Pope: Confess sins directly to God if no priests available during virus pandemic
Pope Francis is saying that general absolution of sin — confessing directly to God as opposed to through a priest — applies during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
A Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, including confession, called the Apostolic Penitentiary, issued a notice Friday, stating that though absolution of sin is the usual means through which sins are forgiven by a priest, in times of "grave necessity," such as now with the ongoing spread of the virus, other solutions are needed, according to Catholic Herald (UK). Confession is considered a sacrament in the Catholic Church....