Too Much Confession?

[nsper7]

Why is it that some people feel that a person can go to Confession too much? I have Priests who tell me that going once or twice a week is too much, but this seems to contradict what Pope John Paul II said about receiving frequent Confession.

I know I am Scrupulous, but what is wrong with wanting to receive Confession a lot? I remember I was once on the phone with Priest from the Legionaries of Christ (I am/was considering getting involved with them). He was very nice, but seemed like a serious person. Anyway, when I told him what my parish Priest had said that going 1x per week to Confession is too much, the guy actually started laughing over the phone (not at me, but at the parish Priest’s advice, which he thought was silliness).

I think there is really no such thing as too much Confession? After all, Pope John Paul II went every week and Pope St. Pius X went everyday (I know there have been other Saints who went daily as well).

 

[BayernAnhaenger]

Why is it that some people feel that a person can go to Confession too much? I have Priests who tell me that going once or twice a week is too much, but this seems to contradict what Pope John Paul II said about receiving frequent Confession.

I know I am Scrupulous, but what is wrong with wanting to receive Confession a lot? I remember I was once on the phone with Priest from the Legionaries of Christ (I am/was considering getting involved with them). He was very nice, but seemed like a serious person. Anyway, when I told him what my parish Priest had said that going 1x per week to Confession is too much, the guy actually started laughing over the phone (not at me, but at the parish Priest’s advice, which he thought was silliness).

I think there is really no such thing as too much Confession? After all, Pope John Paul II went every week and Pope St. Pius X went everyday (I know there have been other Saints who went daily as well).

Because they are ignorant (those who think they can “over-do” it.)

 

[Leopard]

Scrupulosity is a psychological condition that can be exacerbated by over-frequent confession of things that are not sins or sins that the penitent is not culpable of committing. Now, it is one thing to frequently confess if one is capable of making an accurate examination of conscience, but if a person is in fact suffering from scrupulosity, he would be well advised to follow the advice of a good confessor familiar with his case. This could include advice not to go to Confession more frequently than some determined interval.

 

[Godfollower]

I would say, rather, that very frequent confession is a sign of possible scrupulosity. I can see how a priest, on seeing you twice a week for a month, might get worried that scrupulosity is an issue, especially if the sins confessed back up that impression.

So, if you’re a confessional frequent flier, they might be trying to say that you need to refocus.

As for the specific question, yes: of course there can be too much confession. If nothing else, imagine the person for whom confession has reached the point that it is interfering with the rest of his/her life (never at home for dinner with the family because that’s confession time every night, getting to work late and leaving early every day to go to another confession during each commute every day, etc.). Such a person needs to reexamine the Sacrament.

 

[jmcrae]

Why is it that some people feel that a person can go to Confession too much? I have Priests who tell me that going once or twice a week is too much,

Other than in the case of a serious addiction issue, more than once a week does seem like a lot.

When I was first received into the Church, I did go to Confession once a week, because I had acquired some bad habits that I needed to overcome.

I imagine there are many new converts in the same situation, so as a new convert, it’s not surprising that you want to go to Confession that frequently - but once my bad habits were overcome, I didn’t go that frequently any more. These days, once a month suffices. I’m sure it will be the same for you, over time.

In the mean time, go as often as you have sins to confess, and don’t worry about what anybody thinks of you.

 

[Matrix_Refugee]

Once a week, I can understand, but anything more than that is a bit much and you may need to talk to a good Catholic counsellor. I’m minded of a story involving St. Philip Neri and a scrupulous woman who came to confession twice in one day. He chased her out of the confessional, saying “No scruples in here!”

 

[brigid12]

If you know (and your priest has verified) that you have mortal sins to confess that often, I’d say “Go, do it!” (although after a while I might wonder about how true your sense of amendment was). However, other than using Confession as an aid to forming your conscience as a new convert, it seems to me that going more than once a week, when you only have venial sins or faults to confess, is likely to put your focus more on yourself (rather than Him) and an unhealthy feeling of being a bad creature, even tho’ He made you. That isn’t to say that a nightly examination of conscience is wrong at all! But if a person is busy paying attention to their small sins/faults they have less time to be a channel for His grace to others. Possibly a (say) Carthusian monk or hermitlike religious could go every day and gain spiritually from it. If a person lives in the world tho’, it seems overly focussed on self (and could even become a form of self-indulgence).

My :twocents:

 

[IrishDude45]

My liberal priest once told me that I went to confession too much, that I took things to seriously. I was shocked! Does he really want me to risk my immortal soul?!?!? Better to be scrupulous and in Heaven than “normal” and in Hell!

