Scottish Catholic Observer

“The confessional light is on for you during Lent 2016. That’s our big message to Catholics across the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh from now until Easter,” Archbishop Cushley said on Ash Wednesday. “Pope Francis has initiated a Jubilee Year of Mercy to encourage all of us to embrace the mercy of Christ in confession so that we can then live mercifully towards others.”

The campaign will see publicity materials distributed across the Archdiocese including tens of thousands of cards inviting people to go to Confession during Lent that can be passed on to extend that pass same invite onto a friend or family member.

“Across the Archdiocese our priests and parishes are also responding to that call of the Holy Father by doing their very best to make the sacrament as widely available as possible during this holy season,” the Archbishop said

The Sacrament of Reconciliation—also commonly known as confession—is one of seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Catholics believe that the contrite confession of their sins accompanied by a firm resolve to amend future behaviour obtains for them divine mercy and forgiveness for any sins committed against God and neighbour.

“Pope Francis is a real inspiration to many young Catholics,” sixth year St Thomas’ pupil Jackie Flynn, said. “I think there could be a lot of interest from people young and old to this invitation to go to Confession over Lent—I know I will.”