Priest starts Prayer of Absolution before I can begin my Act of Contrition!

[snowflakeinlove]

Yes, it happened to me. One priest in my parish asks for the Act of Contrition and then starts to give absolution right away. I was wondering if he was expecting a shorter act of contrition or something- and stopped halfway. And then Father asked me if I was done my Act of Contrition and I said no and he let me continue and then gave me Absolution again. I was very confused, but now I know what to expect when I go back to this priest for confession.

And at school, we used to just say the Act of Contrition as a class and skip it during confession to save time.

 

[TimothyH]

I never said they are wrong (or even uncommon), I simply said that if you personally have not encountered it I can understand how it would throw you off.

I am not one to engage in “I said, you said” arguments, but you did not say how you “can understand how it could throw someone off.”

You said exactly, “it would seem wierd in an OF parish.”

-Tim-

 

[Crux_Sacra]

My primary confessor for the past few years gave the Absolution during the Act of Contrition every time. He had it timed so that the moment after I (and I would guess anyone else, as well) said “amen” he was saying, “I absolve you of your sins…” I became so accustomed to it that when I go to a priest for confession who does not do that, it feels a bit awkward. But in time I suppose that feeling will pass.

God Bless!

 

[Boswell]

Actually that happens all the time in TLM parish confession. You say the act of contrition while Father is pronouncing absolution. That being said it would seem weird in an OF parish. Heck the one (and only) time I went to a diocesan penance service I went to say an act of contrition and Father stopped me saying we had covered it in the service then he jumped straight into the absoultion.

You and others say it isn’t uncommon, and I take your word for it. However, I am a cradle Catholic (71 years old) who was away from the Church for 35 years or so and have been back for about 5 years. This is the first priest (he is from Kenya, for what that’s worth) I’ve encountered who has done this. I will ask a priest whom I know well the best way to proceed when one encounters this and let you know what he says.

P.S. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t know what OF and TLM mean.

Boswell

 

[Joe_5859]

You and others say it isn’t uncommon, and I take your word for it. However, I am a cradle Catholic (71 years old) who was away from the Church for 35 years or so and have been back for about 5 years. This is the first priest (he is from Kenya, for what that’s worth) I’ve encountered who has done this. I will ask a priest whom I know well the best way to proceed when one encounters this and let you know what he says.

P.S. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t know what OF and TLM mean.

Boswell

I’ve never personally encountered it myself, either. So don’t feel bad that it seemed weird to you.

OF stands for “Ordinary Form”, which is the form of the Mass that came around with Paul VI circa 1970. TLM stands for “Tridentine Latin Mass” which refers to the old form of the Mass which came before. Don’t be embarassed that you don’t know what they stand for. 99% of the Catholic population that is not on this forum wouldn’t know either.

 

[Boswell]

Thanks, Joe!

I’ve never personally encountered it myself, either. So don’t feel bad that it seemed weird to you.

OF stands for “Ordinary Form”, which is the form of the Mass that came around with Paul VI circa 1970. TLM stands for “Tridentine Latin Mass” which refers to the old form of the Mass which came before. Don’t be embarassed that you don’t know what they stand for. 99% of the Catholic population that is not on this forum wouldn’t know either.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

You and others say it isn’t uncommon, and I take your word for it. However, I am a cradle Catholic (71 years old) who was away from the Church for 35 years or so and have been back for about 5 years. This is the first priest (he is from Kenya, for what that’s worth) I’ve encountered who has done this.

For what it’s worth, it’s only happened to me twice (I’m in my 40s). I do clearly remember the first time: I was so traumatized that I burst into tears upon leaving the confessional. (Please cut me some slack—I was 10 )

My mother tells me, however, that for the first 25 years of her life she knew nothing but the scenario you describe. Might have something to do with the fact that we did not grow up in the same country…?

I will ask a priest whom I know well the best way to proceed when one encounters this and let you know what he says.

Looking forward to it, though I imagine real options are few. Mom told me to “just roll with it.”

