Desire for Mercy is Pushing Catholics Back to Confession

As Lent continues, a first-of-its-kind national study finds that most Catholics who have stepped away from Confession haven’t given up on it. Among 1,500 U.S. Catholics surveyed in 2026, 67% of those who haven’t been to Confession in the past year say they are open to returning, with roughly half expressing a desire to go more often.Findings from The Catholic Pulse Report: The Confession Study, conducted by Vinea Research Group, challenge the conventional narrative of a sacrament in irreversible decline. Distance from Confession, the research shows, is shaped more by hesitation, uncertainty, and the absence of habit than by disbelief or rejection.The study goes beyond prior surveys that measured participation alone, exploring what draws Catholics to Confession, what keeps them away, and how the sacrament shapes their spiritual and personal lives.Hans Plate is the Founder and President of Vinea Research. With more than 25 years of experience providing professional market research to industry-leading companies such as Pfizer and Medtronic, Hans felt compelled to apply proven business-based research methods in service to the Church. Combining his market research expertise with his devout Catholic beliefs, Hans leads a team at Vinea Research to provide high-caliber, action-oriented market research to parishes, Church leadership, apostolates, and advocacy groups. Get full access to Epiphany at epiphanyradio.substack.com/subscribe