Having a confessor

  • Thread starter Thread starter littlesoul
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

littlesoul

Guest
what is a confessor and do a lot of people have one? can anyone have one? do all priests do it?
thanks šŸ™‚
meg
 
Usually when folks say they have a confessor, it just means that they have a priest that they regularly confess to in reconcilation. Yes, you can have one.

Most of the priests Iā€™ve known usually have a particular priest to hear their confessions.
 
oh ok, that makes sense, i thought maybe it meant that you talked to the priest seperate from confession, as a friend, and he would help you with life situations. but i suppose confessing to said priest is the same. confession is different now than when i was a kid. you talk and have full conversations, rather than just, i did this this and the other thing, and the priest forgiving you. maybe people with ā€œconfessorsā€, go at times other than regular confession times? so they have more time with the priest?
 
littlesoul said:
oh ok, that makes sense, i thought maybe it meant that you talked to the priest seperate from confession, as a friend, and he would help you with life situations. but i suppose confessing to said priest is the same. confession is different now than when i was a kid. you talk and have full conversations, rather than just, i did this this and the other thing, and the priest forgiving you. maybe people with ā€œconfessorsā€, go at times other than regular confession times? so they have more time with the priest?
Click to expand...
I combine spiritual direction with confession, which is sort of like what you say above about talking in full conversations and a priest helping you with life situations. Iā€™m supposed to see my confessor every month but it ends up being every 3 months usually. Whenever we meet though, we meet for at least 90 minutes, if not longer šŸ‘
 
What it sounds like you are describing is a spiritual director. It is often a pries and if so he can also be your confessor. However it doesnā€™t have to be a confessor. My last spiritual director was a nun. Lay people can be spiritual directors, too. Your pastor should be able to help you find a spiritual director, although many parish priests donā€™t have the time to do direction anymore. Retreat houses often have spiritual directors on staff.

In small towns where there is only one priest, it is easy to have a confessor. In most parishes, you can request an appointment for confession if you want to spend a little more time on it.

Hope this helps.
 
Some will schedule an appointment with a priest to confess, especially if they wish for spiritual direction, which can involve longer conversations and guidance from the priest.

The priest who I regularly confess to is old school ā€“ he hears my confessions, has me say an act of contrition, gives me a penance, and absolves me (thereā€™s very little to no psychology involved, thanks be to God). I donā€™t schedule time with him ā€“ I just go to the posted confession times and stand in line for him.

By the way, donā€™t get too hung up on the term ā€œconfessor.ā€ A confessor is a priest.
 
littlesoul said:
right, exactly šŸ™‚ do you schedule your meetings seperate from regular confession times?
Click to expand...
Yeah, almost always. I go to the Presbytery at a set aside time to meet him. I wanted to confess to him on Good Friday and though he was so busy, he realised it was fairly urgent so he told me to come 15 mins before confession started and then he hopped me to the front of the queue and gave me 10 minutes. Love that man šŸ˜ƒ
 
do you mind if i ask you what a ā€œLiberal Catholicā€ is? šŸ™‚
 
Well, you should remember that a priest is just a man like any other and has to pay attention to perhaps hundreds of persons. There are not too many priests around. You just cannot ā€œkidnapā€ a priest for you for 90 minutes. He would not have spare time for all his flock. Rather, try to have a mature faith and learn to behave properly. There are too many nitwits who have to consult their priest if they may blow their noses after they have sneezed. So whenever you have a mortal sin, just go to your confessor and tell him that. This shouldnā€™t take more than 5 minutes of his time. But remember, only mortal sins must be confessed. Donā€™t waste the priestā€™s time telling him silly minor faults.
 
voltape said:
Well, you should remember that a priest is just a man like any other and has to pay attention to perhaps hundreds of persons. There are not too many priests around. You just cannot ā€œkidnapā€ a priest for you for 90 minutes. He would not have spare time for all his flock. Rather, try to have a mature faith and learn to behave properly. There are too many nitwits who have to consult their priest if they may blow their noses after they have sneezed. So whenever you have a mortal sin, just go to your confessor and tell him that. This shouldnā€™t take more than 5 minutes of his time. But remember, only mortal sins must be confessed. Donā€™t waste the priestā€™s time telling him silly minor faults.
Click to expand...
Let the priest be the judge of the quality and content of a sinnerā€™s confession. And if a priest has time for a parishoner and schedules it, he is not being kidnapped.

