Reconciliation has been around since apostolic times, when early Catholics realised a person can sin and when they do, they need to be reconciled back into the community. Offenders might have received penances that lasted years or even a lifetime. In the seventh and eighth centuries, Irish missionaries introduced private confession, which was face to face with the priest. Later in the sixteenth century, the confessional box was introduced which allowed total anonymity. In 1215, it was mandatory to go to confession annually in the church. More recently, communal penance services have become commonplace in many parishes, because it reminds Catholics that Penance does not always have to be private.
Watch the video below, about the explanation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Watch the video below, about the explanation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: