Take Confession seriously but not so seriously

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Gees. Some people have this life or death view of religion. I think sins should be taken seriously but it is not the end of the world. When I was teenager confessed my sins, this still even happens now, I have had priests laugh to my confessions. Sometimes I wonder if what I confessed was just so petty or was not such a huge deal. I just wrote this because I notice people seem to make such a big deal about “oh no” this sin.
 
CRATUS said:
Gees. Some people have this life or death view of religion. I think sins should be taken seriously but it is not the end of the world. When I was teenager confessed my sins, this still even happens now, I have had priests laugh to my confessions. Sometimes I wonder if what I confessed was just so petty or was not such a huge deal. I just wrote this because I notice people seem to make such a big deal about “oh no” this sin.
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Christianity isn’t all warm fuzzies; it is about life or death on an eternal scale. It’s a shame you’ve had priests not take confession seriously. Pray for them.
 
The fact is… sin is life or death. Of course there are some sins that don’t lead to death.
 
CRATUS said:
Gees. Some people have this life or death view of religion. I think sins should be taken seriously but it is not the end of the world. When I was teenager confessed my sins, this still even happens now, I have had priests laugh to my confessions. Sometimes I wonder if what I confessed was just so petty or was not such a huge deal. I just wrote this because I notice people seem to make such a big deal about “oh no” this sin.
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Because we learned this from Jesus in Matthew 5
17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And on lustful thoughts, Jesus speaks:

27 You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. 2 But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell.
 
I have never heard of a priest laughing to a confession. Wowsa. Perhaps you have a jovial type of personality that lends itself to such a response.

I’m glad that hasn’t happened to me as I would be totally caught off guard,

Mary.
 
MaryT777 said:
I have never heard of a priest laughing to a confession. Wowsa. Perhaps you have a jovial type of personality that lends itself to such a response.

I’m glad that hasn’t happened to me as I would be totally caught off guard,

Mary.
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My dad is 80 years old, and a couple of years ago he said he confessed something and the priest laughed out loud. He said he was quite taken aback as that had never happened to him before. This is from a priest who never cracks jokes in his homilies and takes the Mass and Sacraments very seriously. I guess like most of us at times things just strike them as funny. My dad told us what it was that he confessed and it was a comment he’d made about a political leader while watching the news. After he made the comment he looked around and saw the grandkids looking at him and then he felt guilty for saying it. My guess would be our priest struggled with the same unChristian like feelings toward this person as my dad.
 
10gr8kids said:
My dad is 80 years old, and a couple of years ago he said he confessed something and the priest laughed out loud. He said he was quite taken aback as that had never happened to him before. This is from a priest who never cracks jokes in his homilies and takes the Mass and Sacraments very seriously. I guess like most of us at times things just strike them as funny. My dad told us what it was that he confessed and it was a comment he’d made about a political leader while watching the news. After he made the comment he looked around and saw the grandkids looking at him and then he felt guilty for saying it. My guess would be our priest struggled with the same unChristian like feelings toward this person as my dad.
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I bet you’re right. Priests are human too. LOL that is a fun story about confession.

Mary.
 
A lot of the people who post here about Confession are folks who have “scruples,” a sort of OCD condition where they start to think all kinds of things are sinful that aren’t (like inadvertent mistakes in procedure), that venial sins are mortal in five or six different ways (when they’re not), or that they somehow have terrible intentions hidden under their actual thoughts. Scruples is a pretty complicated spiritual/psychological condition, and it’s not exactly well-understood even by most Catholics. That’s why such people post here often.

(And that’s why the regular posters are very quick to direct such people to talk to their priest and obey whatever he says - because that’s part of the treatment of scruples. Giving too complicated an answer to someone with scruples is just going to give him more stuff to angst about.)

OTOH, since Confession is an important Sacrament, it is important that all of us Catholics understand the laws and procedures for it, according to our various Rites. It is also important that people not think they can conceal sins and still have a valid Confession, or do other bad stuff. So of course we need to talk about that.
 
Generic_Name said:
. It’s a shame you’ve had priests not take confession seriously. Pray for them.
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They may have “laughed” to try to help the penitent in some way known to the Priest …not because they do not take confession not seriously.
 