Consider charity instead of castigation. Weā€™re all sinners seeking Godā€™s mercy.
 
voltape said:
Well, you should remember that a priest is just a man like any other and has to pay attention to perhaps hundreds of persons. There are not too many priests around. You just cannot ā€œkidnapā€ a priest for you for 90 minutes. He would not have spare time for all his flock. Rather, try to have a mature faith and learn to behave properly. There are too many nitwits who have to consult their priest if they may blow their noses after they have sneezed. So whenever you have a mortal sin, just go to your confessor and tell him that. This shouldnā€™t take more than 5 minutes of his time. But remember, only mortal sins must be confessed. Donā€™t waste the priestā€™s time telling him silly minor faults.
Click to expand...
Iā€™m not sure what Iā€™ve done to offend you. Like I said, I see my confessor about 4 times a year. I donā€™t go to him because I sneeze :rolleyes: Itā€™s for serious stuff. I never ever asked him for 90 minutes. I thought half an hour at the absolute maximum. HE is the one that keeps me there for 90 or more minutes, talking to me about various things of which he is very knowledgeable and wants to help me with.

I am not wasting anyoneā€™s time. When he is too busy, he ignores me or says he canā€™t meet. That is the case most of the time and I immediately back off.

I think youā€™re being rather presumptuous by accusing me of wasting anyoneā€™s time. Not very Catholic of you, being so judgmental, is it? :rolleyes:
 
littlesoul said:
do you mind if i ask you what a ā€œLiberal Catholicā€ is? šŸ™‚
Click to expand...
Itā€™s just what it says on the tin. Basically I donā€™t believe absolutely everything or do absolutely everything the Church says šŸ˜›
 
Justicia_et_Pax said:
Iā€™m not sure what Iā€™ve done to offend you. Like I said, I see my confessor about 4 times a year. I donā€™t go to him because I sneeze :rolleyes: Itā€™s for serious stuff. I never ever asked him for 90 minutes. I thought half an hour at the absolute maximum. HE is the one that keeps me there for 90 or more minutes, talking to me about various things of which he is very knowledgeable and wants to help me with.

I am not wasting anyoneā€™s time. When he is too busy, he ignores me or says he canā€™t meet. That is the case most of the time and I immediately back off.

I think youā€™re being rather presumptuous by accusing me of wasting anyoneā€™s time. Not very Catholic of you, being so judgmental, is it? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
dont worry, i know what you meantā€¦ šŸ™‚ ((hug))
 
voltape said:
Well, you should remember that a priest is just a man like any other and has to pay attention to perhaps hundreds of persons. There are not too many priests around. You just cannot ā€œkidnapā€ a priest for you for 90 minutes. He would not have spare time for all his flock. Rather, try to have a mature faith and learn to behave properly. There are too many nitwits who have to consult their priest if they may blow their noses after they have sneezed. So whenever you have a mortal sin, just go to your confessor and tell him that. This shouldnā€™t take more than 5 minutes of his time. But remember, only mortal sins must be confessed. Donā€™t waste the priestā€™s time telling him silly minor faults.
Click to expand...
I have to disagree. The Church encourages us to confess venial sins as well as mortal ones. This doesnā€™t mean reading a ten-page list; but it does mean to talk to the priest about one or two venial sins that are really giving you a problem. Reconciliation is supposed to help us overcome our smaller sins before they grow into bigger ones.

Priests are very busy, but celebrating the Eucharist and reconciliation are their two main functions. If they are too busy for that, there is a problem but itā€™s not ours.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top