Spiritual Director Confessor

[katiefoster46]

What is the difference between a spiritual director and a confessor? What role should these entities play in helping a lay person achieve a higher order of holiness and developing a deeper relationship with God.

 

[Lily_Bernans]

A spiritual director will help you advance in your personal relationship with God. He or she will answer questions you may have and make sure you are following the path that’s right for you and one that’s faithful to the Church’s teachings. He or she might suggest books for you to read, prayers for you to say, or things upon which you might meditate.

A confessor is a priest to whom you confess your sins. He absolves you and decides what penance you should perform.

This is very abbreviated, but I hope it helps.

God bless.

 

[Bookcat]

A spiritual director will help you advance in your personal relationship with God. He or she will answer questions you may have and make sure you are following the path that’s right for you and one that’s faithful to the Church’s teachings. He or she might suggest books for you to read, prayers for you to say, or things upon which you might meditate.

A confessor is a priest to whom you confess your sins. He absolves you and decides what penance you should perform.

This is very abbreviated, but I hope it helps.

God bless.

A confessor too (especially a regular confessor) can give one advice etc.

(and they can also be the same person).

 

[Lily_Bernans]

A confessor too (especially a regular confessor) can give one advice etc.

(and they can also be the same person).

Yes, they can be the same person, but usually they are not. Many people do not feel comfortable telling their fears, etc. to their confessor, and they don’t feel comfortable when their spiritual director knows all their sins, although one should be as open as possible with both. Surely, it is not right to “hold back” sins and not confess everything.

Today, with the shortage of priests, it’s getting very difficult for one to find a qualified spiritual director. Priests just don’t have the time. One has to confess to a priest, though. A lay person will not do, however a theologian, etc. could qualify as a spiritual director.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

A confessor too (especially a regular confessor) can give one advice etc.

(and they can also be the same person).

Yes! However, some of us want/need more in-depth assistance. I opted for spiritual direction for two reasons: I didn’t want to be in the confessional for an hour or more and I’m in a country whose native language I don’t speak well. It can get frustrating :banghead: trying to understand the counsel being whispered to me from behind the screen.

Yes, they can be the same person, but usually they are not. Many people do not feel comfortable telling their fears, etc. to their confessor, and they don’t feel comfortable when their spiritual director knows all their sins, although one should be as open as possible with both. Surely, it is not right to “hold back” sins and not confess everything.

I’m not sure they aren’t “usually” the same person. In my experience, it’s about 50-50. Half the people I know who have a spiritual director also have either (1) a separate regular confessor, or (2) many confessors, of whom one might or might not be their spiritual director. The other half have a spiritual director to whom they also confess regularly.

Today, with the shortage of priests, it’s getting very difficult for one to find a qualified spiritual director. Priests just don’t have the time. One has to confess to a priest, though. A lay person will not do, however a theologian, etc. could qualify as a spiritual director.

Lay persons can indeed be qualified spiritual directors. A spiritual director does not have to be a priest, nor does (s)he have to be “a theologian, etc.”