Having Difficulty Going to Confession

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Emmacat

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I can’t make it to scheduled confession at church due to being a family member healthcare provider and it gets more and more difficult to go to confession. I need to go to confession and I called and asked if I could come by for confession and was told the earliest the priest could hear my confession was tuesday. Is this really a thing, since when can I not express a need for confession and basically be told the priest doesn’t have time till Tuesday.
 
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Hang in there. There is no requirement that says you must confess at one specific Roman Catholic Church. Maybe another Church has a better time for you?
 
Unfortunately, a priests time can be spread very thinly and sometimes they tend to more than one parish. Taking care of the needs of all of their flock can be a constant struggle.
 
this is not the first church or the first time this has happened. very discouraged
 
Confession isn’t a business, but the priest is human and has other things that he’s probably scheduled and promised others before your request for confession. I know I’ve met my priest coming out of the church at 1 in the morning because that was the only time he had during the day to get some contemplation in.

I’d be frustrated with the scheduling too if I were in your shoes, but I see how busy all of the priests at my parish are and that allows me to temper my first impulse. Pray for your priest while you wait. He needs all the prayers he can get.
 
If I understand correctly, the desire to make a confession is meritorious, so the fact that you made a call and verbally expressed your desire for confession would count for something if the worst happened before Tuesday. I don’t mean to minimize your frustration, nor do I mean to make assumptions, but it seems that God is willing to do so much with such little effort on our part that He’s got to be smiling joyfully at someone who’s frustration list includes “not being able to get to confession soon enough.” 🙂
 
In addition to what others have said, if there is a priest associated with any healthcare organizations you deal with (hospital, hospice ministry etc) you might try asking him about your scheduling dilemma. These priests are often understanding about the hours carers must keep and could maybe point you towards a helpful priest or parish.
 
perhaps you misread, money was never part of the equation. Not all business has to do with money. Sorry you misunderstood.
 
People seem to be under this impression that priests have nothing to do besides say mass and are free the rest of the time. This is far from the truth, priests work nonstop, think about it, not only are they constantly saying mass, many every day, sometimes multiple times if they have more than one parish or churches in a parish, they also have to recite I believe parish priests have to do five of the seven hours( Lauds, Vespers, Compline, the Office of Readings, and one of the minor hours with the Psalms of the Day, either Terce, Sext, or None), that in itself is about an hour combined at least.
Priests have financial obligations and have meetings, priests visit hospitals and prisons. Appointments for planning for weddings and funerals. The list goes on. Priests literally probably work 18 hours a day with various things. They don’t complain, this is what God called them for, but don’t assume the priest is not meeting you because he just feels like watching tv or something. Many parts of the country have a shortage of priests so it isn’t always exactly easy. In fact it is amazing and a showing of spiritual grace bestowed on them that some don’t have panic attacks with their schedules.
 
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people keep assuming I meant something I did not say. l am well aware of and very understanding of priests having a lot on their plate.
 
Emmacat said:
Is this really a thing, since when can I not express a need for confession and basically be told the priest doesn’t have time till Tuesday.
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No it’s not a “thing” - or at least it shouldn’t be 😠

I have many competing duties and responsibilities - and other priests have more than me - however, foremost on my list must always be the care of souls (something which formed part of the promises I made at ordination). This why priests have a duty to administer (and the faithful have a right to receive) the sacrament of reconciliation at any reasonable time.

Find another priest.
 
I agree with you. I deliberately used the exact phrase Father used in his post:
InThePew said:
This why priests have a duty to administer (and the faithful have a right to receive) the sacrament of reconciliation at any reasonable time.
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Oh, I see, you meant “right to receive absolution”. I can see that as being perhaps more of a “right” since if you don’t get it you could theoretically go to Hell.
 
Priests can be busy. If you know of another priest, go to him.
 
AlbertDerGrosse said:
Father, may I ask you, do you believe having to wait slightly under a week to receive absolution is unjust to the faithful’s right to receive?
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Al things being equal, yes. Granted in some circumstances- for example in an area where there aren’t many priests to start with (some remote places only get a priest about once a month 😲) or where a large number of priests are away at once some flexibility is to be expected. Let’s just put it this way - I’d be very surprised if a priest couldn’t find just five minute either side of mass.
Tis_Bearself said:
I thought receiving Our Lord was a privilege, not a “right”.
Also, we could just not mortally sin and then it’s not a problem…
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To be clear, I was referring to the right to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. That said, penitents should also not be deprived of the sacramental grace the comes from participation in the Eucharist for an extended period through no fault of their own.
 
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