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ProVobis
Guest
But doesn’t this take anonymity, the whole idea behind confessional screens, away from the sacrament?
'I'll make it quick", said the woman ahead of me on the confession line
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Anathama_Sit
Guest
Greetings ProVobis,
It was offered as a solution to the OP’s question. The OP will have to make that judgement. I have no problem with a Confessor in my life. IT is a blessing. And it keeps me accountable in all things.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
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ProVobis
Guest
I agree, everyone should have at least one.
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SaintGobban
Guest
This isn’t exactly on topic, but loosely related.
It is my experience that many parishes have an hour or so time for penance on Saturday afternoon. Some then provide another shorter interval before Mass on Sunday, or during some other weekday.
Maybe not exactly as the above, but one longer time not around a Mass time, and at least one or more near a Mass time.
Here is my point: if you know you are going to take a long time in Confession, for one reason or another, and the penitent DOES know when they’re making a long, maybe general confession, maybe they haven’t been for years, or they want to discuss something that may take awhile, it seems like these are the people that need to attend the hour long penance time, or more especially will schedule an appointment.
It’s kind of the same principle as people with overflowing shopping carts letting those with a couple of items go first.
I had a priest who was giving a retreat say that even when making a general confession of all of the sins of your past life, your confession should not take longer than 15 minutes: " be blunt, be brief, and be gone."
If you have a looooooong confession planned, please don’t make it during a Mass time.
It’s just makes sense, and is more courteous.
Second, I don’t know if any priests look at this site, I would not image that they do, but if they do, I’d just like to voice my objection to social work in the confessional.
It’s not the time to do counseling of any kind, except the most spiritually oriented.
Spiritual advice, we’re all about. Trying to solve all of the penitent’s psychological, social, emotional, familial, etc. etc. problems in the course of a confession…not appropriate…at all.
Giving advice of a “Dear Abbey” nature in a Confession, not appropriate, not wanted. Please don’t.
Priests are acting in the place of Jesus, not Dear Abbey.
It is my experience that many parishes have an hour or so time for penance on Saturday afternoon. Some then provide another shorter interval before Mass on Sunday, or during some other weekday.
Maybe not exactly as the above, but one longer time not around a Mass time, and at least one or more near a Mass time.
Here is my point: if you know you are going to take a long time in Confession, for one reason or another, and the penitent DOES know when they’re making a long, maybe general confession, maybe they haven’t been for years, or they want to discuss something that may take awhile, it seems like these are the people that need to attend the hour long penance time, or more especially will schedule an appointment.
It’s kind of the same principle as people with overflowing shopping carts letting those with a couple of items go first.
I had a priest who was giving a retreat say that even when making a general confession of all of the sins of your past life, your confession should not take longer than 15 minutes: " be blunt, be brief, and be gone."
If you have a looooooong confession planned, please don’t make it during a Mass time.
It’s just makes sense, and is more courteous.
Second, I don’t know if any priests look at this site, I would not image that they do, but if they do, I’d just like to voice my objection to social work in the confessional.
It’s not the time to do counseling of any kind, except the most spiritually oriented.
Spiritual advice, we’re all about. Trying to solve all of the penitent’s psychological, social, emotional, familial, etc. etc. problems in the course of a confession…not appropriate…at all.
Giving advice of a “Dear Abbey” nature in a Confession, not appropriate, not wanted. Please don’t.
Priests are acting in the place of Jesus, not Dear Abbey.
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Gordon_Sims
Guest
I believe annual Confession is the mandatory minimum (similar to Communion), although going when needed is recommended. One big problem I have is that I can’t bring myself to not take Communion during Mass, regardless of how many mortal sins I might have on my conscience. Until recently, I never knew that this was also a mortal sin. It’s certainly given me encouragement to seek absolution more often.
I agree that the importance of it should be stressed more often on Sundays. I think Chatter163 hit the nail on the head as far as it being a symptom of poor catechesis, particularly in the 70’s and 80’s. I’ve mentioned many times on here just how off the mark mine was, and I’m still amazed by how completely wrong some of the things I was taught were. To my grade school’s credit, they did have us go to Confession somewhat regularly (at least twice a year), and we were encouraged to go more often, but they never really stressed how important it was, or even told us that it was mandatory. I’m working now on getting my family to go regularly, and instilling in them how important it is.
On a related note, I just went to my first ever scheduled Confession. I always had misgivings about it, but those were alleviated a bit by the fact that we can now schedule them directly through our priest. To give a little background, when I was younger I always preferred private Confession (as opposed to face-to-face). I’ve grown much more fond of face-to-face in the last two years. I have to say that I liked the scheduled Confession today even more. It was at the rectory and much less formal than a regular Confession, and I mean that in a positive sense. I was much more relaxed and didn’t stumble over or forget anything. I also didn’t feel pressured to get through it quickly, and I didn’t have to worry about keeping things to a whisper. I’ll still probably try to hit open Confession when I need it, but I won’t shy away from scheduling Confession, either. It was a great experience, and, like always, left me feeling renewed.
