A
Athanasius
Guest
I hope this is simply my scrupulosity, but…
I went to confession on Sunday, and I had printed out a piece of paper with my list of sins. After I had read it off to the priest, I realized that my list was very complicated in how I described the sins, and that perhaps I had it read too fast. (It didn’t help that in most complicated section, I had to start over again halfway through the section).
Anyway, I asked the priest if he understood everything I stated, and he said yes, but I didn’t know if he really did or not. I didn’t see how he possibly could have. I was thinking there was a good chance he was just be saying that. But I didn’t know what to do. I was thinking perhaps I should press to read it again to make sure he understood, and I was thinking I would be making a bad confession if I didn’t press. But I didn’t really know what to do, because his patience was naturally already being strained. So I stood silent.
After he talked to me a couple of minutes, I decided I should make one last effort to read the sins again to make sure he understood. But I’ll be honest; I was hoping he would say no, because I really didn’t want to (At no point in the confession did I really wish to go over them again). I even phrased it negatively to make it easier for him to say no, saying “I don’t guess I could read off my sins again, could I?” At the time, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that my hoping he would say no and my trying to make it easier for him to say no by the negative phrasing were sinful. If I would have, I wouldn’t have done it.
Anyway, he did say no. And so I didn’t do anything. To be honest, I was even relieved he said no and happy to an extent, because I really didn’t want to go over them again. But I was still concerned. I didn’t know what to do. Again, I was thinking I should press one more time and that if I didn’t I would be making a bad confession. But then he had already said no, and I didn’t know what to do. I really didn’t want to press any more after he said no. So I stood silent. Afterwards, though, I was feeling bad and afraid I made a bad confession, that I should have pressed a little more.
Did I make a bad confession, or is it simply my scrupulosity?
Also, the priest said that my sins weren’t sins (I think he meant only some of them, though)… I think he might have been right, but just in case he was wrong, I wouldn’t have to reconfess them, would I? Since I did confess them, despite what he may have thought about them?
Finally, when the priest said the words of absolution, he stated “…I absolve you of any of your sins…”. That didn’t sound right to me, so I asked him to do it again, and he stated “…I absolve you of your sins…” Are those correct words for that part? That wouldn’t affect the validity of the confession would it?
I went to confession on Sunday, and I had printed out a piece of paper with my list of sins. After I had read it off to the priest, I realized that my list was very complicated in how I described the sins, and that perhaps I had it read too fast. (It didn’t help that in most complicated section, I had to start over again halfway through the section).
Anyway, I asked the priest if he understood everything I stated, and he said yes, but I didn’t know if he really did or not. I didn’t see how he possibly could have. I was thinking there was a good chance he was just be saying that. But I didn’t know what to do. I was thinking perhaps I should press to read it again to make sure he understood, and I was thinking I would be making a bad confession if I didn’t press. But I didn’t really know what to do, because his patience was naturally already being strained. So I stood silent.
After he talked to me a couple of minutes, I decided I should make one last effort to read the sins again to make sure he understood. But I’ll be honest; I was hoping he would say no, because I really didn’t want to (At no point in the confession did I really wish to go over them again). I even phrased it negatively to make it easier for him to say no, saying “I don’t guess I could read off my sins again, could I?” At the time, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that my hoping he would say no and my trying to make it easier for him to say no by the negative phrasing were sinful. If I would have, I wouldn’t have done it.
Anyway, he did say no. And so I didn’t do anything. To be honest, I was even relieved he said no and happy to an extent, because I really didn’t want to go over them again. But I was still concerned. I didn’t know what to do. Again, I was thinking I should press one more time and that if I didn’t I would be making a bad confession. But then he had already said no, and I didn’t know what to do. I really didn’t want to press any more after he said no. So I stood silent. Afterwards, though, I was feeling bad and afraid I made a bad confession, that I should have pressed a little more.
Did I make a bad confession, or is it simply my scrupulosity?
Also, the priest said that my sins weren’t sins (I think he meant only some of them, though)… I think he might have been right, but just in case he was wrong, I wouldn’t have to reconfess them, would I? Since I did confess them, despite what he may have thought about them?
Finally, when the priest said the words of absolution, he stated “…I absolve you of any of your sins…”. That didn’t sound right to me, so I asked him to do it again, and he stated “…I absolve you of your sins…” Are those correct words for that part? That wouldn’t affect the validity of the confession would it?