 

[Leopard]

My liberal priest once told me that I went to confession too much, that I took things to seriously. I was shocked! Does he really want me to risk my immortal soul?!?!? Better to be scrupulous and in Heaven than “normal” and in Hell!

Better still to be normal and in Heaven than scrupulous and in Hell. Seriously.

We have an obligation from God to take reasonable care of our health. Scrupulosity is a mental health disorder. If a person knows that he has this disorder and knows that he is morally obligated to take care of himself, but deliberately chooses not to, that in itself may be a sin for him to take to confession. But if he does confess this sin, but still refuses to take his confessor’s advice regarding healing this disability, what does this say about his firm purpose of amendment?

I think intentionally nurturing a scrupulous condition may be something like intentionally getting drunk. A scrupulous person, like a drunk person, may while in that condition have made himself incapable of making moral decisions. As such, the intentional act of getting himself in such a condition in the first place, without making any effort to get out of that condition, may itself be a very serious sin, perhaps even a mortal sin, depending on the person’s ability to freely make the decision in the first place.

 

[Jimzz12]

Scrupulosity is a psychological condition that can be exacerbated by over-frequent confession of things that are not sins or sins that the penitent is not culpable of committing. Now, it is one thing to frequently confess if one is capable of making an accurate examination of conscience, but if a person is in fact suffering from scrupulosity, he would be well advised to follow the advice of a good confessor familiar with his case. This could include advice not to go to Confession more frequently than some determined interval.

Well said. I might add…

…When you begin to feel the sin of a venial nature beginning to pile up, go to confession. Venial sin has a way of entwining sin around your metaphorical legs, disabling your ability to walk with Christ (so to speak). The more entangled you become the harder it is to stay out of mortal sin.

Know thyself. The indicators I use with myself are: Am I starting to be a grump? Have I been becoming more and more annoyed at things? Have I felt myself losing my patience? Does coarse language slip out of my mouth without my control?

Other indicators (for us guys anyway) – Vivid/pornographic dreams? Nocturnal emissions? These things can be out of a physical response and not really our fault but it’s an indication that the anima is beginning to garnish too much control over your biological functions. Or, it could just be you’re bouncing in an out of REM sleep, which causes a hormonal trigger in men. I know if I haven’t been to confession in a while I’m subject to dreams where I’m literally being besieged with nightmares telling me “I’m going to get you.” The language is really much stronger than I can type here. Father Corapi says that little old ladies come crying, saying the same thing happens to them – except there’s no nocturnal emission part for obvious anatomical reasons. Ask yourself the question “Is Satan starting to manipulate me?”

And, since we’re talking about that let’s talk about the animus. Is your reasoning becoming too prideful or becoming less centered on Christ. As Christians we should never divorce our logic from Jesus. If we feel the temptation to make a rational argument without him in mind. That in itself is an indication. “Is Satan starting to get his point across?”

I’m probably worse than most, so I have to keep vigil over this stuff. I know me – I’ll end up mortally breaking every commandment in a 2 hour period.

Confession is great but don’t burn yourself out. Once per year is the minimum. I recommend every 90 days minimum – I call it a quarterly counseling. There are days on the calendar that are more useful for going to confession than others. Try work out a rough schedule of the various days of indulgence (where you go to confession and then go to mass and then say go to a cemetary and pray for the dead – November 1st thru 8th). Incorporating confession into practices like this really boosts your diposition to sacramental grace. That’s what we’re ultimately after – Grace. (A share of divine life.)

 

[Jimzz12]

Better still to be normal and in Heaven than scrupulous and in Hell. Seriously.

We have an obligation from God to take reasonable care of our health. Scrupulosity is a mental health disorder. If a person knows that he has this disorder and knows that he is morally obligated to take care of himself, but deliberately chooses not to, that in itself may be a sin for him to take to confession. But if he does confess this sin, but still refuses to take his confessor’s advice regarding healing this disability, what does this say about his firm purpose of amendment?

I think intentionally nurturing a scrupulous condition may be something like intentionally getting drunk. A scrupulous person, like a drunk person, may while in that condition have made himself incapable of making moral decisions. As such, the intentional act of getting himself in such a condition in the first place, without making any effort to get out of that condition, may itself be a very serious sin, perhaps even a mortal sin, depending on the person’s ability to freely make the decision in the first place.

