As we journey through Lent, to gain a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Penance, EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief Andreas Thonhauser sat down for an interview with Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Penitentiary Major of the Apostolic Penitentiary.   

Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Mauro Piacenza on September 21, 2013, as Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, whose headquarters in Rome are in Piazza della Cancelleria, near Campo de’ Fiori. The Apostolic Penitentiary is the office of the Roman Curia responsible for issues related to the sacrament of confession, the lifting of excommunications, dispensations for sacramental impediments, and governance of indulgences. For this reason, Pope Francis likes to call the Penitentiary “a tribunal of mercy.” 

Cardinal Piacenza emphasized, “We sometimes forget that peace is not only the balance between nations, which certainly it is. But peace is an inner matter. Hearts must be pacified.” 

The following is the interview with Andreas Thonhauser, EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief, and Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Penitentiary Major of the Apostolic Penitentiary. 

We are here at the Palazzo della Cancelleria. Would it be possible that you explain to us a little bit about this place and what happens here?  

“Well, here is exactly what happens with the washing machine at home; here consciences are washed, and the ministry of God’s love towards man is served. Because this is a tribunal, but it is a tribunal of mercy. 

The Apostolic Penitentiary deals with difficult and extreme cases of sin, such as sacrileges, black masses, profanation of the Holy Eucharist, when there is a violation of the confidentiality of confession; or of a person who renounced his Catholic faith and asks to be readmitted.  

And all who seek, are they welcomed back? 

Yes, all those who come here are forgiven. Because if they come here, it means they want to be forgiven. 

There, at the back, for example, there is a kneeler, maybe you saw it when entering this room, with a purple stole laid on it. There, and sometimes when someone is truly burdened, especially if they are well-known individuals in the world, burdened by something on their conscience, they come directly here to confess. So, there I listen, absolve from sins, from censures and then you see, there at the back, there is a small door. 

Beyond the work of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Pope Francis opens an invitation to the Universal Church this Lent. 

To experience freedom through confession, Pope Francis invites all dioceses in the world to celebrate “24 Hours for the Lord,” a Lenten initiative of prayer and reconciliation. It will take place on the eve of the fourth Sunday of Lent, from Friday, March 8, to Saturday, March 9. During the event, Pope Francis will go to confession at St. Peter’s Basilica and will hear the confessions of the faithful. 

The sacrament of confession, also known as penance or reconciliation, strengthens the mystical body of Christ through the gift of forgiveness. The Church becomes fortified through forgiveness and this forgiveness can open to the whole world.  

During his Ash Wednesday homily, the Holy Father reminds us to use this Lenten season to reflect and to get closer to God.  

Pope Francis preached, “Lent immerses us in a bath of purification and stripping away: it wants to help us remove every ‘makeup,’ everything with which we clothe ourselves to appear appropriate, better than we are. Returning to the heart means returning to our true selves and presenting it as it is, naked and bare, before God.”    

The motto chosen by the Holy Father for this year is inspired by a verse from the Letter to the Romans: “Walk in newness of life.”  

In continuation of the interview with Cardinal Piacenza, EWTN Vatican asked: 

On a personal level what for you is good preparation for Easter? How do we live a good Lenten time? 

I think the most essential thing now probably is to rediscover the personal contact with the person of Jesus. One passes by a church, not passing by as if it were just any door, but knowing that our God dwells in there, He really dwells there. It is His house. There, and I don’t even need to ring the intercom, I just open the door and go in. And even two minutes, even two minutes just to say, “Hello, I’m here, can you see me?” Rebuilding this thread of confidence with the person of Jesus. 

This year, in his Lenten Message to the faithful, the Holy Father centered his message on the Book of Exodus, choosing “Through the Desert God Leads Us to Freedom” as its main theme to encourage the faithful that the season is a journey from bondage to spiritual renewal and freedom. Let us remember that spiritual renewal should begin in the confessional.  

Adapted by Jacob Stein