MERGED: How Long should a typical confession take?

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Hey, I’m a recent convert (just since Easter) and I hadn’t had a confession since Easter. During RCIA, I thought the priest said that confession is not spiritual counseling - if you want that, make an appt with the priest. I went for the first time today (since Easter) and there were only 12 people ahead of me, but in the 25 minutes I was standing there, only 3 people went in (I thought there were 2 priests). How long do you expect a line to move? I left with 8 or so still ahead of me, but at that rate, I wasn’t getting in there for another hour. I have to get back to work, you know?!

So how the heck do you confess and still hold a job? They need an appt book, or take a numbr and come back in an hour. lol

People take too long at confession, can’t take Host until I confess now. Wanted to vent. Now I have another sin to confess if I ever get to the front of the line.
 
Make an appointment if you don’t think you can get through the line during your lunch hour. Or go after work. You can confess at any parish so maybe another one has a set confession time that is convenient after work or on your day off.

It takes however long it takes, it’s not like we are on timers and only given 5 minutes to confess.
 
There is no single answer to this question. If time is critical, and it sounds like it is in the OP’s case, please follow Cider’s advice. 🙂

God bless!
 
Confession seems to be for people with the luxury of time. Now I see why there’s a problem with getting people to go. Would you give the same advice if I said someone stood and talked to the priest for 10 minutes during Eucharist? No, because there’s an expectation of what you do. Isn’t there an expectation for confession as well? Get in, get out, don’t make others wait on you? List your sins and the number of times, don’t get into all the details or whatever you’re doing in there.

That’s like going into the restroom at a concert and reading a magazine. Forget all those people behind me waiting - this is MY special time. lol
 
BobRoss said:
Confession seems to be for people with the luxury of time. Now I see why there’s a problem with getting people to go. Would you give the same advice if I said someone stood and talked to the priest for 10 minutes during Eucharist? No, because there’s an expectation of what you do. Isn’t there an expectation for confession as well? Get in, get out, don’t make others wait on you?
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If only 3 people made it to Confession in 25 minutes, it seems just as likely that it was the priest doing the “excessive” talking. Maybe he was giving each person what was needed, maybe he was just chatty himself.

Some priests have reputations as confessors. I once knew one who averaged about 90 seconds per confession. If this is a particular problem at this parish, with this priest, try a different parish.
 
I figured I’d just get the “Jesus gave his life, you can’t give an hour in line?” hahaha I understand people want to hang out and do whatever in there. Some people have no where to be. I do have things going on, so I’m trying to get in and give a confession and be a good Catholic. Also, people cutting in line - “oh, my sister is in line, so I’m gonna jump in here - I’ll be fast tho!”

#CatholicProblems hahah
 
I’ve seen the lines that don’t move, and I’ve seen the lines where I need to where my running shoes to keep up! 😃

While in California last week, I found a parish that offered confessions on Wednesday evenings, so I went. In 30 minutes, Father heard the confessions of over a dozen people, AND he even gave me a little advice (not a counseling session). When I left, there were another ten or more people behind me. 👍

I’ve also been to confession where my part took 30 seconds or less (it doesn’t really take that long to say how long it’s been and list the sins), but Father talked to me for a long time, asking me questions and giving advice. 🤷

Get to the confession line early, and ask God to take over from there. And you might also ask around to find out where confessions go a little more quickly.

God bless you!

Gertie
 
All depends on the person…the circumstances…the Priest…the need etc.

It could be very quick or longer.

Or some may need to make an appointment if it will take rather long.

Let us not presume on a time for each person.
 
It takes as long as it needs to.
Perhaps those people needed a bit of reassurance.
May you also have a good experience in Confession.
 
I’ve taken 30 seconds in confession…and once 45 minutes. In the long confession, it was the priest who was asking questions, offering advice, etc. And 10 years later, I still think about that confession and the wise wisdom I was given. I did feel bad about the people in line behind me though 😊
 
At my parish at before weekday Mass confessions, I’m guessing the average is about 2 minutes or less per confession.
 
Cider said:
Make an appointment if you don’t think you can get through the line during your lunch hour. Or go after work. You can confess at any parish so maybe another one has a set confession time that is convenient after work or on your day off.

It takes however long it takes, it’s not like we are on timers and only given 5 minutes to confess.
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No, generally speaking, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to confess your sins in kind and number, and circumstances when required. The problem is a lot of people don’t know how to confess their sins properly and need to be re-catechized on how to go to confession as well as purpose of amendment in order for confession to be valid. Be brief. Be blunt. Be gone. Our priests average 5 minutes or less per person, and even then they’ll be in the confessional for 3-4 hours.
 
As Bookcat stated; all depends on the person, circumstance, Priest, need, etc. You cannot put a timeframe on Confession. Each is different & unique. May your experience with Confession be always spiritually fullfilling.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
No, generally speaking, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to confess your sins in kind and number, and circumstances when required. The problem is a lot of people don’t know how to confess their sins properly and need to be re-catechized on how to go to confession as well as purpose of amendment in order for confession to be valid. Be brief. Be blunt. Be gone. Our priests average 5 minutes or less per person, and even then they’ll be in the confessional for 3-4 hours.
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Well, yes, but the key part is “generally speaking.” Like others above, I have had very long confessions due to the priest going on and on. The problem isn’t always the penitent.