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odile53
Guest
I still like anonymous confession, and go regularly to a parish which is staffed by an order of priests. Reconciliation is available for approximately two hours daily, late in the afternoon during Adoration and before each evening’s Mass. Because of the comparatively high availability of Reconciliation, there are a lot of people who are registered in other parishes who go to this particular church to confess. Generally speaking, at least two priests are hearing confessions, although at peak confession times (Lent, especially Holy Week,) I’ve seen all of the confessionals in use (there are six double-sided old fashioned “box” confessionals, plus a face to face confessional room.) We’re very fortunate.
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Cavaille-Coll
Guest
A sign of a healthy parish is one where the amount of time allowed for confessions is approximately equal to the amount of time devoted to weekend Masses. For example, if a parish has Mass on Saturday night and two Masses on Sunday, they should be offering around three hours of confession time during the week. If priests don’t preach regularly about the importance of the Sacrament of Penance, and if they don’t make enough time for it, they have only themselves to blame if few people show up.
Confessions in my parish happen on Thursday evenings after the 7 PM Mass and on Saturday mornings from 10 to 12. Today they ended at 1 PM.
Confessions in my parish happen on Thursday evenings after the 7 PM Mass and on Saturday mornings from 10 to 12. Today they ended at 1 PM.
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TimothyH
Guest
TL, I don’t know if you work near midtown but just a thought…
I wonder if the Franciscan Friars on 31st St. might be an option for you.
How about the Opus Dei center, I think it is on Lex and 34th?
A priest of Opus Dei was my regular confessor for a while at the monthly Evening of Recollection here in Atlanta. I should really make an effort to get back there.
-Tim-
I wonder if the Franciscan Friars on 31st St. might be an option for you.
How about the Opus Dei center, I think it is on Lex and 34th?
A priest of Opus Dei was my regular confessor for a while at the monthly Evening of Recollection here in Atlanta. I should really make an effort to get back there.
-Tim-
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TrueLight
Guest
I didn’t know there was an Opus Dei Center?!!
Do you have more information? I’m not finding much by Googling. Do they have long confession times?
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JimG
Guest
If I recall correctly, the requirement is to receive the Eucharist at least once a year during the Easter season. And if one is conscious of mortal sin, then of course one must receive confession first.
We are required to attend Mass on Sundays (or Saturday vigils) and Holy Days. There is no requirement whatever to receive communion at every Mass we attend. But if we do receive communion we must be in a state of grace, so if mortal sin is present we must first go to confession.
I agree that catechetics was sadly neglected for a number of decades. Even our bishop has said that during his CCD / PSR classes as a child he learned a lot about sharing and drawing but nothing about doctrine and faith.
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Chatter163
Guest
Not at all. This is done all the time in my parish. The appointment is made for a specific date and time, and the priest is in the confessional a few minutes ahead of that time.
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Jayne_L
Guest
The issue with showing up before confession starts is that it can take away the anonymous aspect of the confession. I prefer to confess behind the screen so I try and show up about 5 minutes after confession is due to start. I find it very frustrating if the Priest isn’t already in the confessional - he sees me on his way in and knows that the first person in is me.
I’ve taken to attending a Parish other than my home parish for confression for this very reason. I go where I know that I will be able to confess anonymously.
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Castello
Guest
What is required is to receive communion once each year (this is one of the Precepts of the Church). In order to be disposed for that yearly communion, one would need to make a good confession.
If one wishes to receive communion more often than once each year, then, more than one Confession each year would been needed. The general advice given by good priests is to go to confession at a minimum once each month. The greatest Saints went to confession weekly or daily.
Sadly, many Catholics think they do not need confession if they have not killed someone or robbed a bank.
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Castello
Guest
Not at all. One simply calls up the Parish, asks to schedule a private confession. Work out the time and then show up. The priest will arrive early, be waiting in the Confessional for you to arrive. No need to give a name or be seen.
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paperwight66
Guest
I think it’s important to remember that we are only obliged to confess mortal sins, and that mortal sins cannot be committed by accident. Remember the three conditions, grave matter, full knowledge and full consent?
Confession is therefore not required before every Holy Communion for the average church-goer, and it is wrong to say it is.
Confession is therefore not required before every Holy Communion for the average church-goer, and it is wrong to say it is.
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jimrob
Guest
When I was in my teens, there was a neighbouring Parish with a reputation for “three Hail Mary’s and no questions asked”. It was popular with errant youngsters who preferred not to kneel through a personal sermon. One day, I arrived and the priest was sitting in the confessional reading a magazine. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind putting it down since, although my sins might not seem very important to him, they were the only ones I had.
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TrueLight
Guest
Hey Anathama,
I hope one day to have a regular confessor who is also my spiritual director, but I’m going to wait on the Lord for that. I’m trusting him to find me a confessor when it’s time just as he did for St Faustina.
In the meanwhile, I’ll get my confessions in where and when I can.
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Castello
Guest
Regular confession is a good thing, it is a good thing to confess our venial sins. When we grow in virtue, we understand our need for confession more often, not less.
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TrueLight
Guest
Agreed.
But your statement below seems to say you must go to confession before you receive. Is that what you meant to say?
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Castello
Guest
I cannot imagine a person over the age of reason living in the modern world who would go an entire year without committing a mortal sin. Yes, you must go to confession if you have committed a mortal sin - and most of us commit sins more often than annually.
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