I frequently go to Confession by appointment, as I have difficulty getting there during the regularly scheduled confession time. But this is not the only option. I have never had the experience of missing out on confession because of a long line when I have not been easily able to made my confession later. Perhaps if this were a regular occurrence in my life, I would feel differently about the subject.
Having said that, I look to the teaching of great saints and doctors of the Church on how to make a good confession.
I’m pretty sure that no Guide for Confessors has ever said that the best approach to the sacrament from the priest’s point of view is “move the line along”.
Quite the contrary: If you spend some time reading the teaching of some of the great saints on this subject, you will find detailed instructions on how to help the penitent grow in the spiritual life.
Here’s an example from the patron saint of confessors, St. Alphonsus Ligouri.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/235687056/St-Alphonsus-Liguori-Guide-for-Confessors Partiularly interesting is Chapter 9 (beginning on page 111), “The Guidance of Devout Souls”.
In his Guide for Confessors, he frequently references the thought of another great saint known to promote the practice of spiritual direction within the Sacrament of Confession, St. Francis de Sales. Read
Introduction to the Devout Life, particularly the chapter of confession. Here are some quotes:
Do not be satisfied with mentioning the bare fact of your venial sins, but accuse yourself of the motive cause which led to them. For instance, do not be content with saying that you told an untruth which injured no one; but say whether it was out of vanity, in order to win praise or avoid blame, out of heedlessness, or from obstinacy.
Do not spare yourself in telling whatever is necessary to explain the nature of your fault, as, for instance, the reason why you lost your temper, or why you encouraged another in wrong-doing.
Thus, someone whom I dislike says a chance word in joke, I take it ill, and put myself in a passion. If one I like had said a stronger thing I should not have taken it amiss; so in confession, I ought to say that I lost my temper with a person, not because of the words spoken so much as because I disliked the speaker; and if in order to explain yourself clearly it is necessary to particularize the words, it is well to do so; because accusing one’s self thus simply one discovers not merely one’s actual sins, but one’s bad habits, inclinations and ways, and the other roots of sin, by which means one’s spiritual Father acquires a fuller knowledge of the heart he is dealing with, and knows better what remedies to apply. …
I’m not saying this is the only approach to receiving valid absolution, but it is hard to make the argument, given the voices of these saints, that it is wrong to look for appropriate spiritual advice in the confessional and to give sufficient information for the priest to be able to give good advice.
