Anger and confession

[Searching1]

I was rushed through my most recent confession. I had to return after only a few days for a serious reason (please do not flag me for scrupulosity - just read on). The priest who rushed me has done so before. He is the only priest who has ever cut me off during confession and spoken over me. It is… demoralizing.

Anyway , I confessed the serious sin and he asked if there were any more serious sins and I purposely omitted that I had felt anger over a guy who had passed me on the sidewalk who seemed to purposely run into me with his shoulder. I omitted it not to deceive but because this priest seems like he would have said “that would make anyone angry. It isn’t a serious sin.” I would have preferred to have been allowed to just go through my sins without him interrupting, of course.

There is always a long line for confession at the church, every day so he may just want to move things along.

Did I hold onto the anger? Sure, a little, but only because I live in an urban environment and this kind of thing happens a lot and it alllllllllll angers me.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

What exactly is your question? That you left out being annoyed at a guy who bumped you on the sidewalk?
Unless you were up all night plotting to murder him, that doesn’t seem serious to me.
Mention it the next time you happen to go to confession, if it’s still bothering you by then.

As for the priest rushing you, go to another priest next time if you don’t care for this one’s confession style. Or if it was simply a case of needing to make an “emergency” confession over some serious sin and you had to take whatever priest was available, offer it up and move on.

 

[JanR]

Somehow, it seem rude for a priest to talk over the penitent during confession. Isn’t it the duty of the priest to HEAR a person’s sins? If he’s talking over the pentitent, he isn’t hearing what he or she is saying. Nor should a priest give the pentitent the bum’s rush, as seems to have happened, here. I would suggest this penitent go to a different priest, if possible.

 

[libbeylu]

I will be attending a “Senior Citizen Confession session” soon and realize that I don’t want to be rushed but just to say my confession in a normal way of prayer and understanding…the last confession i had was about eight months ago, and the priest was so difficult to understand that I did not understand his penance to this day…? What has happened to the Rite of Confession? I was so confused and disappointed!
Hopefully this time will be different…otherwise I may not attend another…

 

[TK421]

I’m sorry if you had a negative experience and the priest interrupting a penitent seems inappropriate, but please look inward to consider your own disposition and attitude when approaching Jesus through the priest. You can also go to another parish if the one you went to seems overtaxed.

Peace.

 

[ZelkonRodz]

It isn’t right for a priest to interrupt when you’re confessing your sins. Try to find another priest or you could even try making an appointment with a priest, that way the priest can dedicate a portion of time for you.

As for getting angry, let me tell you what my priest once said to me. My priest brought up when Jesus was in the temple and was angered at the sight of what was happening in there. Jesus accused the merchants of making the temple “a den of thieves”. As a result, He destroys all the stalls and shops that had been put up in the temple. If Jesus was angry and He still remained sinless, then it goes to show that anger, if managed correctly, doesn’t necessarily mean you are committing a sin. As long as you don’t direct your anger at anyone, you’re unlikely to be commuting a sin. Focus your anger elsewhere, like going for a run etc.

 

[Searching1]

Thank you for that. I understand our Lord’s anger to be “righteous” anger in the temple. I was angry at the inconsiderate way I was shoved needlessly. The injustice of it. The constant feeling of being tossed around in a city is why urban dwellers are so neurotic and angry.

I suppose I didn’t actually ask in my original post – was the sin of anger forgiven?

but please look inward to consider your own disposition and attitude when approaching Jesus through the priest.

Have I disparaged this priest?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I suppose I didn’t actually ask in my original post – was the sin of anger forgiven?

My personal opinion would be yes, it was forgiven, because as I said above, it sounds like it was not a serious sin. We are only required to mention all our grave and serious sins in confession.
We are not required to mention all our venial since in confession.

 

[ZelkonRodz]

If I’m not mistaken, our sins are forgiven when we receive The Lord in the Holy Eucharist (venial sins only). I wouldn’t say that your anger merits being called mortal sin, so if you received communion (when free from mortal sin) you would have been forgiven of all venial sins, so I should imagine you’re forgiven for feeling angry. You should still regularly attend the sacrament of Reconciliation, especially in the case of mortal sins.

Edit- I did a brief search and found this, it should help explain my point:

The Eucharist and the forgiveness of sins - TheCatholicSpirit.com

 

[porthos11]

Thank you for that. I understand our Lord’s anger to be “righteous” anger in the temple. I was angry at the inconsiderate way I was shoved needlessly. The injustice of it. The constant feeling of being tossed around in a city is why urban dwellers are so neurotic and angry.

I suppose I didn’t actually ask in my original post – was the sin of anger forgiven?

TK421:

but please look inward to consider your own disposition and attitude when approaching Jesus through the priest.

Have I disparaged this priest?

Here’s an even better question.

Was there even a sin of anger to forgive?

Have you not considered that’s why the priest probably talked over you because he was trying to tell you to confess actual sins and not emotions?

 

[rosejmj]

I’m sure you were forgiven if you were sorry for it. It may not even have been sinful honestly. It sounds like righteous anger or just a reaction to something annoying which is only natural. If you dwelt on it maybe it was a venial sin but I doubt mortal. Venial sins can be forgiven even if not confessed as long as you are sorry

 

[edward_george1]

It isn’t right for a priest to interrupt when you’re confessing your sins. Try to find another priest or you could even try making an appointment with a priest, that way the priest can dedicate a portion of time for you.

This isn’t necessarily true. If someone is being excessively detailed (i.e. telling a long story that doesn’t really clarify the nature of the sin, but could border on making excuses), or is gossiping about the actions of others, or is saying a lot of things that just aren’t sins (feelings, emotions, bad things that happened to them), then yes, the priest is right to gently ask them to get to the point. It’s part of forming people’s discipline of going to confession, helping them to do it in the right way.

As I have said repeatedly on this forum, confession is relatively simple. State your sins. Number and kind. That’s it. If more detail is needed, more detail will be sought by the priest. There’s no need to tell long stories and things, and if it’s the usual parish confessions where there’s limited time, it’s actually rude to the other people in line. Only on very rare occasions where I know I have a lot of time will I do something more akin to “spiritual direction” in the confessional, but in the normal course of things less is more. If people need to talk at greater length, I invite them to make an appointment.

But you might hear confessions differently. What do you normally do when you hear confessions?

-Fr ACEGC