Generic_Name said:
Christianity isn’t all warm fuzzies; it is about life or death on an eternal scale. It’s a shame you’ve had priests not take confession seriously. Pray for them.
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I recently heard a story on Catholic radio where someone confessed what he knew was a mortal sin and the priest told him it wasn’t a sin and did not need to be absolved. He spent his time in the confessional going back and forth with this priest who obviously had a liberal mindset. He ended up having to go to another parish for confession. Not funny at all.
 
In confession last week I had the priest make ME laugh after cracking a joke. It can happen.

We are in the confessional to experience God’s mercy. We shouldn’t make light of His mercy, but at the same time, His mercy is delightful. Depending on the situation, I can see this happening.
 
CRATUS said:
Gees. Some people have this life or death view of religion. I think sins should be taken seriously but it is not the end of the world. When I was teenager confessed my sins, this still even happens now, I have had priests laugh to my confessions. Sometimes I wonder if what I confessed was just so petty or was not such a huge deal. I just wrote this because I notice people seem to make such a big deal about “oh no” this sin.
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Sin is very real, as is Heaven and Hell. I take confession seriously because I take the state of my soul seriously, and I want to go to Heaven and not go to Hell. Even though most of my sins are venial in nature, I have a disordered attachment to some of them and regular confession is helping me to overcome them. It’s making me a better person. Confession is a sacrament that pours out graces on those who partake of it. Sin may not be the end of the world, but it could be the end of your hope for Heaven. Don’t mock the sacrament. If a priest laughs at your confession, ask why. Perhaps it was your delivery or perhaps you are scrupulous and were confessing things that weren’t sins.
 
As someone else mentioned, some sins do mean loss of eternal life. It is a big deal.

I’m sorry, but sometimes laughs are going to happen!!! 😃
I recently went to confession. I explained a bit about some marital issues I was struggling to fully forgive and the priest said, “Sometimes the crosses we have to carry are right next to us.” We both laughed at the same time!!! All I could picture was my husband literally on my back like some backpack or something!!!
 
The only times laughter ***hasn’t ***happened during my confessions are when I confess in the confessional to either a hard of hearing elderly priest or an FSSP priest.

All face to face confessions have involved laughter. Usually because I poke fun at my little sins and failures at overcoming them and because I am friendly with my confessors. My sins are generally very small, I confess twice a month and I am serious about overcoming them. I have however also learned to laugh at my foibles and weaknesses.

Some people may benefit from the priests being all serious but I don’t respond at all well to that. Jesus loved and treasured his apostles even when they were being foolish. I can’t help but think he laughed at them too from time to time.
 
I take this Sacrament very seriously because of the effects of sin. Leaving aside the tendency towards scrupulosity (less so more recently thanks be to God’s intervention), I have received so much grace, healing and peace as a result of this Sacrament. Without this Sacrament I would be overwhelmed, heavily burdened, spiritually stunted and would not be at peace and reconciled with my community.

I have had more than one priest try to hide a smile and one startled exclamation, but on both occasions, the priest set aside his fallibility and was guided by the Jesus and the Holy Spirit to provide the words of loving wisdom I needed and absolve me of my sins, weaknesses and/or failings.
 
Avila123 said:
I take this Sacrament very seriously because of the effects of sin. Leaving aside the tendency towards scrupulosity (less so more recently thanks be to God’s intervention), I have received so much grace, healing and peace as a result of this Sacrament. Without this Sacrament I would be overwhelmed, heavily burdened, spiritually stunted and would not be at peace and reconciled with my community.

I have had more than one priest try to hide a smile and one startled exclamation, but on both occasions, the priest set aside his fallibility and was guided by the Jesus and the Holy Spirit to provide the words of loving wisdom I needed and absolve me of my sins, weaknesses and/or failings.
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I love this sacrament. The last time I went to confession, I felt like I was floating on clouds when walking out. There is no feeling like being unburdened of your sins. I have a regular confessor. He changed a couple of years ago as my former regular confessor was getting very elderly. Both are outstanding priests and Benedictine monks. Late last year my regular confessor was sent to St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome to hear confessors at the request of their abbot, for the year of mercy. So my previous regular confessor came back for several months.

They’re not immune to using occasional gentle humour, but both do take the sacrament seriously and you never leave the confessional with doubts about God’s mercy. They’ve also been a great help to me in trying times.
 
Perhaps it is because I am young. Seeing confession as a life or death issue has never got me to confession. I confess because they are sins. I do not think laughter is inherently wrong. I take sin seriously. Some of how people worry about it could be a turn off. There is always this lingering feeling I am not good enough.
 
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