Can a Priest refuse hearing confession?

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Aside from call of nature or a kitchen on fire, what are the instances where the Priest can refuse to hear confession?
 
Prime said:
Aside from call of nature or a kitchen on fire, what are the instances where the Priest can refuse to hear confession?
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A priest could postpone the hearing of a Confession if he is on his way to somethign important like seeing someone in the hospital who is dying, He should tell you come back at such and such a time.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
A priest could postpone the hearing of a Confession if he is on his way to somethign important like seeing someone in the hospital who is dying, He should tell you come back at such and such a time.
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What if he says he has another visitor and therefore no confession for now?
 
If he has to go say Mass or officiate at a wedding or something, that would be one instance. There may be other obligations that take precedence - the other visitor might be his Bishop or someone visiting for an important reason.

I suppose it’s his call as to how important they are and his failing if he postpones confession for a trivial reason, but in any event he should tell you to come back at the next scheduled time, or offer to make an appointment for you.

Other reasons might be if the person requesting it is
a) not Catholic
b) in his judgement not ready for confession (eg not sorry for their sins)
c) lacks understanding of the sacrament (wants to be absolved for a sin they plan to commit in future or something)
 
It is possible that a priest is not allowed to hear confessions or give a homily. That has happened in the past you know. All fall short. Even father does. An unexpected guest may have him up in a roar to intertain. However, his first obligation is like a man with a wailing wife that has a golf tournament to go to. He better stay home with his wife. What if it is his turn to change a dirty diaper. Do you think it’s okay for him to blow it off? Of course not. Let me use this word carefully so as not to imply that he is bad, but a good priest is one that would place his vocation first and honor hearing prayers at the appointed time. He sort of made a promise. He should honor his promise. But we should pray for him when he falls short and give him the benefit of the doubt not truly knowing what is going on. He could have had a visitor that was deeply distressed. Once in my reversion and hesitation to confess in a one on one meeting with a priest the doorbell rang and my hesitation was a sign that I probably wasn’t there yet. I wasn’t sure that I was going to return to the Catholic Church. But I was really deeply disturbed. But I honored his aknowledgement that he had another meeting. It may have been much more pressing than mine.

This man became my wife’s “conversion priest”. He is a true gentleman. He’s not my favorite priest but he is very special too me. He’s the only priest that ever showed a deeper understanding about my personal experiences in the seminary and why I left. He knew the organization that my father belonged too. HE was the first to aknowledge it.

Be gentle on priests. They’re not super human beings. They bleed too.

Peace.
 
The priest is allowed I believe. But in my opinion it should never happen. I was told by priest once that he tried to postpone a confession once but decided to hear it and was glad he did. The person had hit rock bottom.
 
It’s a difficult question to answer without more information of the circumstances. The law of the Church says that the faithful have a right to the sacraments. It does not say that they have a right to have them on demand, meaning when they want to have them.

If a person is dying, no he can’t refuse to hear the confession. If the person is well and the priest has another commitment, that’s another story.

Usually, parishes have scheduled confession times. If you approach a priest when he is walking the dog, hypothetically he could say that he can’t right now.

If he has an appointment with another person and you walk in asking for confession, I guess it may be a legitimate reason to say not now.

In our parish, the priests must leave at 5:00 for community recreation. When they are in the confessional on Saturdays, the confessions stop at 5:00 sharp. But our priests are Brothers. If it’s an emergency they are excused from community functions, but other than that, they are expected to be present. Confessions and other sacraments are by schedule.

Your question doesn’t give enough information. It’s difficult to answer.

Sorry 🤷

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
 
JReducation said:
It’s a difficult question to answer without more information of the circumstances. The law of the Church says that the faithful have a right to the sacraments. It does not say that they have a right to have them on demand, meaning when they want to have them.

If a person is dying, no he can’t refuse to hear the confession. If the person is well and the priest has another commitment, that’s another story.

Usually, parishes have scheduled confession times. If you approach a priest when he is walking the dog, hypothetically he could say that he can’t right now.

If he has an appointment with another person and you walk in asking for confession, I guess it may be a legitimate reason to say not now.

In our parish, the priests must leave at 5:00 for community recreation. When they are in the confessional on Saturdays, the confessions stop at 5:00 sharp. But our priests are Brothers. If it’s an emergency they are excused from community functions, but other than that, they are expected to be present. Confessions and other sacraments are by schedule.

Your question doesn’t give enough information. It’s difficult to answer.

Sorry 🤷

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
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The scenario is simply this:
A person goes to Church to have the sacrament of confession. One priest is free, while the other is about to say Mass. So the person goes to the one who is free, who in turn said he can’t hear confession because he has another appointment with another visitor.
Hence, my question.
 
Prime said:
The scenario is simply this:
A person goes to Church to have the sacrament of confession. One priest is free, while the other is about to say Mass. So the person goes to the one who is free, who in turn said he can’t hear confession because he has another appointment with another visitor.
Hence, my question.
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Being that it’s not a life and death emergency and he has an incoming appointment, then yes, the priest can decline to hear the confession. He’s not exactly free. He has a prior appointment coming in. The person who is walking in is not dying. It sounds like this is not the scheduled time for confessions. Therefore, it falls upon the lay person to call ahead to make an appointment or take his chances in the hope that a priest is available.

Most priests would hear the confession, if their appointment has not yet arrived. But they do not have to do so outside or regularlu scheduled times for confession, unless it’s an emergency. An emergency is a person in danger of death.

