The thing is, I've heard stories of incidents 50 or more years ago where a priest in confession was truly nasty toward the person who was confessing his/her sins. But, as I say, It's never happened to me. More importantly, I think there has been a real change in the way priests approach their ministry in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They see their role as one of extending God's mercy to the repentant and encouraging them in their resolve to live better and to leave the past, and their worries about it, behind — to realize that God has forgiven them. They realize that the person making the confession would not have mentioned something unless he/she already believed it was wrong. So it makes no sense for the priest to try to convince the penitent that what he/she did was wrong.
As a practical matter, therefore, if any of my Catholic readers feel excluded from Mass or Holy Communion because of anything wrong that they have done, I encourage you to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The priest won't yell at you. He'll assure you of God's love and forgiveness.
