Confession

[ATeutonicKnight]

Is it acceptable to hand the Priest a paper with your sins on it instead of saying them out loud? I’ve read about Saint Anthony and Saint John Bosco doing this, but I wanted to know if it would be proper? The reason I ask is because next week (Not this weekend but the next) I’m going to make a confession and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to say a few of my sins. Would it be acceptable to hand the Priest a piece of paper if I find myself lost for words, or should I just say them?

 

[brgregmack]

I think it would be ok as long as it’s plan B for confessing sins that you’re having a lot of trouble trying to confess verbally. Just don’t let it become a default way of confessing.

 

[michaelmas]

I don’t think a Priest will allow that unless you are unable to speak but I don’t know the rules.

Believe me when I say this, it means more to yourself when you can voice your sins out loud. You will feel a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders and once you leave the confessional you will feel free.

I struggle(d) with a particular sin. It was embarrassing confessing every week. It was embarrassing making time every Saturday to go and confess this selfish act. I asked the Priest once about this and he said to me, believe me I have heard it all.

Don’t worry about it. Open your heart and mind and spew everything out.

Mike

 

[Jeffe]

I don’t think a Priest will allow that unless you are unable to speak but I don’t know the rules.

Believe me when I say this, it means more to yourself when you can voice your sins out loud. You will feel a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders and once you leave the confessional you will feel free.

I struggle(d) with a particular sin. It was embarrassing confessing every week. It was embarrassing making time every Saturday to go and confess this selfish act. I asked the Priest once about this and he said to me, believe me I have heard it all.

Don’t worry about it. Open your heart and mind and spew everything out.

Mike

Totally agree.

As a convert to Catholicism this was a difficult hurdle but I’ve come to love it! What an amazing way to confess to God your sins and humble yourself at the same time.

And yes the priests have heard it all, easily way more than you and I could handle.

 

[Bookcat]

Is it acceptable to hand the Priest a paper with your sins on it instead of saying them out loud? I’ve read about Saint Anthony and Saint John Bosco doing this, but I wanted to know if it would be proper? The reason I ask is because next week (Not this weekend but the next) I’m going to make a confession and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to say a few of my sins. Would it be acceptable to hand the Priest a piece of paper if I find myself lost for words, or should I just say them?

Ordinarily confession is to be oral… But say in the case of one who can not speak…the extreme example of a mute…there can be writing involved I suppose. (and I have read at least one opinion that says perhaps in an extraordinary circumstance…someone finds it impossible to say…due to breaking down into tears they could say “I confess this” handing it to him (and getting it back and destroying it) such I have heard argued by an orthodox source (regarding extraordinary situations where it is too difficult for the person…too burdensome)…It seems though that you are just having a difficulty we might all have…talk with the priest even about your fears…he has heard everything…and more…no need to be worried… you will do fine…).

But really we are to “confess” with our lips our sins.

In a circular letter from the Holy See in 2000 from the “Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments” :

“In accord with the law and practice of the Church, the faithful must orally confess their sins (auricular confession)9, except in cases of true physical or moral impossibility (e.g., extreme illness or physical condition inhibiting speech, speech impediment, etc.) This disposition would exclude communal celebrations of the sacrament in which penitents are invited to present a written list of sins to the priest confessor. It should be noted that such innovations also risk compromising the inviolable seal of sacramental confession.”

By the way…I suggest you use the screen…

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

Ordinarily confession is to be oral… But say in the case of one who can not speak…the extreme example of a mute…there can be writing involved I suppose. (and I have read at least one opinion that says perhaps in an extraordinary circumstance…someone finds it impossible to say…due to breaking down into tears they could say “I confess this” handing it to him (and getting it back and destroying it) such I have heard argued by an orthodox source (regarding extraordinary situations where it is too difficult for the person…too burdensome)…It seems though that you are just having a difficulty we might all have…talk with the priest even about your fears…he has heard everything…and more…no need to be worried… you will do fine…).

But really we are to “confess” with our lips our sins.

In a circular letter from the Holy See in 2000 from the “Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments” :

“In accord with the law and practice of the Church, the faithful must orally confess their sins (auricular confession)9, except in cases of true physical or moral impossibility (e.g., extreme illness or physical condition inhibiting speech, speech impediment, etc.) This disposition would exclude communal celebrations of the sacrament in which penitents are invited to present a written list of sins to the priest confessor. It should be noted that such innovations also risk compromising the inviolable seal of sacramental confession.”

By the way…I suggest you use the screen…

Thanks for your answer. As for the screen, where I’m going to go there is a curtain with a kneeler in front of it and two chairs behind it, should you choose to go face to face, so it wouldn’t be a problem to just hand him the paper from the side of the curtain. However, I will simply read my sins from a piece of paper out loud to the Priest. I’ve confessed much worse than what I’m about to. The problem is I’m scrupulous so I may overdo it. I’ve asked a Priest online and he said the best thing to do was to just confess everything in my case, as everything I told him doesn’t have a name, and the only way to confess the sin is to explain what happened. However, I’ll just explain to him that the following sins cannot be told without adding details, so I think I’ll be fine. Think is a word without guarantees though.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

“In accord with the law and practice of the Church, the faithful must orally confess their sins (auricular confession)9, except in cases of true physical or moral impossibility (e.g., extreme illness or physical condition inhibiting speech, speech impediment, etc.) This disposition would exclude communal celebrations of the sacrament in which penitents are invited to present a written list of sins to the priest confessor. It should be noted that such innovations also risk compromising the inviolable seal of sacramental confession.”

Does stuttering count?

My stutter isn’t much of a problem, and it almost never is in confession because I speak quietly and distinctly, but I do remember a few times when it was very difficult because of my speech. Would it be permitted to hand a Priest a piece of paper if I was having great difficulty speaking? I’m not looking at this as a way out. I’m just terribly curious.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

Totally agree.

As a convert to Catholicism this was a difficult hurdle but I’ve come to love it! What an amazing way to confess to God your sins and humble yourself at the same time.

And yes the priests have heard it all, easily way more than you and I could handle.

Well, I usually agree, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I told him a few things he’d never heard before. I’m just the ice breaker so this saying can be true to the very extreme.

 

[Nimzovik]

I use smoke signals myself…

 

[Bookcat]

Does stuttering count?

My stutter isn’t much of a problem, and it almost never is in confession because I speak quietly and distinctly, but I do remember a few times when it was very difficult because of my speech. Would it be permitted to hand a Priest a piece of paper if I was having great difficulty speaking? I’m not looking at this as a way out. I’m just terribly curious.

They note physical or moral impossibility…so it could perhaps be an option in some real speech difficulty…(doing as I described the person suggested “I confess this” or similar).

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

I use smoke signals myself…

Ha!