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More Forgiveness. So far, most Roman Catholic bishops are cool to the idea of de-emphasizing private confession, although advocates of general confession can muster good arguments for their cause. Brother Philip believes that general confession would make sacramental forgiveness more readily available to more people, bring back to Communion Catholics who for one reason or another cannot or will not confess to a priest. General confession, moreover, would have special value in such countries as Brazil, where millions of rural Catholics see a priest no more than once a month; for many, private confession is impossible. In fact, general confession has been used widely in wartime, when on the eve of battle priests have given conditional absolution to soldiers (who must, however, go to confession if they survive). By the widespread use of general confession, Brother Philip concluded, the church would eliminate the disedifying, mechanistic approach that distorts present practice, and restore the sacrament of Penance to what it was intended to be—a joyful reconciliation of sinner with Christ.