Being in the confessional

[fish90]

What happens when you have a bunch of sins to confess and the line to the confessional is pretty long?

Do you just confess the worst sins you committed and then say at the end "for all my other venial and mortal sins?

The reason I ask is because I was in the confessional one time and the priest sounded upset with me and was saying “Be Brief!”

God Bless

 

[DJgang]

You must confess your mortal sins…any other mortal sins just doesn’t cut it.

Be Brief: no details. List and be done. That’s what the priest meant.

I did my very first confession in less than five/seven minutes, as a grown adult age 35…kwim? …so, I really don’t understand why people take so long in the confessional… unless it is the priest talking and that has happened to me before…

I usually get the harder ones for me to say out first and over with… just my personal decision.

 

[ac_claire]

Like the previous poster said, you must confess all of your mortal sins. But there’s no reason to get detailed about it, or to try to explain the circumstances or the context, etc. Just list the mortal sins briefly, and any venial sins that you feel like you need to confess.

An example might be: “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been two months since my last confession. I’m guilty of missing Mass on Sunday twice; I stole a magazine from the supermarket once; I lied to my employer on two occasions; I entertained impure thoughts about x,y or z several times.” That’s really all you need to say. If the priest wants more info on any particular thing he will ask you to elaborate.

 

[Mel_Stones]

I have a list of my sins that I say and then add if my priest wants more explanation. Actually if my priest never asked for more explanation, my confessions would only take about two minutes - I go in, sit down, my confessor says may God bless us Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and looks at me patiently expectant, I list my sins, he assigns penance, I say Act of Contrition, he dismisses me in peace. I always feel like I’m doing it wrong but my confessor has never corrected me . In fact I chuckled and said ‘someday I’ll read the rubric and know what’s going on here’ when he looked at me expectantly last time - he didn’t say anything, just kept waiting (patiently). . . . . . so I listed my sins.

So my point - just list your sins (not ambiguously but honestly concise) and your priest will ask for explanation if he needs it.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Always start with your mortal sins. Express them in kind (what) and number (how often). You don’t have to go into gory detail. Then you can say something like “For these and all my sins I am heartily sorry”. That will cover the venial sins. If the priest needs more detail he will ask. If he says “be brief” then do so. You do that by saying “I have faked my time sheets every week for the the past month.” without saying how your boss is so mean, you have so much pressure at home, etc. If you know you have a lot to confess think about making an appointment. At least show up early for the scheduled time, so you can be among the first.

 

[ac_claire]

Seems like everyone here is in agreement and is giving you to same advice. In summary: just list your mortal sins simply and don’t give extraneous details; the priest will ask you to elaborate if he needs more information.

I know in many parishes the same priest will hear confessions before Mass and then go on to say Mass. Or, there will be a set time for Confession and due to other obligations he can’t go over that time. In those cases, everyone who is in line may not get to go to Confession if certain people spend too much time in there. If it’s before Mass, then those people may not get to receive Communion that week if they don’t make it to Confession. So…I try to think about it that way whenever there’s a line behind me.

Being brief in the confessional, and not using the time as a personal counselling session, can be a real act of charity.

 

[Timothysis]

This argument has come up here before. My opinion, especially if there are alot of people waiting in line, is to be quick with it. Some think that confession is the time to “chat” with the priest. Since confession seems to be so constrained it is best if everyone who goes actually gets the chance to be heard. I went to confession one time and there was a woman who spent 20 minutes in the confessional, coming out with a big smile on her face. That’s great for her, but if she caused someone to miss because of time issues who had serious sins to confess (like me) then she is doing harm to those who don’t make it in. Jesus is not stingy with His forgiveness, but we should make sure that our fellow man has a fair chance to confess.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Note that if you want/need time for an extended discussion with the priest it may be best to call him and make an appointment for confession.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Note that if you want/need time for an extended discussion with the priest it may be best to call him and make an appointment for confession.

Yes, exactly. And while you are at this appointment, ask him to explain to you how you should make your confession. He may have some suggestions on how to make a good confession without being too “wordy.”

 

[fish90]

What happens if you have not been in the confessional for a while and forget about your mortal sins and then go to confession? What if you omit because you decide they are not mortal sins or a result of your own scrupulosity? (I think I spelled that correctly)

 

[AJV]

What happens if you have not been in the confessional for a while and forget about your mortal sins and then go to confession? What if you omit because you decide they are not mortal sins or a result of your own scrupulosity? (I think I spelled that correctly)

If you’ve truly forgotten them, then it’s all right, as long as it wasn’t deliberate negligence or something like a non-thorough examination of conscience. As for the decision on non-mortal sins— when in doubt, mention them and let the priest decide.

 

[puzzleannie]

What happens when you have a bunch of sins to confess and the line to the confessional is pretty long?

Do you just confess the worst sins you committed and then say at the end "for all my other venial and mortal sins?

The reason I ask is because I was in the confessional one time and the priest sounded upset with me and was saying “Be Brief!”

God Bless

you be brief.
even if you broke every one of the ten commandments it should only take a couple of minutes to list them all (just the mortal sins), then end with “for these and for all the sins of my past life I am heartily sorry” so the priest knows you have finished.

 

[fish90]

What happens when the priest starts to give you absolution? Are you to stop him and say you have more sins to confess or let him continue because a priest needs his time?

God Bless

 

[PhilotheaZ]

What happens when the priest starts to give you absolution? Are you to stop him and say you have more sins to confess or let him continue because a priest needs his time?

God Bless

If you have more mortal sins to confess, you should definitely stop him.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

If you have more mortal sins to confess, you should definitely stop him.

This is why you should always start with your mortal sins! And why a good examination of conscience is so important. Please prepare before confession. You can find Examines online, in many prayer books, or in pamphlets or cards given out at the church. Write your sins down if you have to so you don’t forget. Start with those you know are mortal sins, then those you aren’t sure about, then if there is time any venial sins. Don’t chat, excuse yourself, or explain–if the priest needs to know any more he will ask. If you want guidance or advice, please make an appointment–the rite of confession does not include counseling from the priest. If you get it, wonderful! but don’t expect it every time.