Featured Report

The Confession Study

Confession is one of the Church’s most powerful sacraments, and one of its most misunderstood. The findings reveal not a fading devotion, but a people quietly longing to return.

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About the Catholic Pulse Report

What Catholics actually believe.

New national research reveals the deeper story behind Confession: what draws Catholics to the sacrament, what keeps them away, and why many remain open to returning.

Key Insights

Many Catholics Remain
Open to Returning

Many Catholics who are not currently going to Confession have not rejected the sacrament. Two-thirds of those who have not been to Confession in the past year say they are open to going more often or that they would like to go more often.

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The Barriers Are Personal, Not Practical

The most common obstacles to Confession are not logistical. Seventy percent of lapsed Catholics and 81% of those whose last experience was in childhood say they can ask God for forgiveness directly in prayer rather than going to Confession. Feelings of embarrassment, uncertainty about the process, and lack of habit also discourage participation.

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Mercy Draws
Catholics to Confessions

The desire to experience God’s forgiveness and mercy is the strongest motivation drawing Catholics to the sacrament. Nearly 8 in 10 Catholics (79%) say this is a primary reason they would return to Confession.

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A Hopeful Opportunity for Renewal

Taken together, these findings suggest that the decline in Confession is not simply a story of rejection. Many Catholics remain open to the sacrament. The research also points to practical ways to encourage a return, including reassurance about God’s mercy, clearer explanations of the process, and guidance on examining one’s conscience.

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Testimonials and Endorsements

enlightening and practical

Both enlightening and immediately practical, this report meets the urgency of our new "apostolic age." If we hope to evangelize effectively, we must know the Catholics in our pews and those we are striving to welcome into our parish communities. The Catholic Pulse Report on the Sacrament of Reconciliation provides exactly this insight, making it an invaluable resource for bishops, priests, and lay leaders committed to renewing the Church’s mission.
Archbishop William E. Lori
Archdiocese of Baltimore

Important and Thoughtful

This study offers an important and thoughtful look at the sacrament of Confession in the lives of Catholics today. It is a great help to those engaged in Church renewal who understand the importance of this sacrament for the life of faith. I am grateful to Vinea for their important work that helps us better understand and respond to the needs of the faithful entrusted to our care.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens
Diocese of Crookston

Shedding Crucial Light

These words resound at the intersection of two fundamental desires: the desire of every human heart to receive the healing mercy of forgiveness, and the desire of God to grant this to every soul. Indeed, as this new study the “Catholic Pulse Report” indicates: “The desire for mercy is the strongest draw to Confession.” Yet nearly 70% of Catholics, according to this study and others, have not gone to Confession in the past year. While studies have reported decline in Catholics receiving the sacrament, this study rightly notes that “relatively little research has explored the deeper questions behind those patterns.” If we are to truly understand and begin to address this issue, we must better understand not only that this issue exists, but why – why are Catholics participating in the sacrament of Confession less and less? The Catholic Pulse Report goes a long way toward shedding crucial light on this question, through rigorous research and analysis conducted with a depth not typically seen in other research. This study is dynamic, diligent, and profoundly illuminating, and includes reflections on the data that are not only informative, but pastorally useful and practical, framed in ways sensitive to different experiences and pastoral contexts. I have no doubt that the Church will benefit greatly from not only this study, but additional studies from Vinea in the future.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

DEEPLY GRATEFUL

How deeply grateful I am that such a study on the sacrament of Confession has been conducted. As both a confessee and a confessor, I find the results both encouraging and confirming of my own experience. I pray that this work encourages further studies like it, helping the Church better understand and respond to the spiritual realities facing Catholics in our time.
Fr. John Riccardo
Executive Director, ACTS XXIX

A PRACTICAL PATH FORWARD

The Catholic Pulse Report provides a striking new lens on participation in Confession, confirming what pastors have long intuited but could not prove until now: many Catholics are not turning away from the sacrament but are quietly waiting to be invited home. Even amid decline, the persistent desire for mercy points to the real seeds of renewal already at work. At the same time, this study highlights the catechetical gaps that must be addressed with clarity and conviction. In doing so, it offers parish leaders both confidence and a practical path forward, rooted in what the Church has always known: that a true encounter with God’s mercy changes everything.
Tim Glemkowski
Executive Director, Amazing Parish

What Pastors Need

I was just looking for this kind of data a few months ago. It’s exactly what pastors need to better understand their people.
Fr. Derek Mobilio

Incredibly Helpful

To reach the people in the pews, this kind of insight is incredibly helpful.
Fr. Boniface Endorf, OP

Invaluable Tool

This study is an invaluable tool for understanding how Catholics experience Confession today and how we can better invite them back.
Rev. James M. Cox

Made Possible By

This research was made possible through the support of FOCUS.

Organizations and benefactors interested in supporting future Catholic Pulse research are invited to explore opportunities to become founding partners in this ongoing effort.

What Is the Catholic Pulse?

Research for Renewal

The Catholic Pulse is a national research initiative sharing insights into the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of Catholics in America. Published regularly, each report delivers faithful, actionable findings that support evangelization, strengthen pastoral decision-making, and help the Church reclaim her narrative with truth and clarity.

WHO IS VINEA RESEARCH GROUP?

Equipping the Church with faithful insights

The Church longs for renewal, yet many leaders must make decisions without clear, faithful insight into the people they serve. Much of today’s research, while valuable, reflects a secular framework that overlooks the spiritual and pastoral realities essential to renewal.

Vinea Research Group exists to change that, equipping the Catholic Church with mission-aligned research that provides clear, actionable insights so leaders can act with confidence, communicate with clarity, and share the true story of the Church with hope.

01

Rigorous methodology

Every finding is produced with the statistical rigor the Church deserves: nationally representative, peer-reviewed, and transparent.

02

Pastoral clarity

Designed for practical application, each report translates complex data into clear findings a pastor can act on Sunday morning.

03

Actionable insights

Beyond mere information, we offer a deep understanding of the ‘why’ behind behaviors and beliefs, grounding findings in the realities of ministries.

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