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fakename
Guest
For instance, if one has a habit or if one is part of an order that has this rule (of confessing every two weeks) then does one still have to go even if you don’t have anything that you can think of to say?
Should I go to confession every two weeks if I don't have anything to confess?
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Bookcat
Guest
Frequent confession is very good and recommended. One will always have some venial sins to confess…
Catechism
1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:
scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#VII
Catechism
1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:
scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#VII
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LilyM
Guest
I don’t think even the greatest Saint other than Our Lady would have been able to go a fortnight without committing at least some venial sin or other. Get yourself an extremely thorough examination of conscience (there is a good one done by Fr Robert Altier online - just google ‘Altier examination of conscience’ to find it). I doubt anyone can read through that and find nothing to confess!
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Armor_of_Light
Guest
Why not? You have something better to do? 
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Lochias
Guest
Confession is one of the ways in which Jesus directly touches our lives, through the graces received during the sacrament. As you go more often, you will develop a greater sense of what you’ve done right and wrong, too…your sensitivity to sin will increase as you do what’s right.
I think, in that context, that there’s never time that we “don’t need” to go to Confession, yeah? Every two weeks would, I think, be a healthy and wonderful thing to do, and it’s what I try to do, too.
I think, in that context, that there’s never time that we “don’t need” to go to Confession, yeah? Every two weeks would, I think, be a healthy and wonderful thing to do, and it’s what I try to do, too.
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Qwestions
Guest
Ditto the above answers!
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Tinaphpc
Guest
He’s the one on the right.
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Luvtosew
Guest
I get what the posted is asking, and no you don’t need to go to say hi or like I need to go to confession every so often if I need to or not. Do an exam of conscious and if you need to go go, but if everyone who commited a venial sin went to confession, we would not have enough Priests or hours in the day.
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snowflakeinlove
Guest
I agree with what everyone else is saying… but I wonder this sometimes too. I know that frequent confession is good…and that it’s good to confess venial sins, but the lines for confession at church are so long and I don’t want to make the line even longer if I only have venial sins to confess. I don’t know… 
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Franklin33
Guest
The lines for confession at church are so long?I agree with what everyone else is saying… but I wonder this sometimes too. I know that frequent confession is good…and that it’s good to confess venial sins, but the lines for confession at church are so long and I don’t want to make the line even longer if I only have venial sins to confess. I don’t know…
Where do you go? I wish the lines for confession were “so long”. The lines for confessions should be just as long as the lines for Holy Communion. And if that happened, then the churches would offer the sacrament of confession more than they do now.
But please, dont let the lines of confession, prevent you from receiving the graces that one gets from confession.
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Ohana
Guest
Wow, when I grew up there really were lines. Now not so much. I heard a talk once where someone said that lines for “confesson” were a sign of the people of God seeking Grace.
One thing I like about communal celebrations of reconciliation is that there are lines of people At least in our old deanery, several p riests would attend and after and examination of conscience, people would line up for individual confessions. No time for counseling or direction, but that was probably in the experience itself.
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Lochias
Guest
And I’d rather go and grab all the grace I can. Frequent Confession conditions the soul towards doing more good, more often.
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Giggly_Giraffe
Guest
Blessed John Paul II (we love you) & Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta went to confession daily. If these saints did, how much more do we lay ppl striving to be saints have to confess?
Remember, we confess what we thought, said, what we’ve done wrong (10 commandments) & what we’ve failed to do (Beatitudes). I myself am not graceful at this sacrament; I hide behind the veil and chatter on like a chipmunk … But hope for the grace to get better at this.
This sacrament does two things: grace of forgiveness from God & grace to avoid the near occation of sin.
Remember, we confess what we thought, said, what we’ve done wrong (10 commandments) & what we’ve failed to do (Beatitudes). I myself am not graceful at this sacrament; I hide behind the veil and chatter on like a chipmunk … But hope for the grace to get better at this.
This sacrament does two things: grace of forgiveness from God & grace to avoid the near occation of sin.
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snowflakeinlove
Guest
Ok they aren’t* that* long.