Yes, the priest acted within his rights, though he could have been more tactful and excused himself and suggested that you schedule an appointment for confession.

JR 🙂
 
Well here is my senareo. I have been having some suicidal thoughts lately, and I asked my priest if I can give him my confession, but he said no not right not. The thing is, I have recently tried to commit suicide, but obviously I did not because otherwise I would not be here right now typing this. The only thing that has been keeping me here on earth this long has been my faith, and this is not the first time I asked him something and he said that he could not do it at the time and that he would do it some other time, but like did not even do it yet and that was like a month ago. So now where I was trying to get to is that with him keep on denying me even when he has the time and all it is lessening my faith and so I am afraid that I will commit it one of these days and I do not want that to happen.
 
gogirl1993jam said:
Well here is my senareo. I have been having some suicidal thoughts lately, and I asked my priest if I can give him my confession, but he said no not right not. The thing is, I have recently tried to commit suicide, but obviously I did not because otherwise I would not be here right now typing this. The only thing that has been keeping me here on earth this long has been my faith, and this is not the first time I asked him something and he said that he could not do it at the time and that he would do it some other time, but like did not even do it yet and that was like a month ago. So now where I was trying to get to is that with him keep on denying me even when he has the time and all it is lessening my faith and so I am afraid that I will commit it one of these days and I do not want that to happen.
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Honey, you are in my prayers. Please, please, PLEASE see a doctor. Your suicidal thoughts are likely being caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain. There is no shame in it, it is not your fault. Some people need insulin to control diabetes, and some people need medication to assist their brains in making or using the right chemicals. I have been where you are. I still have very bad days sometimes, but it does get better.

Is there another priest you can speak to? One who has more time? You sound like you need someone to talk to in person, someone who will just listen and be there for you. I urge to to find out the suicide hotline number in your area. It’s not a cure, but it has saved me before. They can be there for you when no one else is able to be.

Again, I am praying for you.
 
Yes there is another priest that I can try and talk with. The only thing is, is that he is normally more buissy than the one that I have been trying to talk with. Yes I really do need to talk with someone in person, but it helps out talking no matter if it is in person, on the phone, or on the computer. It helps out just being able to talk about it, because if I was in this type of a situation about a year ago I would not of :highprayer: been able to talk to anyone about it and so then I might have actually did it, but luckly I can talk about it now days. Thank you for your advise Annika I really do appreciate it.
 
Plan to see the priest this Saturday, or whenever the next scheduled time for confession is. But call the doctor TODAY and schedule an appointment.
 
Gogirl, I have just said a short prayer for you.
My advise is to talk to someone closest to your heart, one who is willing to listen with compassion…
 
we will be praying for you, please call the suicide hotline when you have these feelings again, and see a doctor immediately for evaluation. you have an army of prayer warriors on your side here. God bless you.
 
One priest is free, while the other is about to say Mass. So the person goes to the one who is free, who in turn said he can’t hear confession because he has another appointment with another visitor.

If the priest has another appointment, he is therefore not free, is he?
 
I almost always go to priests before mass. Fifteen min. or so before. I cannot go during the scheduled Sat. time as a am legally blind and so I always need a ride to go to Church.

So much difficulty would be eliminated if Confessions were always offered before Mass.
 
Thanks for your advice. If anyone has any more advice just let me know what it is.
 
Prime said:
Aside from call of nature or a kitchen on fire, what are the instances where the Priest can refuse to hear confession?
Click to expand...
Prime,
The answer to your question is actually the opposite of what you’ve asked. Allow me to explain: A priest has an obligation to hear confessions whenever the person is properly disposed, and at a reasonable time. There is nothing that says when a priest doesn’t hear confessions, or is excused from hearing them.

Properly disposed means that a person is in the proper state-of-mind to make a confession. Someone who stumbles into the confessional after leaving a bar for example is not in the right state-of-mind (happens more often than people might realize). Someone who doesn’t realy want to make a confession, but is looking for a blessing, or counseling, or some other reason to speak with the priest isn’t intending to confess, and while the priest might have the obligation to speak with that person, the obligation to actually hear the confession isn’t there.

A reasonable time means just that. It does not mean that the priest is available to hear confessions 24/7 but that the penitent must request the sacrament at a time that is reasonable under the circumstances. A person who is dying at 3 AM and wants to confess is a “reasonable time.” A healthy person who works late and knocks on the rectory door at 1 AM is not approaching at a “reasonable time.” Reasonable time also means that penitents have to take into account the priest’s other responsibilities like administering the other Sacraments, saying Mass, meeting with parishioners, business meetings, and all the other times that a priest might simply be legitimately “busy.” If a priest has a scheduled meeting with someone else, it’s not always possible to delay that meeting to hear someone’s confession–the other person is likewise entitled to that “block” of the priest’s time.

Some people don’t necessarily realize that priests don’t have the luxury of sitting around all day waiting for someone to drop-by to go to confession–50 years ago in the US that might have been the case, and some rectories were even designed with this idea in mind. I once lived in a rectory that had a doorbell installed in the confessional–a penitent would push the button, the bell in the rectory would ring and the priest would walk next door to the church to hear confession. Those times are over, but sometimes the mentality lingers that a priest is simply sitting there waiting for someone to confess.

Having said all that though, let me repeat that if the person is properly disposed, and the hour is reasonable, the priest has on obligation to hear the confession.
 
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