India: Missionaries of Mercy Launch Training-of-Trainers on the Ministry of Confession in Madurai

A Training-of-Trainers (ToT) workshop titled “Revamping the Sacrament of Reconciliation for Today’s Church” was held on August 26 in Madurai to strengthen the ministry of confession and prepare priests for a more compassionate approach, in line with Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope.

The initiative, inspired by Pope Francis’ mandate for Missionaries of Mercy and his emphasis on mercy in Praedicate Evangelium (Art. 59 §2), brought together 60 priests and religious from nine dioceses of Tamil Nadu.

Archbishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu of Madurai presided over the event, delivering the keynote on “Canonical Norms Concerning the Sacrament of Reconciliation.” He reminded participants that “confession is a sacrament of healing,” stressing that sound canonical practice protects both penitent and priest while opening hearts to
grace.

The sessions included reflections by Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi on “Empathy and Resilience: Cause and Effect of Confession,” and Dr. I. Antony Manuel Vijay on “Emotional and Spiritual Healing through Confession.” Group discussions on pastoral challenges and opportunities were facilitated by Fr. Joseph Michael Selvaraj and Fr.
M. Arul Ambrose.

“Our aim is simple: to form compassionate confessors who can preach mercy, accompany penitents, and train fellow priests across our dioceses,” said Fr. Karunanidhi.

The workshop outlined three goals: increasing the visibility of the Missionaries of Mercy, revitalizing pastoral practice in the sacrament, and preparing trainers who will extend this formation within their dioceses. Participants pledged to establish a “mercy desk” in each diocese, hear confessions generously, and train at least ten priests annually.

The ToT was organized with the support of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Pontifical Mission Organizations–India, with local backing from the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council.

Missionaries of Mercy are priests commissioned by the Holy Father during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2015–2016) to highlight the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a living sign of God’s mercy and to foster broader access to it.