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anonymous1995
Guest
How often would priests confess? Would they commit the same mortal and venial sins as normal people?
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KD8TZC
Guest
Not being a priest, I can only offer my opinion, but Priests are human too, and they do sin Yes, they could commit the same mortal and venial sins that we do. I would think the frequency would be as often as they need to.
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PaulfromIowa
Guest
You think that priests are not normal people?
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Garyjohn2
Guest
I’ve heard anything from weekly, to bi-weekly, to monthly. I’m sure there are some that do it more or less often, but I bet that captures the majority.
Yes, with some exceptions. For example, not praying the divine office would be a sin for a priest, but not for a layman. Also, I bet they miss mass less often.
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edward_george
Guest
I go to confession about once a week. I get together with a group of brother priests most Friday evenings for dinner and some good fraternity, and I usually ask one of them to hear my confession then. Sometimes, if we don’t go out or if I might need to go on a different day, I go to confession with one of the other priests I live with (there are three of us here).
Someone already pointed out that there are things that would be of greater gravity for a priest than for a layman, such as obligations incumbent upon the clerical state like the Divine Office. There are also sins that aren’t necessarily based on obligation that would, of course, be impossible for a layman to commit, like not attentively offering Mass (although a layman might well confess not participating in Mass with attention).
In terms of sins that priests struggle with, I won’t go into detail because it’s a matter of conscience and thus between me and my confessor, but I struggle with some of the same kinds of sins as a priest that I did as a seminarian. Other things I’ve worked through and grown out of, you might say. We’re all works in progress. There’s nothing magical about Holy Orders that suddenly makes a man above sinning. As one of the priests who used to teach at my seminary put it (albeit in more colorful language): “I was a grouchy old jerk before they laid hands on me, and I was a grouchy old jerk afterward.” We are still tempted, we still have free will, we still fall occasionally. This is why you need to pray for your priests!!
-Fr ACEGC
Someone already pointed out that there are things that would be of greater gravity for a priest than for a layman, such as obligations incumbent upon the clerical state like the Divine Office. There are also sins that aren’t necessarily based on obligation that would, of course, be impossible for a layman to commit, like not attentively offering Mass (although a layman might well confess not participating in Mass with attention).
In terms of sins that priests struggle with, I won’t go into detail because it’s a matter of conscience and thus between me and my confessor, but I struggle with some of the same kinds of sins as a priest that I did as a seminarian. Other things I’ve worked through and grown out of, you might say. We’re all works in progress. There’s nothing magical about Holy Orders that suddenly makes a man above sinning. As one of the priests who used to teach at my seminary put it (albeit in more colorful language): “I was a grouchy old jerk before they laid hands on me, and I was a grouchy old jerk afterward.” We are still tempted, we still have free will, we still fall occasionally. This is why you need to pray for your priests!!
-Fr ACEGC
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PraiseChrist
Guest
Yes they would commit the same sins. The apostles abandoned Jesus at his passion (except John) and one of them denied he was Christian 3 times and he was the first pope. This same pope also was called satan by Jesus himself.
Not to mention that many of these apostles denied the resurrection at first.
In short these men became martyrs (again, except John) and were transformed from sinners into the greatest saints
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