Bad Confession?

[Aeterna]

I have a tendency toward scrupulosity for which I have been scolded in the past in the confessional. Sometimes I slightly overestimate the amount of time since my last Confession (e.g. “it’s been a week” when it’s only been 4-5 days) in order to avoid such a thing happening again. Would this make a Confession bad or is it sinful? Thanks for your help!

 

[SnowAngels]

I have a tendency toward scrupulosity for which I have been scolded in the past in the confessional. Sometimes I slightly overestimate the amount of time since my last Confession (e.g. “it’s been a week” when it’s only been 4-5 days) in order to avoid such a thing happening again. Would this make a Confession bad or is it sinful? Thanks for your help!

The sacrament would be valid and good in itself, but you aren’t going to overcome your scrupulosity if you are being deceptive in Confession. The priest is trying to help you, and he can only do this if you are being truthful with him. God bless.

 

[whoisdiss]

It’s still valid.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

I have a tendency toward scrupulosity for which I have been scolded in the past in the confessional. Sometimes I slightly overestimate the amount of time since my last Confession (e.g. “it’s been a week” when it’s only been 4-5 days) in order to avoid such a thing happening again. Would this make a Confession bad or is it sinful? Thanks for your help!

You shouldn’t do this, if the priest is going to help you with scrupulosity he needs to know the truth. He may very well tell you to come less often about certain things or similar, and if he does then you should follow his instructions - as to whether or not it is sinful or invalidates the sacrament, others are more knowledgeable than I. But it is certainly a bad idea.

 

[sscott]

Lying is not a good way to start a confession. As a non Catholic, I have noticed that most of the confession questions are from people who suffer from scrupulosity. You are supposed to trust God to forgive you. The priest is there to help you. It’s like going to the doctor. If he says to take you medicine for a week and come back to see him that is what you would do. If the priest tells you come back in a week, he feels in the normal course of living you will not have committed a mortal sin. If your church has confession on Saturday afternoon, then you are all set to receive on Sunday. What could be better than that?