Confessing to different priest

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Is it ok to confess to a priest outside of your parish even though you can go to your own priest?
 
There is no requirement that you go to Confession in your own parish. You can go to whatever priest you want.
 
TheWarriorMonk said:
There is no requirement that you go to Confession in your own parish. You can go to whatever priest you want.
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Correct.

There can be several good reasons to go to another priest, or one can simply go to another priest just because you want to. You don’t need any reason at all.
 
Melek said:
Is it ok to confess to a priest outside of your parish even though you can go to your own priest?
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I have NEVER confessed to a priest from my parish. Yes, it’s perfectly OK to go somewhere else.
 
It is definitely okay to go to different priests. In fact, I would find a confessor that really gives you the attention you deserve in confession. Luckily my parish priest is an amazing confessor, but I know we have had some visiting priests that just don’t seem to care.

For me, one of the best things is going to the same confessor always if possible. That way, he knows my struggles and what I’m doing on a regular basis which allows him to give me better guidance.
 
The emphasis should be to make a good confession and to resolve never to crucifix Jesus Christ again by continuing to sin. It really do not matter to me who the Priest is. My sins humble me so much that I look forward to their absolution. I understand that Blessed Pope John Paul II went to confession everyday. He certainly did not go arround looking for different confessors. Also, Priests in Parishes hear each other’s confession. Isn’t pride the issue rather than who the Priest is.
 
I think it has to do with how comfortable you are with the priest regardless if it is your parish priest or one from another parish as well as topic matter. For instance, my parish priest is awesome and there are some things that I have no problem confessing while there are other topics when it’s nice to be annonymous. You just have to listen to the spirit and be real with yourself. If the priest makes you uncomfortable go somewhere else instead.
 
Melek said:
Is it ok to confess to a priest outside of your parish even though you can go to your own priest?
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Go wherever you are most comfortable (or wherever is most convenient). There is no requirement that you go to your home parish for Confession.

Some people are more comfortable receiving the Sacrament from a priest that doesn’t know them personally, for example. That’s perfectly fine. I know that some of the people who work at my parish office go to another parish to confess, since they might be uncomfortable confessing to somebody they work closely with every day.

God bless!
 
I find it very difficult to go to my parish at the times scheduled there. I keep a list of nearby parishes and their confession times handy so I can find the most convenient option. 🙂
 
Melek said:
Is it ok to confess to a priest outside of your parish even though you can go to your own priest?
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For a while I used to go to Mass at noon at the Cathedral in downtown San Diego. They had confessions before every noon Mass and there was always a line. Anyway, I went to confession the first time, was absolved and went to Mass.

When the Mass started, I realized that the Priest who had heard my confession was actually the Auxuliary Bishop. I was somewhat amazed that a Bishop would take the time out of his schedule to hear confessions. From then on I went there often for daily Mass even though it was long way from my Parish. And yes, the Bishop heard confessions almost every day.👍

Yes, it is perfectly OK to go to confession wherever you feel like going.
 
It is important to receive the sacrament of confession regularly. If going to a different priest helps you go consistently either because of schedule, because you like how that priest “does” confession, or because you are more comfortable, than that is a good thing.

We shouldn’t be embarrassed or afraid to confess our sins, but those are often common reactions. If going to a priest who doesn’t know you or where you feel more anonymous, means that you actually get to confession, than that is what you should do.
 
It would not be good to go “priest shopping,” trying to find one who gives a light penance or is old and can’t hear your confession well. 😉 Other than that, go to whomever you wish. You might find that some priests offer spiritual guidance via the confessional and others hear your sins then give a penance without any dialogue. One might be more enticing to you than the other.
 
I always go to a different parish than my own. I love the priests at my parish but I struggle a lot with social anxiety, so for me it’s much easier to confess (behind a screen) to a priest who doesn’t know me. It takes my mind off the anxiety of social interaction and allows me to focus on Jesus and His mercy. If we didn’t have this option I would probably never go to confession!
 
Late last year I was serving at a Rite II reconciliation where a number of children were making their First Reconciliation. One of the kids in the queue asked me if they could go to a specific priest which surprised me initially, but I thought that since I chose who I confess to why shouldn’t they!
 
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