How is Catholic Confession different from...?

[stavros388]

… confession in the Orthodox Church?

In the Orthodox Church, confessing is more or less like sitting down (or standing) with your spiritual father (in most cases, the parish priest), confessing sins, and then receiving a little bit of guidance from the priest, followed by the prayers of absolution and a blessing. Other times, it may become a rather lengthy discussion. Sometimes it is within earshot of other parishioners, in some cases at the front of the church. In some cases, it is done in a private room. This is based on my experience in the Orthodox Church.

How is Catholic confession different?
Is confession required before each partaking of the Eucharist?
Is Catholic confession anonymous? If so, doesn’t the priest usually recognize your voice anyway, especially in small parish communities?
How often are Catholics required or recommended to confess their sins?
And lastly, what are venial and mortal sins, and which ones should be confessed? These expressions are brand new to me.

Thanks in advance!
Steve

 

[Miserissima]

Is confession required before each partaking of the Eucharist? Yes. Or, once a year at lent before a yearly reception of the Eucharist (as part of the Easter Duty)

Is Catholic confession anonymous?
It depends on a. The set up of the confessional (kneeling behind a screen or sitting face to face) b. If the penitent has made an appointment at the rectory: then it’s usually face to face

If so, doesn’t the priest usually recognize your voice anyway, especially in small parish communities?
Yes, but the priest should never address it in or out of the confessional. They are trained to forget.

How often are Catholics required or recommended to confess their sins? Catholics are required once a year as part of the Easter Duty and encouraged whenever they have committed a mortal sin.

And lastly, what are venial and mortal sins, and which ones should be confessed?

Please look at slides six and seven of my presentation here, which explains this more fully:
slideshare.net/Miserissima/an-examination-of-conscience-1

Only mortal sins need to be confessed, but it is God prescribe to confess venial ones that we may form God habits that do not lead us to sin further.

 

[stavros388]

Is confession required before each partaking of the Eucharist? Yes. Or, once a year at lent before a yearly reception of the Eucharist (as part of the Easter Duty)

Is Catholic confession anonymous?
It depends on a. The set up of the confessional (kneeling behind a screen or sitting face to face) b. If the penitent has made an appointment at the rectory: then it’s usually face to face

If so, doesn’t the priest usually recognize your voice anyway, especially in small parish communities?
Yes, but the priest should never address it in or out of the confessional. They are trained to forget.

How often are Catholics required or recommended to confess their sins? Catholics are required once a year as part of the Easter Duty and encouraged whenever they have committed a mortal sin.

And lastly, what are venial and mortal sins, and which ones should be confessed?

Please look at slides six and seven of my presentation here, which explains this more fully:
slideshare.net/Miserissima/an-examination-of-conscience-1

Only mortal sins need to be confessed, but it is God prescribe to confess venial ones that we may form God habits that do not lead us to sin further.

Very helpful. Thanks!

 

[Miserissima]

Apologies, the last paragraph should have read,

Only mortal sins need to be confessed, but it is good practice to confess venial ones so that we may form good habits that do not lead us to sin further.

 

[Vigilant]

Thorough, weekly Confession will greatly improve the quality of your life, in many ways.

 

[Vico]

… confession in the Orthodox Church?

In the Orthodox Church, confessing is more or less like sitting down (or standing) with your spiritual father (in most cases, the parish priest), confessing sins, and then receiving a little bit of guidance from the priest, followed by the prayers of absolution and a blessing. Other times, it may become a rather lengthy discussion. Sometimes it is within earshot of other parishioners, in some cases at the front of the church. In some cases, it is done in a private room. This is based on my experience in the Orthodox Church.

How is Catholic confession different?
Is confession required before each partaking of the Eucharist?
Is Catholic confession anonymous? If so, doesn’t the priest usually recognize your voice anyway, especially in small parish communities?
How often are Catholics required or recommended to confess their sins?
And lastly, what are venial and mortal sins, and which ones should be confessed? These expressions are brand new to me.

Thanks in advance!
Steve

The nearest to Orthodox is the eastern Catholic sacramental discipline which is different canonically from Latin Catholic sacramental discipline. For eastern Catholics, serious sins are to be confessed as soon as possible. Thus there is no annual “Easter duty” as for the Latin Catholic. Confession before a priest is required before partaking of the Eucharist if there has been a lapse of charity towards God. When charity is only wounded, a personal confession without priest is sufficient before reception, which occurs in the Divine Liturgy. Personal individual confession is not anonymous. If there is general absolution of a group, individual confession is still required later for all remembered serious sins.