Well said again…
This made me think of ‘worrying’. Worrying is a symptom of the infiltration of the devil into your being. All worrying comes from the devil. Just don’t confuse worrying with your genuine concern for your whoever it is you shouldn’t be worrying about. Sounds odd.

 

[Shin]

St. Charles Borromeo, if I recall correctly, went to Confession twice a day due to the extreme activity of his life.

I used to go almost daily, because we had a daily mass with Confession before it – So I would go to Confession before the mass. Also this is good for dealing with grave sins – though one must remember as it is easy to not to the necessity of a firm resolution to not only not sin, but to avoid the near occasion of sin in combating them too, the sacramental graces are great aids.

However, a genuinely scrupulous person is a special case wherein frequency of Confession is not necessarily desirable, because it can exacerbate the person’s problems. Scrupulous people often have minds wandering all over the place even more so than an average person, they do not have self control, and are always inventing sins for themselves. Part of dealing with a scrupulous person is working towards putting an end to this mental behavior, wherein they with their out of control minds cannot practice prudent reserve even in accounting properly for their sins – so that it can even become an occasion of sin for them to think on them for taking them to account, or at least they are thinking it was rather than properly watching over their consciousness.

Generally scrupulous penitents can even be over anxious about one part of their spiritual life, fearful about it, but completely ignore what they should be working on as they are comfortable with it. Their fearful overactive minds focus too precisely to the detriment of an overall, holistic view of their soul more necessary to work on the whole self for progress.

A genuinely scrupulous person in the hands of a priest who is too permissive about certain sins is in a difficult situation, because fear and anxiety are his chief enemies along with sin – This person must take heart and recognize his weaknesses, and look to those broadly accepted standards the Church has always taught as the answer when what the priest has said is clearly at variance with them.

Priests with flaws in some areas can still help in others.

When the situation is doubtful the person must not give into anxiety, but simply proceed prudently trusting that acting on the best knowledge he has at the time with prudence is sufficient for him in this situation. You must become your own doctor to a degree, and work on avoiding sin not out of overwhelming anxiety, but a more stable, knowledgeable and peaceful avoidance based on sorrow at the thought of displeasing Love and happiness at the thought of spiritual progress towards God.

 

[Spirithound]

Why is it that some people feel that a person can go to Confession too much? I have Priests who tell me that going once or twice a week is too much, but this seems to contradict what Pope John Paul II said about receiving frequent Confession.

I know I am Scrupulous, but what is wrong with wanting to receive Confession a lot? I remember I was once on the phone with Priest from the Legionaries of Christ (I am/was considering getting involved with them). He was very nice, but seemed like a serious person. Anyway, when I told him what my parish Priest had said that going 1x per week to Confession is too much, the guy actually started laughing over the phone (not at me, but at the parish Priest’s advice, which he thought was silliness).

I think there is really no such thing as too much Confession? After all, Pope John Paul II went every week and Pope St. Pius X went everyday (I know there have been other Saints who went daily as well).

I think you’ve answered your own question there! It is true that Pope John Paul II advocated frequent confession, BUT “frequent” is a relative term. What he meant was to get into a good routine, and to get into the habit of examining even our venial sins so we can walk as closely with God as possible.

When you spoke to the Priest from the Legionnaires, did you tell him you were scrupulous? You have identified yourself as scrupulous, and it’s good that you recognize that. That’s the first step of healing. Your condition puts you in a special circumstance, however, and although confession of venial sin is a very good practice, you must not let the shadows of venial sins grow to look like mortal sins, making you want to run to the confessional.

In short, there is such a thing as too much confession; you are not Pope St. Pius X! I am not Pope John Paul II ! When I was going through a rough patch, a verifiable rough patch, I went every week for 8 weeks. Now I am aiming for once every 2 weeks. To whom much has been given, much is expected; for now, God has led me to a certain depth of examination of conscience, and I am comfortable there. Hopefully He will lead me deeper, but for now, I am called to be in the world (but not of it), and my other obligations like homework and housework are what He expects of me, not daily confession.

 

[Spirithound]

My liberal priest once told me that I went to confession too much, that I took things to seriously. I was shocked! Does he really want me to risk my immortal soul?!?!? Better to be scrupulous and in Heaven than “normal” and in Hell!

This, my friend, is precisely the thought-line of the scrupulous! Being scrupulous is not going to get you into Heaven any more efficiently, it will create Hell on Earth!

 

[LilyM]

I think you’ve answered your own question there! It is true that Pope John Paul II advocated frequent confession, BUT “frequent” is a relative term. What he meant was to get into a good routine, and to get into the habit of examining even our venial sins so we can walk as closely with God as possible.

