Fr. Rolando V. Dela Rosa, O.P.         By Fr. Rolando V. Dela Rosa, O.P. Sometimes I wonder if all the Catholics who receive Holy Communion have gone to confession. But I have never asked an adult who is standing in line, if he had confessed his sins earlier. What if he says NO? Confessing to a priest has never been easy. It is humiliating to declare one’s sins to a fellow human being, especially one whom you think is also a sinner. Some confess their wrongdoings directly to God, but this goes against Catholic teaching. Christ instituted the sacrament of reconciliation when He said to the apostles, the forerunners of today’s priests and bishops: “Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven. Whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John 20:23). Besides, if you confess directly to God, how do you know that you are already forgiven? We should not underestimate our ability to deceive ourselves. The late Dr. Karl Menninger, an eminent psychiatrist, warned us against delaying going to confession simply because we are too proud to do so. He writes in his book “Whatever Became of Sin?” that many of our chronic afflictions, both physical and psychological, are by-products of unconfessed and un-repented sins. The late Erma Bombeck, perhaps one of the most perceptive writers of the past century, predicted that in the future, Catholics would no longer confess their sins to a priest but to an Automatic Confession Machine (ACM) installed in every church. In her article, Bombeck describes how it works: “After you say, ‘Father, bless me for I have sinned,’ a menu appears on the computer screen. You tap in the number of days since your last confession, and the number of mortal sins that you have committed. “Once the sin tally is recorded, the machine calculates your penance – possibly the recitation of the Rosary, making the Way of the Cross, saying a Novena, depending on the gravity of your sins. Then the machine gives you a print-out that contains your penance and some useful spiritual advice.” Bombeck was not making fun of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She was just predicting the possible advantages of using technology in the administration of the sacraments. With an Automatic Confession Machine, many Catholics would no longer risk being traumatized by the experience of confessing one’s sins to a fellow human being. They would be freed from worrying that the priest might recognize their voice; that their confession might take too long; that their sins might be so despicable that the priest might scream, “How could you have done that?” Bombeck also foresaw Automatic Wedding Machines in the future. The bride presses 1 if she wants to set the date of the wedding; 2 if she needs a witness; 3 if she wants a caterer; and 4 if she requests for music. If she needs counseling regarding her decision, she can also press other numbers. Surprisingly, in her article, Bombeck admitted that even if her predictions were technologically possible, she dreaded the day when they would come true. She thought, and rightly so, that faith and religion only flourish through actual human interaction. She dreaded that day when sacraments and salvation were sacrificed on the altar of do-it-yourself technology. Indeed, is it not frightening to think of a Church where everybody is looking for a button to push? So, to the question: “What if an Automatic Confession Machine is invented in the future?” Bombeck had this quick reply: “I don’t think it can ever replace a priest. The Church will never ordain softwares.”