How much details to tell Priest during Confession?

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catholic0913

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Hello,
I am planning on going to Confession soon, and one of the sins that I will confess is my habit of lying. There was an incident when a lady in our parish asked me if I was sick because she didn’t see me on last Tuesday mass, I told her “yes”, even though I wasn’t sick on that day. During the confession, should I tell priest this whole story or can I just say “I have a habit of lying and I want to stop this habit”?

Thank you,
 
If he wants details, he’ll ask for them. I keep my confession general & short - never has a priest asked for details.
 
Exactly. Usually the details are a way to say “I’m not really responsible for this sin, another person “made” me do it.”
 
Mortal sins - are to be confessed in number and kind (and that which changes the kind…like it was a Church you burned down).

I lied under oath in court 2 x.

Venial sins can be confessed without any number and even in more general way.

Lying.
 
If it were me, I’d just say I lied. As Bonnie stated, Father will ask if more detail is required. It’s happened to me, so I can tell you it’s not a big deal. Be at peace.
 
Apart from the great benefit of being forgiven by Christ through the office of the priest, Our Lord knows that we also often need help in avoiding committing the same sins over and over again. A priest can be a great assistance in giving directions that will help us overcome this ongoing problem, so I think that where necessary it is to our benefit to give some detail as to the actual substance of a transgression. This may be difficult as humans we don’t like to have to confess our sins and shortcomings, but I doubt that anything we say is going to shock the priest as believe me they have heard it all. Sin is their business so to speak! Merry Christmas
 
Give enough detail that you’re actually confessing the sin, but not so much that you’re telling a story.

“I lied once” is fine.

“I said something I shouldn’t have said” is too vague because it doesn’t describe a sin.

“On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the two thousandth sixteenth year of our Lord, I set off for the grocery store intending to buy eggs and flour when suddenly I remembered that on Sunday I was …” is too much.
 
I sometimes tell “untruths” to telemarketers just to be a smart aleck. For instance, the con man from Microsoft called me about “weendows”, which is how he pronounces it - I think he is in India. I told him I gave the computer away and don’t have one. (My nose is not growing longer, at least not yet.) Once I blasted the Microsoft guy and told him to quit calling me because they tried and almost succeeded in cheating me. (That was true.)

Another time a telemarketer called, asking for me. I said “Heck, no…you got the local crematorium!”

I wonder if I am really sinning, irritating those crooks. I just enjoy needling them and getting them mad.

When I go to confession, I’ll probably confess it, but I don’t feel guilty at all.
 
catholic0913 said:
Hello,
I am planning on going to Confession soon, and one of the sins that I will confess is my habit of lying. There was an incident when a lady in our parish asked me if I was sick because she didn’t see me on last Tuesday mass, I told her “yes”, even though I wasn’t sick on that day. During the confession, should I tell priest this whole story or can I just say “I have a habit of lying and I want to stop this habit”?

Thank you,
Click to expand...
With my mortal sins, I say what they are, and then follow it up with “do you want the sordid details?” Sometimes they will, sometimes they won’t.
 
Arizona_Fat_Gir said:
I sometimes tell “untruths” to telemarketers just to be a smart aleck. For instance, the con man from Microsoft called me about “weendows”, which is how he pronounces it - I think he is in India. I told him I gave the computer away and don’t have one. (My nose is not growing longer, at least not yet.) Once I blasted the Microsoft guy and told him to quit calling me because they tried and almost succeeded in cheating me. (That was true.)

Another time a telemarketer called, asking for me. I said “Heck, no…you got the local crematorium!”

I wonder if I am really sinning, irritating those crooks. I just enjoy needling them and getting them mad.

When I go to confession, I’ll probably confess it, but I don’t feel guilty at all.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t - I admire your creativity! I’m not that agile, mentally, so I’ve done everything from a rant telling the caller he should be ashamed of himself, or telling the truth. A telemarketer asked me how I was feeling & I told him - I had a migraine & was just heading off to bed. He apologized, 🙂 Another time I was having trouble both hearing & understanding the foreign accent - I kept saying what? Speak up - I can’t hear you. Could you repeat that, I didn’t catch it. He hung up. 😉
 
Arizona_Fat_Gir said:
I sometimes tell “untruths” to telemarketers just to be a smart aleck. For instance, the con man from Microsoft called me about “weendows”, which is how he pronounces it - I think he is in India. I told him I gave the computer away and don’t have one. (My nose is not growing longer, at least not yet.) Once I blasted the Microsoft guy and told him to quit calling me because they tried and almost succeeded in cheating me. (That was true.)

Another time a telemarketer called, asking for me. I said “Heck, no…you got the local crematorium!”

I wonder if I am really sinning, irritating those crooks. I just enjoy needling them and getting them mad.

When I go to confession, I’ll probably confess it, but I don’t feel guilty at all.
Click to expand...
Instead of looking at that as your sin, consider it their penance 😃
 
A good confessor will help guide you through the confession and will provide some spiritual guidance.

St Teresa of Avila said, “when you find a good confessor, hang on to him for dear life.”

Jim
 
Such may take place within confession.

If it is going to take too long though - yes can be best to make an appointment outside the regular confession times.
 
Polycarp1 said:
Apart from the great benefit of being forgiven by Christ through the office of the priest, Our Lord knows that we also often need help in avoiding committing the same sins over and over again. A priest can be a great assistance in giving directions that will help us overcome this ongoing problem, so I think that where necessary it is to our benefit to give some detail as to the actual substance of a transgression. This may be difficult as humans we don’t like to have to confess our sins and shortcomings, but I doubt that anything we say is going to shock the priest as believe me they have heard it all. Sin is their business so to speak! Merry Christmas
Click to expand...
True.

If though it will take too much time - it can be best to schedule an appointment outside the regular confession times.

Normally one tries to be *brief *at such times. Though yes there could be brief advice sought and given even then.
 
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