For many today, Confession is a misunderstood part of the Catholic Faith. Some people do not see the need to ask for forgiveness, while others do not know why they should go to a priest: “Why can't it just be between me and God?”

But the sacrament of Confession is one that needs to be re-discovered, according to Pope Benedict. In this booklet, frequently-asked questions on confession are posed, with answers drawn from the teachings of the Holy Father: why the Sacrament matters, what its roots are in Holy Scripture and Church teaching, and what good it can do for an individual person as well as for society as a whole.

Fr Donncha Ó hAodha is a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature working in Dublin. Currently he works as chaplain to Rockbrook Park secondary school for boys and also to Nullamore Youth Centre.