In the end, I can’t control what other people do. A couple of years ago, when missing out on confession because of fellow penitents taking forever became an issue for me, I solved the problem by going elsewhere. Others might find making an appointment a better solution for them. I have not known of any circumstance preventing someone from getting to confession that can’t be resolved with one of these two options. Is it fair? No. Should it be this way? No. But we do what we can to get absolved.
 
BobRoss said:
Hey, I’m a recent convert (just since Easter) and I hadn’t had a confession since Easter. During RCIA, I thought the priest said that confession is not spiritual counseling - if you want that, make an appt with the priest. I went for the first time today (since Easter) and there were only 12 people ahead of me, but in the 25 minutes I was standing there, only 3 people went in (I thought there were 2 priests). How long do you expect a line to move? I left with 8 or so still ahead of me, but at that rate, I wasn’t getting in there for another hour. I have to get back to work, you know?!

So how the heck do you confess and still hold a job? They need an appt book, or take a numbr and come back in an hour. lol

People take too long at confession, can’t take Host until I confess now. Wanted to vent. Now I have another sin to confess if I ever get to the front of the line.
Click to expand...
Talk to your priest about this and maybe you can put a “bug in his ear” as to how people feel when a few people take all the time for themselves and others are left out. He’s the one that should tell some to call for a “counceling session” next time. God Bless, Memaw
 
Well, per the advice here, I found the next church in a different parish that was having confession. I went in 10 minutes early, got in line behind 14 people and waited 70 minutes for my turn, only to realize the priest only spoke Spanish. Yes, it was a Hispanic church, but in the middle of the Midwest, I thought the priest would be bilingual. Especially since " confession times" were on the website in English. Awesome. :mad:
 
I’m so sorry you’re having such problems. It’s tough out there sometimes, isn’t it? :doh2: I have waited as long as 2½ hours to confess, but I understand not everyone has a schedule as flexible as mine sometimes is.

I’m not certain from what you have said about this latest setback—how did you realize the priest only spoke Spanish? There must be a reason why the confession times info on the parish Web site is in English. If the priest hearing confessions did indeed speak Spanish exclusively, perhaps another priest in that parish is able to speak English at least well enough to hear confessions.

The day before yesterday, after morning Mass in my parish, someone came into the sacristy to ask if it were possible to confess. The priest who celebrated the Mass had already left to preside over a funeral elsewhere in the parish (we have three churches), so I suggested she ring the doorbell to the assistant priest’s residence next door to the rectory and ask if he could help her. What did she have to lose? She was hesitant to “bother” him, but I knew Father would accommodate her if he wasn’t already tied up with something/someone else. And that’s exactly what happened. She returned a short time later to thank me and do her penance in the chapel. Perhaps this approach would work for you. It’s not an ideal solution, but if the situation is urgent it still might be worth a shot.

Praying you’ll be able to confess soon. God bless!
 
I try to get there about 5 to 10 minutes early, so that I am one of the first. Usually I’m at least one of the first 3. 🤷 I don’t like tardiness and I feel like I should be there when it starts and I don’t like waiting. 😃 😊
I’ve never really timed my confession, but it doesn’t take too long. I don’t try to rack up sins before going.
I time the people in front of me.😊 Patience isn’t a virtue that I have.
 
My confessions usually take maybe 2 minutes, as do those of my wife.

For a long time, I also grew rather frustrated with those who seem to take forever. But frankly, I decided it just wasn’t my business, and if folks need more time, I should treat that as a mortification.

Being impatient is one thing, but I also looked at from a perspective of pride: **I **don’t take that long, **I **know how to make a good confession quickly, how dare they hold **me **up in this way.

Well, sometimes people need longer for whatever reason. I just try to enjoy the chant that’s playing, focus on being contrite, and on being in the presence of the Lord.

By the way, I hope this doesn’t come across as my being frustrated with the premise of the OP: I’m just scolding myself here, I promise. 😛

But on the other hand, I think that I have an obligation also to be succinct and to the point in my confessions, out of respect to the priest and to the others in line. So long as I focus on what I need to do, and not on what others are doing, I think it’s OK.
 
BobRoss said:
Confession seems to be for people with the luxury of time. Now I see why there’s a problem with getting people to go. Would you give the same advice if I said someone stood and talked to the priest for 10 minutes during Eucharist? No, because there’s an expectation of what you do. Isn’t there an expectation for confession as well? Get in, get out, don’t make others wait on you? List your sins and the number of times, don’t get into all the details or whatever you’re doing in there.

That’s like going into the restroom at a concert and reading a magazine. Forget all those people behind me waiting - this is MY special time. lol
Click to expand...
No there isn’t an expectation. I’m just grateful people are at confession. I try and avoid paying attention to other people in the line in front of me other than making sure I keep up as it moves.
 
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