But I usually go to confession when it begins, Saturdays from 3:45 to 4:45…and there are already people lined up… and there is usually a line until after confession time is over. It’s supposed to end 15 minutes before mass starts, but it often cuts into the beginning of mass, and even then, there are sometimes people in line who don’t get to go to confession.I agree with you though, lines shouldn’t keep people from confession. I’m just still trying to figure out how often to go regularly. Right now I’m trying once a month…
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Faithdancer
Guest
Good one!Why not? You have something better to do?
I’d go every couple of days if I could manage it.
Pope John Paul II went weekly according to some, and more frequently according to others. How many of us need frequent confession less than he did???
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Elizabeth502
Guest
Needlessly frequent confession is not good for the scrupulous, and it is certainly possible that some people here may be able to identify themselves so. 
Specifically, anyone plagued by scrupulosity should be avoiding extremely frequent confession for venial sins, according to priests knowledgeable in this area. Fr. Wade Menezes and some others have written about this and have also spoken about it publicly.
There is such a thing as what the C.A. apologist Colin Donovan calls “devotional confession” (not “essential,” but a spiritual aid) but again, that is to be avoided by those with A Problem. For them, it magnifies the syndrome of scrupulosity instead of aiding them in their spiritual journey.
Specifically, anyone plagued by scrupulosity should be avoiding extremely frequent confession for venial sins, according to priests knowledgeable in this area. Fr. Wade Menezes and some others have written about this and have also spoken about it publicly.
There is such a thing as what the C.A. apologist Colin Donovan calls “devotional confession” (not “essential,” but a spiritual aid) but again, that is to be avoided by those with A Problem. For them, it magnifies the syndrome of scrupulosity instead of aiding them in their spiritual journey.
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Luvtosew
Guest
If you need to go every two weeks then by all means go, go every day. The OP asked if one should automatically go every two weeks. Seems to me unless your a young hormonal guy who maturbates, or someone with a terrible temper, or someone who never goes to Mass regularly, and you need to go every two weeks or more often on a schedule, then you should get some spiritual counciling for your problem.
My opinion the seven deadly sins would bring people to confession more often, as they are deep rooted personality issues which are hard to break.
Yes when I was young we had two Priest hearing confession, also on Wed nights, and people waiting, last times I went, two or three people there, one Priest on hour before Sat afternoon Mass and that was it. But everyone received communion(or mostly)
You mentioned your sensitivity to sin will increase, yes that is true and how someone becomes OCD , and ends up being chained to the confessional.
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Lochias
Guest
Don’t follow. Going every two weeks = going every day?
I think you’re assuming that Confession is only good when you have a mortal sin to confess, and that statement couldn’t be farther from the truth. Confession is a sacrament and confers grace to those who are sorry for their sins, mortal or venial, and increases our resistance to temptation.
I don’t understand what you mean here, can you explain further?
And given the state of the world we’re living in now, what does that tell you?
This is plain wrong. Someone suffering from scrupulosity, as a poster mentioned above, needs special attention and instructions, but I defy you, plain ol’ defy you, to find a quote from a saint that says that frequent Confession is a bad thing that leads to scrupulosity.
I’ll be waiting.
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Luvtosew
Guest
Where did you get his info from, another poster said he went weekly. I really really doubt they went everyday or every week even.
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Luvtosew
Guest
Yes a Priest on EWTN said one should not be chained tot he confessional, and yes it easily can lead to scruplosity.
The seven deadly sins, such as pride, envy, gluttony, lust, etc,
If often confession (every two weeks) “increases our resistance to temptation”
then hopefullly that every two weeks can turn into every 3 weeks or every 4 weeks.
I heard yes someone famous in the RC faith, due to he use to be Protestant, say on TV, he goes to confession every week or two, and he always confesses the same sin, over and over the same sin , and the Priest that was with him chuckled and said at least you don’t have a new sin!! Real funny, and this guy has been a RC for over 25 years, not like hes a newbie.
We are to confess our sins and REPENT, turn. So if one is a stealer (clepto) from stores, everytime they confess, it should be longer in between, many can quit stealing just like that, but some can’t as it has become for them an illness.
I don’t care if you go daily, if you want, but a good Priest in my opinion would have a talk with you.
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