When you spoke to the Priest from the Legionnaires, did you tell him you were scrupulous? You have identified yourself as scrupulous, and it’s good that you recognize that. That’s the first step of healing. Your condition puts you in a special circumstance, however, and although confession of venial sin is a very good practice, you must not let the shadows of venial sins grow to look like mortal sins, making you want to run to the confessional.

In short, there is such a thing as too much confession; you are not Pope St. Pius X! I am not Pope John Paul II ! When I was going through a rough patch, a verifiable rough patch, I went every week for 8 weeks. Now I am aiming for once every 2 weeks. To whom much has been given, much is expected; for now, God has led me to a certain depth of examination of conscience, and I am comfortable there. Hopefully He will lead me deeper, but for now, I am called to be in the world (but not of it), and my other obligations like homework and housework are what He expects of me, not daily confession.

Daily is probably overdoing it, yes, Weekly? No - St Padre Pio, a renowned confessor, said something along the lines of ‘if you want to be a good Catholic, go once a month, if you want to be a saint go once a week’.

Don’t know about you, but in my humble opinion we’re all called to be saints and not just good Catholics. So I wouldn’t say weekly confession is overdoing it.

 

[nsper7]

Better still to be normal and in Heaven than scrupulous and in Hell. Seriously.

We have an obligation from God to take reasonable care of our health. Scrupulosity is a mental health disorder. If a person knows that he has this disorder and knows that he is morally obligated to take care of himself, but deliberately chooses not to, that in itself may be a sin for him to take to confession. But if he does confess this sin, but still refuses to take his confessor’s advice regarding healing this disability, what does this say about his firm purpose of amendment?

I think intentionally nurturing a scrupulous condition may be something like intentionally getting drunk. A scrupulous person, like a drunk person, may while in that condition have made himself incapable of making moral decisions. As such, the intentional act of getting himself in such a condition in the first place, without making any effort to get out of that condition, may itself be a very serious sin, perhaps even a mortal sin, depending on the person’s ability to freely make the decision in the first place.

Well, I admit I am Scrupulous and I go to Confession frequently (usually a minimum of once a week…more often if I can get the Priests that won’t give me a lecture on going to Confession too much). As a youth, I was a frequent hand-washer and stuff and as a Protestant, I prayed frequently for forgiveness (basically doing an examination of conscience or whatever you want to call it).

Remember, Scrupulosity (OCD) is not a condition that one can ‘bring on’ like drunkenness (a person chooses to guzzle booze, one does not choose a Scrupulous condition), nor is it a sinful condition (remember, getting drunk is itself sinful, being Scrupulous) and I really is not an occasion of sin. After all, while going to Confession too much (unless it gets to wear it is taking up so much time…such as going hourly or something) may mess up someone’s psyche further (i.e. make them more Scrupulous possibly in their actions), it really does not lead to sin.

Now, what causes me trouble is that besides the Scrupulosity, I deal with a masturbation issue. Obviously, I know what the Church teaches on the issue (it, along with the accompanying lust, is a mortal sin, but that there can be things that lesson the consent such as habit [addiction] and other issues). One of the Priests has flat out told me that, since it is a repetitive sin, it is not mortal since it is an addiction/habit, but then this causes me to sometime do the sin more or be less concerned about it, which then makes me worry that maybe the Priest is wrong and then I feel the need to go to Confession a lot.

Then, especially after reading that sermon by St. Leonard on how few people are Saved and how many Confessions are invalid (but even before that I had these concerns), I worry that my Confessions are somehow because I maybe forgot something and/or not give enough detail and then I worry about how much detail I should have gone into and, since I admit I would like to avoid embarrassment/shame if licitly possible (i.e. I don’t want to go into anymore detail than I actually need to go into), I then worry that I committed sacrilege or something.

Admittedly, a couple of the Priests at my parish seem kind of lax on the need for Confession and sin issues (or maybe I just am too Scrupulous). This further makes it confusing. After all, is the Priest who tells me that the masturbation/lust issues (which play out by doing those online sexual role-playing games) correct when he tells me it is not mortal? Do I then make it mortal sin by kind of abusing the Priest’s words and maybe sinning more cause I feel I do not have to go to Confession immediately (remember my timeframe: for me ‘immediately’ means, waiting until my next scheduled [in my mind as it were, not officially scheduled] Confession means like a next week and going a long time without Confession is like a couple weeks [which would probably be almost unbearable for me]).

