Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Relationships and Religion
67% of Inactive Catholics Open to Confession

67% of Inactive Catholics Open to Confession

Last updated on: March 27, 2026 at 7:53 pm by William Hemsworth

0 Comments

67% of Inactive Catholics Open to Confession 2026-03-27T19:53:46-07:00 William Hemsworth

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Baltimore, MD, March 24, 2026 — As Lent continues, a first-of-its-kind national study finds that most Catholics who have stepped away from Confession haven’t given up on it. Among 1,500 U.S. Catholics surveyed in 2026, 67% of those who haven’t been to Confession in the past year say they are open to returning, with roughly half expressing a desire to go more often.

Findings from The Catholic Pulse Report: The Confession Study, conducted by Vinea Research Group, challenge the conventional narrative of a sacrament in irreversible decline. Distance from Confession, the research shows, is shaped more by hesitation, uncertainty, and the absence of habit than by disbelief or rejection.

The study goes beyond prior surveys that measured participation alone, exploring what draws Catholics to Confession, what keeps them away, and how the sacrament shapes their spiritual and personal lives.

“As central as Confession is to Catholic life, in-depth national research on this sacrament has been surprisingly limited,” said Hans Plate, Founder of Vinea Research Group. “This study illuminates not just how often Catholics go, but why they go, why they don’t, and what they experience when they do.”

Key Findings

U.S. Catholic Pulse Report, 2026 | n=1,500 Catholics

67% of Catholics who have not been to Confession in the past year are open to returning, with roughly half expressing a clear desire to return.
83% of Catholics who go to Confession cite receiving God’s mercy and forgiveness as a primary reason for going; 75% of those who have not gone in the past year say mercy is a reason they would return, making it the strongest draw across both groups.
The most common barrier is the belief that forgiveness can be sought directly from God without Confession (63% overall; 73% among those who have not been in the past year).
Among those who haven’t been to Confession in over a year, 50% report embarrassment about speaking their sins, and 53% find the sacrament uncomfortable—both pointing to personal discomfort with the Confession experience.
43% of those who go infrequently say they would go more often if they heard that struggling with the same sins is normal, an equal percentage desire a greater emphasis on mercy over judgment.
Among those who go to Confession, approximately two-thirds report a clear sense of forgiveness, reassurance of God’s mercy, and interior peace.
Catholics who attend Mass at least monthly score above national benchmarks on human flourishing, with those who go to Confession regularly reporting the highest levels—particularly in meaning, peace, and overall well-being.

Plate called the findings deeply encouraging. “Many Catholics still believe in the sacrament, many have experienced it personally, and many remain open to returning,” he said. “This presents a real opportunity for renewal—not just by inviting Catholics back, but by helping them more fully understand the meaning and power of the sacrament.”

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

Religion News

Uncategorized

catholic

confession

Previous Post

March 27, 2026

Bible in a Year Podcast Hits 1 Billion Downloads

Next Post

April 8, 2026 Art of Living: Cardinal Virtues & the Resurrection

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Excellent presentation. I have found that what matters most is the "posture" of the heart ..."

John

A Matter Of The Heart

"I agree with you 100%. The bishops have instructed everyone to receive on the hand ..."

aggiegirl2000

A Matter Of The Heart

"After seeing exactly how screwed up Christian Conservatives are, worshipping a man that is immorral. ..."

Prax

You Are With Jesus Or With ..."

"Jesus or Beelzebul? I'll take curtain three, thank you. I don't DO Fear religions."

Kyllein MacKellerann

You Are With Jesus Or With ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz