Confession once a year

[EasterJoy]

Maybe what I can see is that, confession needs to be voluntary, in order to be certain someone is actually sorry for their sins. However, like it or not, voluntarily or not, the church will require you to go to confession at least once a year. And at the very least, it will still keep you grounded or connected to your faith. And also fulfill the requirement of receiving communion once a year? ( I wasn’t aware of that requirement. So if you don’t receive it once a year, is that a mortal sin? I would doubt anyone who doesn’t receive communion once a year, would know that.)

That could make sense to me. However, I still don’t understand why if the salvation of one’s delicate soul lies in the balance, the requirement is just once a year, and not (with respect to the medicine analogy) “as needed”. The Church is in the business of trying help the flock get to heaven. Priests work very hard to administer the sacraments for the good of our souls. If those who are crying to the repentent to go to confession ASAP, out of concern for the person’s salvation, why wouldn’t the CCC be just as concerned?

If I am missing it, please explain it to me as if I were 4.

OK. I don’t know if this is for a 4 year old, but let’s use an analogy to make our point. Let us say we were talking about the risk of some major illness, like cancer.

I can say, “Everyone over 50 should be screened for cancer once a year” and also say, “If you have a lump of such-and-so description or these other symptoms, then obtain medical treatment as soon as possible, as these may be the symptoms of a life-threatening illness.” These would not be contradictory statements.

There are people who are going to be in denial about whether their own “serious” sins are mortal. There are other people who won’t be in denial about whether their sins are mortal, but might be in denial about how important prompt reconciliation might turn out to be.

There is a third group which knows itself not to have committed a serious sin, and they should not be led to believe by a requirement to confess regardless of the seriousness of their sins, for instance, that all states of the soul put them in mortal peril and make them unworthy to receive Communion. This would be like requiring everyone of any age to be screened for cancer every year. It is going over the top.

Now, this is not a perfect analogy, because unlike cancer screening, regular confession, generally speaking, poses no risks and costs nothing. The only risk, I suppose, is that if you make once a month the minimum, then the scrupulous are going to feel they need to go twice a week, which is in excess of what is beneficial for their souls.

That’s my stab at it.

 

[EasterJoy]

Also, in case I’m not being clear. I’m not arguing the content of the CCC. I’m rather, arguing the intense comments from posters telling someone to go to confession so immediately. I understand it is coming from concern for dying inthe state of mortal sin. Is it not accepted that someone is seen as making a good faith effort to go to confession within a few days (ie. the next scheduled hours).

I remember posters, who were obviously sorry, say they had scheduled an appointment with one priest but really wanted another priest, but couldn’t get to see him until 2 days later. People were far and away, saying don’t risk it, go to the first priest. This person wasn’t even waiting for Saturday confession. Would it not seem good enough to have the appt. set up even with the favored priest?

I’ve heard people make comments like, knock on the (rectory) door if you have to. (What priest could go for that for very long?)
Also, could priests really handle everyone making appointments, rather than going to scheduled hours? ( I’m not against scheduling appt. but -but everyone bombarding them with appt.) I think their days would be overwhelmingly booked.

I feel a little embarassed when I hear people qualifying salvation by saying things like ,“Well if you are driving to work and get killed in a crash, then your going to hell. If you are actually on your way to confession when you die, you should be OK.”

So I am citing the CCC requirement of “once a year” to discuss if the mentality of going to a priest ASAP is necessary. Does God not understand the remorsefulness of the soul who is planning on going to confession in a “reasonable matter of time”? (And by that, I mean going to confession within a week,at scheduled confession hours. Perhaps more if there is an illness or something sudden.)

Ultimately, if the CCC is only requiring confession once a year, is it too much to tell someone to race to confession like that? I think Catholics have enough to consider. This talk will drive some people crazy.

I suspect that making the minimum as high as it is might indeed have something to do with risks posed to the scrupulous when the rules are made more stringent. Confessors I have heard weigh in say something like, “Canon law says once a year, if the sin is serious. I say twice a year, before Easter and Christmas is the minimal desirable for spiritual health under typical circumstances and more like once every 3-4 weeks should be the norm. Ideally, though, it is best of all to let your confessor discuss it with you, so that the recommendation might be done for each of you on a case-by-case basis.”

Once a week used to be the norm, but since it was the cultural norm among Catholics, it posed less of a danger of introducing spiritual pride.

I am thinking that confessors, like physicians of the body, would wish that the ones they would like to see often felt compelled to come often, and those who inappropriately indulge themselves with more visits than they need would feel content and healthy with less. I don’t think either group is likely to get their wish!

 

[jcoldc]

OK. I don’t know if this is for a 4 year old, but let’s use an analogy to make our point. Let us say we were talking about the risk of some major illness, like cancer.

