Patrick Conley sits down with Fr. Joseph Johnson, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Minnesota, for a thoughtful conversation on the Sacrament of Confession. Some Catholics might admit that one of the hardest parts about confession is walking in when you don’t feel perfectly sorry for your sins. Can the sacrament still “count” if your contrition isn’t perfect? Be sure to listen to the entire episode here!

Fr. Johnson explains that confession is about recognizing our need for a Savior. Drawing on Scripture and the words of Pope Francis, he reminds you that we can only rejoice in Christ as Redeemer once we acknowledge our own sinfulness. He compares it to a lifeguard: if you’re safe on the shore, you don’t feel the need for rescue – but if you’re caught in a riptide, you immediately see why a lifeguard matters. The same is true of Christ’s mercy in the confessional.

A caller from California raises a powerful question: what happens if you approach confession without a firm intention to change your sinful lifestyle? Isn’t that hypocritical? Fr. Johnson acknowledges the Church’s teaching that a “firm purpose of amendment” is needed for a valid confession. But he also clarifies the difference between perfect contrition (sorrow out of love for God) and imperfect contrition (sorrow because of fear of consequences or simply recognizing that sin is wrong). The good news, he says, is that God accepts even our imperfect contrition in the confessional. Just stepping into this sacrament shows that grace is at work in the heart.

Fr. Johnson encourages you not to give up when struggling with repeated sins or discouragement. Even if we fail again, what matters is the willingness to try, to keep coming back, and to place our hope in God’s grace. He reminds you that this is a Jubilee Year of Hope, and that confession is one of the most powerful ways to renew that hope. Like St. Paul, who asked God to remove the “thorn in the flesh” but was told, “My grace is sufficient for you,” we too can trust that God’s mercy will never run out.

Patrick also shares a personal reflection on his own confession, admitting that even he often asks God to help him be more fully sorry. That honesty, he says, is itself part of the journey – because God is willing to take whatever we offer, however imperfect, and transform it with His love.

This episode offers encouragement to anyone hesitant about confession, reminding us that the sacrament is about being faithful, returning again and again to the God who forgives.

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