 

[Brendan_64]

It doesn’t matter. So long as the priest says “I absolve you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, then that’s it, your sins are forgiven. Why worry about how he gets round to saying this? The whole point of Confession is to be forgiven. If the priest grants you absolution before you have even had a chance to confess your sins, then the sins you planned to confess are forgiven. So why worry if a priest isn’t following the procedure around the absolution in the way we would expect?

 

[TimothyH]

It doesn’t matter. So long as the priest says “I absolve you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, then that’s it, your sins are forgiven. Why worry about how he gets round to saying this? The whole point of Confession is to be forgiven. If the priest grants you absolution before you have even had a chance to confess your sins, then the sins you planned to confess are forgiven. So why worry if a priest isn’t following the procedure around the absolution in the way we would expect?

Hey Brendan. I hope you are well and at peace. Yours is a good post.

I would add that for me, and I think for everyone, the point of confession is really to be healed. We all need forgiveness but if all I am looking for is forgiveness then I will likely be right back in line next week confessing the same sins over and over.

I noticed that the Catechism lists two categories of sacraments. There are sacraments of initiation and sacraments of healing. The sacrament of pennance is listed under the category of healing. There are no sacraments of forgiveness. Jesus was a healer. The Holy Spirit is often called the Doctor of our Souls. God wants to heal us of our sins moving forward so that we don’t do them any longer. It’s not just about forgiveness of what I did in the past but about making me whole again so that I don’t do it any longer.

I usually go face to face. I say my sins and then, if there is room to do so, I kneel before the priest, bow my head, close my eyes and say:

I have examined myself and these are the sins that I am aware of. I now ask my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his mercy and healing.

Yes, we all need forgiveness and it is wonderful to be absolved, but that is just the first step healing. If all we are looking for is forgiveness then we are missing out, treating only the symptom. We need to healed of the wounds which sin cause and become integrated, whole, healthy persons again.

-Tim-

 

[Brendan_64]

Yes, we all need forgiveness and it is wonderful to be absolved, but that is just the first step healing. If all we are looking for is forgiveness then we are missing out, treating only the symptom. We need to healed of the wounds which sin cause and become integrated, whole, healthy persons again.

I agree with that.

I suppose what I also meant to say was that we ought not to get too concerned with the procedure the priest follows, whether he does things in the ‘right’ order, whether he wears a stole or not, whether he gives us penance or not etc. The only part that needs to be said according to a set manner is “I absolve you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (in any language). What happens around this crucial line could be changed, omitted, individualised etc. It doesn’t have to happen in a set manner.

 

[Gillian2]

I didn’t encounter the above but one time when I didn’t say the act of contrition quickly enough the priest insisted not only that I say one but I had to say the traditional words with him right away. He said I had to have it memorized next time! I felt upset because I knew I had done my best, it was a lapse of memory. And I had never been taught the traditional wording. I was quite scared by this experience, but grateful that it wasn’t my first year of being a Catholic. Every other priest I have been to has always been very helpful and supportive. . .

.

 

[Phemie]

I didn’t encounter the above but one time when I didn’t say the act of contrition quickly enough the priest insisted not only that I say one but I had to say the traditional words with him right away. He said I had to have it memorized next time! I felt upset because I knew I had done my best, it was a lapse of memory. And I had never been taught the traditional wording. I was quite scared by this experience, but grateful that it wasn’t my first year of being a Catholic. Every other priest I have been to has always been very helpful and supportive. . . .

I can understand that that would have been upsetting.

For decades I wasn’t asked for an Act of Contrition during confession. But the last couple of times, with our new priest he has asked for it. It’s there taped to the prie-Dieu but not in my mother-tongue and it doesn’t feel right to me. So anytime I’m asked by a new priest I say “I’m going to say it in French,” and say the prayer I learned almost 60 years ago.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I didn’t encounter the above but one time when I didn’t say the act of contrition quickly enough the priest insisted not only that I say one but I had to say the traditional words with him right away. He said I had to have it memorized next time! I felt upset because I knew I had done my best, it was a lapse of memory. And I had never been taught the traditional wording. I was quite scared by this experience, but grateful that it wasn’t my first year of being a Catholic. Every other priest I have been to has always been very helpful and supportive. . .

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