Notes in Confession

[ChristinaAnn]

Actually about two years ago was my first confession within 8 years. I did make out a list. However I lost the list between leaving the house and heading out to my confessional appointment. I remember actually thinking, when I arrived and realize my list in my pocket was gone, " Thank God I did not put my name on it". However I do wish I did have it, because when I got out of the confessional I literally hit my forehead with my hand and realize I forgot to confess a few sins. I think notes in the confessional help, especially when you are very nervous of the sacarment begin with. But I can see why priests may not like it. Also the priest raised his eyebrow when I asked him sheepishly if he had a copy of the Act of Contrition, because that was with my notes and being a good catholic I don’t have the Act of Contrition memorize. He did hand me a lamented copy. He said he keeps it there just in case he had catholics like me in the confessional. LOL.

 

[mommyof4]

This is really just a matter of curiosity and annoyance, but I’d love to know the rationale behind it if anyone knows:
Why do some priests (not all) have a problem with people taking notes into confession? It doesn’t necessarily indicate scrupulosity. You get to a certain age and you can’t remember why you just opened the refrigerator, much less what you did 3 weeks ago. I had a priest just recently tell me not to use notes written beforehand, and it’s not the first time. It seems to me notes can be an effective part of examination of conscience. To solve it, I stay on the other side of the screen and am careful not to rattle the paper, but it seems ridiculous to have to go to that length to make a good confession.

I have no problem myself with lists. I’ve used them before myself, and when I was at confession today, there was an elderly nun behind me with a list, and she asked to borrow a pen from me, and wrote some more as we were waiting in line. No, I didn’t look at what she had written down, either. Besides, she’s Vietnamese, and I think (don’t know, just guessing) that they were written in that language.

 

[crenfro]

Well, I had a list of about a half dozn sins to confess with me…on a very small paper. Well, the priest was sitting in the sanctuary sideways so I knelt and started to confess. He saw my list and laughed so hard, that everyone in the church could certainly hear!

Thank you Jesus!

Just my two cents:

There’s a priest I know who giggles at some of my confessions. He’s helping me not to take myself so seriously, I think. I struggle with the sin of pride.

 

[mommyof4]

Just my two cents:

There’s a priest I know who giggles at some of my confessions. He’s helping me not to take myself so seriously, I think. I struggle with the sin of pride.

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[FickleFreckled]

 

[Shoshana]

Just my two cents:

There’s a priest I know who giggles at some of my confessions. He’s helping me not to take myself so seriously, I think. I struggle with the sin of pride.

I gave the reasons why he laughed a few posts ago. It is one thing to laugh in a confessional but it is another when we are facing the whole community!

The Lord showed me that I was on the right track a week later at a Divine Mercy Sunday celebration!

 

[crenfro]

I gave the reasons why he laughed a few posts ago. It is one thing to laugh in a confessional but it is another when we are facing the whole community!

I’m sorry. I certainly didn’t mean to offend you by my post.

 

[Anne1964]

I almost always bring a list to confession and I have never had a priest tell me not to. When I returned to the Church after being away for many years, I brought a rather long list to my first confession.

I told the priest I had made a list and he said that was good because it showed I had put some thought into what I wanted to say.