Does the Pope go to confession?

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Yes. To whatever priest, bishop or cardinal he wants to.
 
Yes he goes to confession. As said above he can confess to any priest he wants to. However I believe Popes have a regular confessor.
 
Yes he does. I’ve heard that he has his own Confessor.
 
BListon said:
If so… who does he confess to?
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In case you are curious, it is not necessary for anyone in the hierarchy of the Church to confess to someone higher up: priests do not have to confess to bishops, bishops to cardinals, cardinals to the pope. This seems to be a common misconception. In reality, any simple priest can hear the confession of any Catholic.
 
MarkThompson said:
In case you are curious, it is not necessary for anyone in the hierarchy of the Church to confess to someone higher up: priests do not have to confess to bishops, bishops to cardinals, cardinals to the pope. This seems to be a common misconception. In reality, any simple priest can hear the confession of any Catholic.
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Actually, it’s good that you cleared up this point. It provides valuable information.
 
I suspect that the pope does not go to confession - rather confession comes to him…😃

Sorry couldn’t pass that up. 😊

Seriously - certainly the Holy Father has a regular confessor.

Peace
James
 
Yes, the Pope does go to Confession. Any priest, bishop, archbishop, and cardinal can hear his confession. The Sacrament of Penance is required for all Catholics.
 
JRKH said:
I suspect that the pope does not go to confession - rather confession comes to him…😃

Sorry couldn’t pass that up. 😊

Seriously - certainly the Holy Father has a regular confessor.

Peace
James
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:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
 
MarkThompson said:
In case you are curious, it is not necessary for anyone in the hierarchy of the Church to confess to someone higher up: priests do not have to confess to bishops, bishops to cardinals, cardinals to the pope. This seems to be a common misconception. In reality, any simple priest can hear the confession of any Catholic.
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I understand that but it reminds me of something I’ve been curious about for a while. I don’t believe there’s a set for for confession except for the absolution and an act of contrition. Though I don’t even know if an act is required.

But generally in the Anglosphere when we enter the confessional we open with “bless me Father for I have sinned. It has be x days since… …]”.

However does one’s office have any effect in this? For example. If you were confessing to a Monsignor would you say “bless me Monsignor, for I have sinned.”? or an Archbishop “bless me Your Grace for I have sinned.”?

It’d be strange if that were so. I can imagine kneeling in the confessional now with my bishop on the other side.

“Bless me My Lord for I have sinned.” 😃
 
Laudate_Dominum said:
I understand that but it reminds me of something I’ve been curious about for a while. I don’t believe there’s a set for for confession except for the absolution and an act of contrition. Though I don’t even know if an act is required.

But generally in the Anglosphere when we enter the confessional we open with “bless me Father for I have sinned. It has be x days since… …]”.

However does one’s office have any effect in this? For example. If you were confessing to a Monsignor would you say “bless me Monsignor, for I have sinned.”? or an Archbishop “bless me Your Grace for I have sinned.”?

It’d be strange if that were so. I can imagine kneeling in the confessional now with my bishop on the other side.

“Bless me My Lord for I have sinned.” 😃
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Fr. Z answered this a few months back. I was curious too. I usually confess to a Monsignor, but have always just said “Father” in the confessional. When I see him in the sacristy or elsewhere, I always call him “Msgr” though. Not sure why, just force of habit, I guess.
 
I would be quite amazed if he didn’t. In fact, I remember my Sunday School teacher telling me some years ago that the pope went to confession every day. At the time I thought she was joking, and I suppose she was probably trying to get us more pysched about the sacrament of reconciliation, but now that I think on it I don’t see why the pope wouldn’t go every day. With all those clergymen around it’s not as if he doesn’t have ample opportunity.
 
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