Iohannis evangelium tractatus* 12, 13: CCL 36, 128). To acknowledge our sins—especially during this season of Lent—therefore means to “come into accord” with God, to unite ourselves to Him.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is, then, a “laboratory of unity”: it re-establishes unity with God through the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of sanctifying grace. This generates the interior unity of the individual and unity with the Church; consequently, it also fosters peace and unity within the human family. One might ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts possess the humility and courage to undertake a serious examination of conscience and go to confession?
But—we ask ourselves once again—can man, a small and simple creature, truly “break his unity” with the Creator? Is this image not perhaps partial and, ultimately, demeaning to the Revelation of God that Jesus has given us?
Upon closer examination, sin does not sever unity—understood as the ontological dependence of the creature upon the Creator; even the sinner remains totally dependent upon God the Creator, and this dependence, when acknowledged, can pave the way for conversion. Rather, sin severs spiritual unity with God: it is a turning of one’s back upon Him. This dramatic possibility is just as real as the gift of freedom that God Himself has bestowed upon human beings. To deny the possibility that sin can truly sever one’s unity with God is, in reality, to fail to recognize the dignity of the human person—who is, and remains, free, and therefore responsible for his or her own actions.
Dearest young priests and those preparing for ordination: always maintain a vivid awareness of the sublime task that Christ Himself, through the Church, entrusts to you—namely, to rebuild the unity of individuals with God through the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The entire life of a priest can find its full realization in the assiduous and faithful celebration of this Sacrament. Indeed, how many priests have attained sanctity within the Confessional! Let us think only of Saint John Mary Vianney, Saint Leopold Mandić, and—more recently—Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and Blessed Michał Sopoćko.
Unity restored with God is also unity with the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ: we are members of the "Total Christ." The theme of your Course this year—"The Church Called to Be a House of Mercy"—would be incomprehensible were it not grounded in its very root: the Risen Jesus Christ. The Church welcomes individuals as a "House of Mercy" because, first and foremost, she ceaselessly welcomes her Lord—in the Word that is heard and proclaimed, and in the grace of the Sacraments. For this reason, in the celebration of sacramental Confession—while penitents are reconciled with God and with the Church—the Church herself is built up, enriched by the renewed holiness of her repentant and forgiven children. In the confessional, dear brothers, we collaborate in the continuous building up of the Church—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—and in doing so, we also infuse new energy into society and the world.
Finally, unity with God and with the Church is the prerequisite for the inner unity of the individual—a unity so necessary today, in this era of fragmentation in which we live. It is an inner unity that manifests itself as a genuine desire, particularly among the younger generations. The unfulfilled promises of unbridled consumerism, and the frustrating experience of a freedom detached from the truth, can—through divine mercy—be transformed into opportunities for evangelization: by bringing to light a sense of incompleteness, they allow for the awakening of those existential questions to which only Christ offers a full answer. God became man to save us; He does so, in part, by educating our religious sense—our irrepressible yearning for truth and love—so that we may embrace the Mystery in which "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
This dynamic of unity—with God, with the Church, and within ourselves—is a prerequisite for peace among individuals and nations: only a reconciled person is capable of living in a manner that is both unarmed and disarming! Whoever lays down the weapons of pride, and allows themselves to be continuously renewed by God’s forgiveness, becomes an agent of reconciliation in their daily life. In such a person, the words attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi find their fulfillment: "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace." Dearest ones, never fail to approach—with faithful constancy—the Sacrament of Forgiveness, so that you may always be the first beneficiaries of the Divine Mercy, of which you have become—or will become—ministers. May Mary, Mother of Mercy, always accompany your journey and enlighten your steps. Upon you and upon your daily endeavors, I cordially impart the Apostolic Blessing. Thank you.
