How often can I go to Confession?

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dusk

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I feel like I need to go to Confession every week. Is that too much or do a lot of people do that?

The times that I’ve gone, there have only been 1 or 2 other people there, so I feel like I’ll be irritating the priest if I go every time he hears Confessions.
 
Once a week is not too often if that is what you believe you need. Go as often as you need as long as you are not being scrupulous (but the priest will surely assist you with that if that is the case). The vast majority of people don’t go as often as we could/should. Myself included:o.
 
Go as often as you want.

Only you can determine how much you need to go to confession. Only you and God know when you’re in a state of mortal sin, and thus when you need to go confess.

I don’t think the priest will get irritated. That’s his job, and that’s what he’s there for. If he’s not hearing your confession, he’s hearing someone else’s. Why should he care whose confession he’s hearing? If it makes that much of a difference to you, you can always go to another priest somewhere else.
 
I personally feel that ppl should go at least bi-weekly. It is very good for the soul, so long as you aren’t scrupulous about it. When I go, there are usually at least 10 ppl in line. 🙂
 
When I was a kid (in the 60’s), we HAD to go every week. Period. There was no choice. 😃
But if you feel the need to go, then by all means go. But also, as the other responders said, be aware of being scrupulous.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Go as often as you want.

Only you can determine how much you need to go to confession. Only you and God know when you’re in a state of mortal sin, and thus when you need to go confess.
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Actually, as “I Thirst” has noted, a confessor can also determine the frequency of one’s confessions.
 
I often go once a week, and at least once every two weeks. I’ve gotten some scrupulosity warnings before, but even so, I stll tend to have venial sins to confess (although venial sins are forgiven at Mass).

Blessed John Paul the Great went weekly. If you’re going to take a cue from anyone, he’s the man.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Go as often as you want.

Only you can determine how much you need to go to confession. Only you and God know when you’re in a state of mortal sin, and thus when you need to go confess.

I don’t think the priest will get irritated. That’s his job, and that’s what he’s there for. If he’s not hearing your confession, he’s hearing someone else’s. Why should he care whose confession he’s hearing? If it makes that much of a difference to you, you can always go to another priest somewhere else.
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I agree with you as i have been there myself. For a time i was so scared to go. But i was told to sink my shoulders, but always speak the truth, search my soul and conciousness to make a confession and present my sins, mistakes and errors.

The feeling after confession is such a relief, so strong and good of Gods grace and love that i sometimes burst into tears in gratitude and joy while praising God and His abundance of Mercy and forgiveness.
 
If you’re really struggling with a serious sin, then once a week isn’t too much. Otherwise, just for general “maintenance”, I personally think once a month is plenty. 🙂
 
Thank you 🙂 I guess the reason I feel I need to go to Confession is because I am just getting back into the Church, and I’m re-learning how to get out of the habit of sinning. I have been gone for months because of a mental illness and I’m kind of nervous that I don’t know how to be good.

I suffered with severe OCD for years (was on the list for experimental brain surgery and one day it disappreared. Prayer is a wonderful cure.) So I am probably susceptibal to scrupulosity.
 
I would advocate going as often as possible. Once a week, or once every two weeks, seems like a good idea. It’s more grace! You can pretty much restart on life every week, and erase all your past misdeeds, and be filled with a lot of sanctifying grace. Though, if you have a problem with scrupulosity, or if you’re too focused on your sins, you might want to go less often.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Really?
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Greetings YoungTradCath,

Yes… However don’t take it the way that if you have to go again because of mortal sin than the number of times he has set up you can’t go to Confession.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
Greetings Dusk,

Sometimes the frequency can change due to life circumstances as well. At the present moment I can go to Confession as often as I need to. Never once, and it is by the grace of God, has my Confessor said that I was being scrupulous, in fact there were times I was not going to Confesion enough. Now personally saying, this is not due to Mortal sin, though of course there were times that Mortal sin was what I was confessing. There are many times I go to confess vices and venial sin that I am struggling with. I was remarking in another thread that I have access to my Confessor daily if needed. There have been times in my life where I have gone to Confession daily for a time period becuase of the difficulties that were going. Confession and Daily Mass pulled me through some deep dark places.

I meant to also say this. My Confessor is also my spiritual director. Since we are meeting every day until at least December 08, 2011 becuase he is renewing his consecration to Mary [St. Louis de Montfort’s True Consecration to Mary] and I am making mine first. We meet every day to say the prayers and read the book. I am going to Daily Confession as a means of preparing for this Consecration and overcoming some vices which are afflicting me.

Go often as you need to go.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
I specifically asked my priest how often I should go, he knows the road I am on. I was afraid going every 4-8 weeks was too much 🙂 Ionly started going to confession about 1 year ago after being a Catholic for 17 years ( it never came up at all in “RCIA”). I was feeling like I was irritating our priest by coming and being so nervous each time. He said once a month for me, so even more often than I am going 😉 !!! YIKES…it’s been 7 weeks so I am still not quite there! Just ask…you’ll feel better 🙂

Kim
 
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