 

[Shin]

If it’s an addiction I believe he is correct that it is not mortal, this is generally. And you are correct to go immediately to Confession.

However it sounds like you have a problem avoiding the near occasion of sin, which you resolve to do after each Confession.

If the computer is an occasion of grave sin for you, or mortal sin, you would be better off tossing it out the window than continuing to have it. Or unplugging the Internet if that is all it is. You must not visit sites, talk to people, or keep material that is a near occasion of sin to you of this kind. You must also teach yourself to be disgusted with this lust and attraction rather than enticed by it.

This attraction is allowable for only one person -after- you are married, not something beforehand. That is what purity is, not desiring it, not having it and not having a predilection to its delectation.

So you need to work on avoiding the occasion of sin in your life, and your desire for this sin as well as use the sacrament properly – it is a sin not to avoid near occasions of sin, you say you are going to do so with each act of contrition, so do so from henceforth. Change your lifestyle completely, and take up spiritual activities instead of sinful ones.

 

[Spirithound]

Now, what causes me trouble is that besides the Scrupulosity, I deal with a masturbation issue. Obviously, I know what the Church teaches on the issue (it, along with the accompanying lust, is a mortal sin, but that there can be things that lesson the consent such as habit [addiction] and other issues). One of the Priests has flat out told me that, since it is a repetitive sin, it is not mortal since it is an addiction/habit, but then this causes me to sometime do the sin more or be less concerned about it, which then makes me worry that maybe the Priest is wrong and then I feel the need to go to Confession a lot.

Then, especially after reading that sermon by St. Leonard on how few people are Saved and how many Confessions are invalid (but even before that I had these concerns), I worry that my Confessions are somehow because I maybe forgot something and/or not give enough detail and then I worry about how much detail I should have gone into and, since I admit I would like to avoid embarrassment/shame if licitly possible (i.e. I don’t want to go into anymore detail than I actually need to go into), I then worry that I committed sacrilege or something.

Admittedly, a couple of the Priests at my parish seem kind of lax on the need for Confession and sin issues (or maybe I just am too Scrupulous). This further makes it confusing. After all, is the Priest who tells me that the masturbation/lust issues (which play out by doing those online sexual role-playing games) correct when he tells me it is not mortal? Do I then make it mortal sin by kind of abusing the Priest’s words and maybe sinning more cause I feel I do not have to go to Confession immediately (remember my timeframe: for me ‘immediately’ means, waiting until my next scheduled [in my mind as it were, not officially scheduled] Confession means like a next week and going a long time without Confession is like a couple weeks [which would probably be almost unbearable for me]).

Highlighted in red are the pertinent things to tell your confessor. As a scrupulous person, you need ONE confessor. NOT TWO. You may chose whichever Priest you would like, he should be one that you know you can trust. Then obey him completely. He will help you.

 

[daughteroftruth]

Priests discourage it because they think they have better things to do with their time. The laity who discourage it (though some do have good intentions) are the ones that know they need to go and don’t like being reminded of it.

Are any saints that warned against weekly Confession?

 

[jmcrae]

Then, especially after reading that sermon by St. Leonard on how few people are Saved and how many Confessions are invalid (but even before that I had these concerns),

St. Leonard was no doubt referring to insincere Confessions. For example, one priest I know said that one problem with certain older parishioners is that they misunderstand what Confession is, and come in every week confessing the same things they confessed in their First Confession - “I hit my brother; I disobeyed my mother” (she is 98 years old, the brother in question has been dead for 20 years; the mother, even longer than that) - these are not sincere Confessions; they’re just rote-speaking that does nothing useful for the penitent, and contain no intention to amend one’s life, nor to enter into a closer relationship with God.

I worry that my Confessions are somehow because I maybe forgot something and/or not give enough detail and then I worry about how much detail I should have gone into and, since I admit I would like to avoid embarrassment/shame if licitly possible (i.e. I don’t want to go into anymore detail than I actually need to go into), I then worry that I committed sacrilege or something.

As long as you sincerely intended to make a good Confession, it isn’t actually possible to make a bad one. If you honestly forget something, it is covered in the Absolution anyway.

God isn’t sitting there ticking off a list of your sins and waiting to catch you slipping up - He is just thrilled that you are there, wanting to patch up your friendship with Him and improve your relationship with Him. He has already forgiven you of your sins, and just wants to reconcile you with Himself in the Confessional, and grow with you into a deeper relationship.

Be at peace - God loves you!