I can say, “Everyone over 50 should be screened for cancer once a year” and also say, “If you have a lump of such-and-so description or these other symptoms, then obtain medical treatment as soon as possible, as these may be the symptoms of a life-threatening illness.” These would not be contradictory statements. As the CCC states, it would be requiring to go to confession once a year " to check those disturbing lumps and symptoms". In your cancer screening analogy, you would be suggesting the Church requires you to go once a year to see “if” you have lumps and such.

There are people who are going to be in denial about whether their own “serious” sins are mortal. There are other people who won’t be in denial about whether their sins are mortal, but might be in denial about how important prompt reconciliation might turn out to be.

There is a third group which knows itself not to have committed a serious sin, and they should not be led to believe by a requirement to confess regardless of the seriousness of their sins, for instance, that all states of the soul put them in mortal peril and make them unworthy to receive Communion. This would be like requiring everyone of any age to be screened for cancer every year. It is going over the top. I’m not sure if I follow you here. I think maybe you are trying to say requiring confession every so often means that people who are not required to go to confession before communion, because they have not committed a mortal sin, will think they can’t receive commnion. If this is the case, I’m not actually saying I think it should be a requirement of any particular interval that people go

Now, this is not a perfect analogy, because unlike cancer screening, regular confession, generally speaking, poses no risks and costs nothing. The only risk, I suppose, is that if you make once a month the minimum, then the scrupulous are going to feel they need to go twice a week, which is in excess of what is beneficial for their souls.

That’s my stab at it.

Thanks, I really appreciate everyone’s time. I don’t mean to be a jerk. I just don’t know, yet…

 

[LilyM]

I’m not sure if I follow you here. I think maybe you are trying to say requiring confession every so often means that people who are not required to go to confession before communion, because they have not committed a mortal sin, will think they can’t receive commnion. If this is the case, I’m not actually saying I think it should be a requirement of any particular interval that people go

You’ve got it in one. Some people are overscrupulous and will think that literally any sin, however minor, is mortal - they’re the hypochondriacs of the spiritual world. These would feel undue pressure from a requirement of weekly or monthly confessions or what have you.

So now you see that it’s best not to mention a particular interval - what’s your beef exactly? From the section I posted, I think the CCC more than adequately emphasises the importance and value of frequent confession, especially in cases of mortal sin - what more or different would you want it to say?

 

[EasterJoy]

Thanks, I really appreciate everyone’s time. I don’t mean to be a jerk. I just don’t know, yet…

That’s OK. Better to keep asking until you feel you have a satisfactory answer…the advice outside the apologist’s forum may only be worth what you paid for it, though!

 

[evelynicholson]

Well not sure i’m the best person to answer your question since I just came into the Church Easter but I’ll give it a shot

I think they are urging people to “run” to confession after committing moral sin b/c mortal sins are mortal b/c they damage your relationship with God/Christ and hurt your soul. Also I think…correct me if I’m wrong…If you happen to die with mortal sins you could possibly go to hell?

I’m having issues with confession myself, being formally Baptist. Instead of making me feel at peace after my sins have been absolved like everyone I’ve met says it does, I just have more anxiety.

I went to Confession before Easter as I found a Penitential Service here in Uk on a weekday. I was glad I went. I am a convert myself and it is hard to come face to face with yourself. I was very nervous but so at peace when I came out. I think you have to find a priest who suits you as we are all different and the object is reconciliation after all.
However, can I just say how difficult it is to find confession here. If you work on a Saturday it is nearly impossible to findDon’t know if it is the same in the States. It is so much also for you getting all the baggage ‘off your chest’ as well as owning up to your shortcomings. For a really 'fun’look at Confession you can down load from I tunes the Catholic pod cast ‘That Catholic Show’ video which explains it in a very fun way on video.

Nevertheless I have always found confession very positive and the thought of having to own up to a sin again, definately makes me think 10 times before ruining my record!! :extrahappy:

 

[jcoldc]

You’ve got it in one. Some people are overscrupulous and will think that literally any sin, however minor, is mortal - they’re the hypochondriacs of the spiritual world. These would feel undue pressure from a requirement of weekly or monthly confessions or what have you.
**I did not say the Church should require people to go to confession, lets say once a week. I didn’t say that in a previous post. What I asked was why didn’t the church require people to go to confession immediately after a mortal sin, or “within a week” (of the mortal sin, not within a week of the last confession.) **

• what’s your beef exactly? From the section I posted, I think the CCC more than adequately emphasises the importance and value of frequent confession, especially in cases of mortal sin - what more or different would you want it to say?**
  Well it might empasize the importance of frequent confession, but only requires it once a year. A poster mentioned not waiting to go to the “emergency room”, in this spiritual sense. Then our own “ER manual” said, we recommend going to the ER for that big gash ASAP, but we only require you to do it within a year.

