Confession abuse of the Sacrament

[dizzy_dave]

I read in a book (A sinner’s guide - Tan books) that if you go to confession on a regular basis and confess your venile sins that is an abuse of the sacrament. (once a month or more often), if that’s true what about the Pope I heard he goes either every day or once a week, and same for Mother Theresa and Scott Hahn too, these all seem like the best of the best, i doubt they are confessing mortal sins so which is correct?

 

[otm]

Let’s see: a sacrament is an outward sign, intstituted by Christ to give grace (Baltimore catechism).

Doesn’t sound like an abuse of the sacrament.

Guess it just goes to show, you can’t believe everything you read.

I have felt that a few of the books TAN sells are a bit over the top. If that is truly what was said in the book you read, it would tend to confirm my opinion…

 

[Scott_Waddell]

otm:

If that is truly what was said in the book you read, it would tend to confirm my opinion…

Yeah, we need more context. My guess is that this guide (or part of it) is addressed to those with the problem of scrupulosity, in which case there could conceivably be abuse of the sacrament.

Scott

 

[darcee]

Scott Waddell:

Yeah, we need more context. My guess is that this guide (or part of it) is addressed to those with the problem of scrupulosity, in which case there could conceivably be abuse of the sacrament.

Scott

But can you imagine the circular conundrum this could get someone in? “I find myself being overly scrupulous so I will go to confession every few days to confess this.”

 

[rfk]

darcee:

But can you imagine the circular conundrum this could get someone in? “I find myself being overly scrupulous so I will go to confession every few days to confess this.”

lol.

In Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales, he clearly instructs confessing venial sins as part of the “Purgative Way” to help lessen our attachment to sin. So there is one opinion from a well-regarded saint.

 

[DJJG]

I am wondering if you may have misinterpreted what you have read (of course mabey you didn’t), what is the name of the book, author, and page(s). Or post the text as it is written, so we can see it ourselves, also the text before and after. Often we read something without taking into account the context in which it is written (protestants often do that with the biblical texts), and we may come up with the worng conclusion.

 

[dizzy_dave]

I had the wrong book. The correct one is:

Light and Peace (Tan Books), by: R.P. Quadrupani, Barnabite.
Page 47 #6:
“Those who go to confession frequently should always bear in mind what the saintly director says in addition: " we are not obligated to confess our venile sins, but if we do so it must be with firm resolution to correct them, otherwise it is an abuse of the sacrament to mention them.”

This book was first published in 1904.

 

[deogratias]

I have felt that a few of the books TAN sells are a bit over the top. If that is truly what was said in the book you read, it would tend to confirm my opinion

but usually in the other direction - this surprises me too. …

 

[deogratias]

“Those who go to confession frequently should always bear in mind what the saintly director says in addition: " we are not obligated to confess our venile sins,** but if we do so it must be with firm resolution to correct them,** otherwise it is an abuse of the sacrament to mention them.”

I think that part was left out on the original post and now it makes more sense.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

dizzy_dave:

I read in a book (A sinner’s guide - Tan books) that if you go to confession on a regular basis and confess your venile sins that is an abuse of the sacrament. (once a month or more often), if that’s true what about the Pope I heard he goes either every day or once a week, and same for Mother Theresa and Scott Hahn too, these all seem like the best of the best, i doubt they are confessing mortal sins so which is correct?

The book you mention is a “Private Revelation”. I would be interested in the page number and would like to read it before I comment.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

dizzy_dave:

I had the wrong book. The correct one is:

Light and Peace (Tan Books), by: R.P. Quadrupani, Barnabite.
Page 47 #6:
“Those who go to confession frequently should always bear in mind what the saintly director says in addition: " we are not obligated to confess our venile sins, but if we do so it must be with firm resolution to correct them, otherwise it is an abuse of the sacrament to mention them.”

This book was first published in 1904.

It is not an abuse to confess our venile sins. It would be an abuse as with Mortal sins to confess them without a firm resolution to correct them.

 

[jegow]

Another way that going to confession all the time can be an abuse is really what the word implies. An ‘abuse’ in the sense that first, if we really only have venial sins on our soul, we need not be there (by necessity) becasue we really haven’t fallen into mortal sin; second, it is an abuse if we go with no resolve or a fake resolve to stop the venial sins with just wanting to wipe the slate clean so we feel good that day. Those with that bad resolve or none are the abusers and it is an abuse to the genorosity and mercy of God that we get in that Sacrament.

jegow

 

[thisismyusrname]

dizzy_dave:

I read in a book (A sinner’s guide - Tan books) that if you go to confession on a regular basis and confess your venile sins that is an abuse of the sacrament. (once a month or more often), if that’s true what about the Pope I heard he goes either every day or once a week, and same for Mother Theresa and Scott Hahn too, these all seem like the best of the best, i doubt they are confessing mortal sins so which is correct?

Nope. The book is wrong. Venial sins are encouraged to be confessed, though not nessecary. As you note, the Pope goes to confession everyweek. I don’t think he commits a sin every week - otherwise, I wonder how he got to be Pope hhhhmmmm…

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

jegow:

Another way that going to confession all the time can be an abuse is really what the word implies. An ‘abuse’ in the sense that first, if we really only have venial sins on our soul, we need not be there (by necessity) becasue we really haven’t fallen into mortal sin; second, it is an abuse if we go with no resolve or a fake resolve to stop the venial sins with just wanting to wipe the slate clean so we feel good that day. Those with that bad resolve or none are the abusers and it is an abuse to the genorosity and mercy of God that we get in that Sacrament.

jegow

The Church does teach that even someone who is not aware committing of any sin, can approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation and seek the graces of the Sacrament.

 

[baltobetsy]

Br. Rich SFO:

The Church does teach that even someone who is not aware committing of any sin, can approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation and seek the graces of the Sacrament.

But in order for the sacrament to have something to work on, some sin must be confessed, for example, a past sin for which one is particularly sorry.

That’s because of the “matter” and “form” which are the integral parts of every sacrament. The matter of the Sacrament of Penance is the sins of the penitent, and the form is the words of absolution. If there is no matter, there is no sacrament.

Betsy

 

[Confiteor]

The book isn’t wrong. It isn’t speaking primarily to the frequency of confession, is it? It is addressing the “vending machine” approach to confession. Sins in: come out clean: start committing same sins again without trying to amend one’s behavior. Of course, it is inappropriate to approach confession without a sincere intent to amend the behavior. If not, why confess it? Part of a good confession is repentence; otherwise, its validity is questionable. Kind of a waste of time of the penitent and the priest unless it is a struggle that one is looking for help with and not yet ready to turn away from. In that case, though, the penitent needs to avail himself of the sacrament for the purpose of counseling and spiritual direction.

I love most TAN books…which ones have you found over the top?