As I’ve said before, I go to confession frequently. I don’t want anyone to feel that I don’t think reconciliation is necessary. My beef is that I don’t think it is necessary for a person who is repentent to feel like they are going to hell if they don’t get to confession within the next two hours. (Now that’s what’s making people scrupulous.) My point is the CCC doesn’t seem to refute that. If it was necessary for someone to go to confession ASAP, why doesn’t the CCC say that? All I’m asking is that people who have intentions of going before Sunday mass be considered sincere and acceptable in their efforts to go to confession.**

 

[EasterJoy]

As I’ve said before, I go to confession frequently. I don’t want anyone to feel that I don’t think reconciliation is necessary. My beef is that I don’t think it is necessary for a person who is repentent to feel like they are going to hell if they don’t get to confession within the next two hours. (Now that’s what’s making people scrupulous.) My point is the CCC doesn’t seem to refute that. If it was necessary for someone to go to confession ASAP, why doesn’t the CCC say that? All I’m asking is that people who have intentions of going before Sunday mass be considered sincere and acceptable in their efforts to go to confession.

Doctors will tell you that you should go to the emergency department immediately if you feel as if an elephant is standing on your chest or if you have “by far the worst headache of my life.”

You can have chest pressure and not be having a heart attack.
You can have a bad headache and not be having a stroke.
You can also have a heart attack or stroke and survive it.

Nobody is going to tell you that you WILL die if you ignore these symptoms. It is possible, though. Nobody issues health guidelines that are too forceful about saying, “Hey, you know, 90% (or whatever is the actual number) of the time, these symptoms are NOT going to kill you.” They don’t want to discourage anyone who might have these symptoms from getting help ASAP.

I think the CCC has to be careful not to give people the impression that mortal sin is less serious than it is and at the same time not give people the idea that our faith is primarily about fearing God’s retribution. Also, unlike physical health, the mere honest intention of getting spiritual treatment of sin is itself a treatment of sin. If you really honestly are contrite and intend to get to confession, that’s a legitimate defense…but the temptation to comfort the self when this is being exploited as a “loophole” is also a legitimate spiritual danger.

No matter how you write the CCC, you going to get some spiritual hypochondriacs and also some other people ignore serious symptoms because they don’t want to admit what they’ve done to anyone else. Spiritual hypochondria can cause a great deal of deep suffering and is a serious obstruction to grace. Mortal sin can be, well, mortal. These are not easy pastoral considerations to balance.

 

[jcoldc]

Doctors will tell you that you should go to the emergency department immediately if you feel as if an elephant is standing on your chest or if you have “by far the worst headache of my life.”

You can have chest pressure and not be having a heart attack.
You can have a bad headache and not be having a stroke.
You can also have a heart attack or stroke and survive it.

Nobody is going to tell you that you WILL die if you ignore these symptoms. It is possible, though. Nobody issues health guidelines that are too forceful about saying, “Hey, you know, 90% (or whatever is the actual number) of the time, these symptoms are NOT going to kill you.” They don’t want to discourage anyone who might have these symptoms from getting help ASAP.

I think the CCC has to be careful not to give people the impression that mortal sin is less serious than it is and at the same time not give people the idea that our faith is primarily about fearing God’s retribution. Also, unlike physical health, the mere honest intention of getting spiritual treatment of sin is itself a treatment of sin. If you really honestly are contrite and intend to get to confession, that’s a legitimate defense…but the temptation to comfort the self when this is being exploited as a “loophole” is also a legitimate spiritual danger.

No matter how you write the CCC, you going to get some spiritual hypochondriacs and also some other people ignore serious symptoms because they don’t want to admit what they’ve done to anyone else. Spiritual hypochondria can cause a great deal of deep suffering and is a serious obstruction to grace. Mortal sin can be, well, mortal. These are not easy pastoral considerations to balance.

I like it! I agree with what you said.

Would you say you agree, that (for someone who is contrite and is planning on going to confession) it is too much to tell them they must run to a priest? Do you think this contributes to spiritual hypochondria?

 

[EasterJoy]

I like it! I agree with what you said.

Would you say you agree, that (for someone who is contrite and is planning on going to confession) it is too much to tell them they must run to a priest? Do you think this contributes to spiritual hypochondria?

My husband, who works at a hospital, is fond of saying “crazy people get sick, too”. He also points out that nearly everyone going through medical school thought they had what they were studying, at one time or another. That level of self-worry on the road to greater knowledge sometimes can’t be helped. It usually subsides with time and progress in the art.

If the possible seriousness of their situation were causing them suffering, then I think a priest who recognized that would want to see them right away. But it is like physical illness. It is the ones who have nothing who run to the doctor at the drop of a hat, and the ones with real emergencies who don’t want to admit it…and sometimes getting a real emergency is what puts somebody in the former group into the latter.

We can raise the possibility to someone, but I think a confessor is the one who ought to diagnose whether a person has a case of the scruples, and the confessor who ought to give the prescription for it.

Regular confession really is a good antidote for this, but if and ONLY IF the penitent is ready to trust their soul’s physician to direct them safely…including directing them to make use of the Sacrament only at certain intervals.