What is Wrong with Frequent Confession (And I mean like once a week)?

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If you are able to go to weekly confession, why would it be considered scrupulous to do so?

I found this article on Catholic Culture. Comments?
A recent document from the Sacred Congregation for the doctrine of the Faith (June 16, 1972) states that
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Code: 
priests should be careful not to discourage the faithful from frequent or devotional confession. On the contrary, let them draw attention to its fruitfulness for Christian living (cf. Mystici Corporis, AAS 35 (1943), 235) and always display readiness to hear such a confession whenever a reasonable request is made by the faithful. It must be absolutely prevented that individual confession should be reserved for serious sins only, for this would deprive the faithful of the great benefit of confession and would injure the good name of those who approach the sacrament singly.1
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This clear statement is very interesting, especially when at least some of the faithful have been led into thinking that the so-called “devotional confession” is to be discouraged.
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The Pastoral Norms are naturally concerned with a practical problem. If confession were ever reserved for mortal sins only, how could Johnny say without embarrassment on any Saturday afternoon — or any other afternoon, morning or evening, since confessions should, within reason, be available at any time of the day — “Mom, I’m going to confession” and how could Mom refrain from worrying about the mortal sins that Johnny must have committed since he needs to go to confession? Or should Johnny carefully avoid telling anyone that he is going to confession?
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But that is only a secondary point. The positive thing has to do with “the great benefit of frequent confession” and “its fruitfulness for Christian living.”
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What the Church Teaches
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The Church has taught and teaches that it is not necessary to confess venial sins, but that it is advisable to do so.
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Speaking about the Sacrament of Penance in the 14th Session of the Council of Trent (November 25, 1551), the Council Fathers wrote in the Introduction something which almost seems to be dated a few weeks ago:
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So great is the number of errors of various kinds about this sacrament in this our age, that it would be no small public advantage to have handed down a more exact and complete definition. Thus, under the protection of the Holy Spirit, truth will appear in its clarity and splendor... [ More](http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=905).
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There’s nothing absolutely wrong with frequent confessions. I think the problem lies with some people misconstruing the frequency with scrupulosity. A person with scruples tends to be unsure about their actions and it’s gravity. This causes great anxiety to the person. To relieve this anxiety, he or she frequents the confessional. Not all those who frequently confess are scrupulous though.

In one of the threads that is similar to this one, it was mentioned you can discuss and arrange with your priest about how frequent you can go to confession. 🙂
 
Agree with above…
Frequent confession is a blessing. However one must recognize that one needs to be attentive to the advice and instruction of their confessor.

Peace
James
 
Scrupulosity is a disorder of the conscience so that one sees sin where none exists. Your confessor will recognize scrupulosity based on the content of your confession, not the frequency of confession. If you have a problem with scupulosity, your confessor will determine how frequently you should go to confession. For many people, once a week is fine; for some scrupulous person, once a month might be too frequent. The key is to let your confessor guide you.
 
TrueLight said:
If you are able to go to weekly confession, why would it be considered scrupulous to do so?

I found this article on Catholic Culture. Comments?
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Its something you work out with your confessor. He’ll tell you if you are coming for confession too frequently or not. If he feels you are coming in too frequently, then it is scrupulosity. If not, then he needs to help you grow spiritually so you can resist temptation and not have to come for confession so often.
 
To clarify, I’m not speaking about myself personally.

I just find it strange that people automatically see it as something wrong.
 
MikeDunphy said:
It was ok with the last two popes:

ncregister.com/site/article/2050
“Last year [in 2006], Pope Benedict recommended the practice of weekly confession, especially for priests, which he follows himself”

zenit.org/article-32438?l=english
“Joaquín Navarro-Valls, who was John Paul II’s spokesman for 21 years, …revealed that John Paul II ‘confessed every week’”.
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Not that what they do isn’t something that what we should do just because they do it. Its best to tackle this issue with the confessor.
 
ConstantineTG said:
If not, then he needs to help you grow spiritually so you can resist temptation and not have to come for confession so often.
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This implies that if someone goes to confession frequently and is not scrupulous then they are more sinful than others.
 
I go to confession weekly. I see nothing wrong with it. Although I always try to do better, I feel the need to keep up my “spiritual maintenance”, especially in my line of work. :o
 
From above post:

“Last year [in 2006], Pope Benedict recommended the practice of weekly confession, especially for priests, which he follows himself”
 
I go every week because I sin a lot but I’m getting better with God’s grace. I don’t take Holy Communion unless I’ve been to confession, or it feels uncomfortable.
 
Way back up to the 1960s if you were going to take Communion weekly you would be going to Confession weekly. I am reluctant to go weekly for fear of driving the priest to distraction.

As a Third Order Franciscan we are traditionally encouraged to go to confession at least once a month, as I found out not so long ago. I generally go when I have too many venial sins pile up or have to confess some complex (in my mind) situation, or something that ‘bugs’ me.
 
Greetings to those posting and or reading this thread,

There was another thread that asked when your last confession was or how often you went.

I have been going to daily Confession for over a month now and I cannot imagine doing otherwise. Of course my Confessor has agreed to this and my life has been blessed.

Some people would judge me to be scrupulous or to be very sinful. Which to the first I would leave to the judgement of my confessor and as to the second I leave to the judgement of my Confessor as well.

I remember thinking that once a week was too much to go to Confession, and now that I have been going to Daily Confession for over a month my life has changed drastically, this of course by the grace of God.

And in my life, I am in a circumstance that I see my Confessor/spritual director each day. SO this helps.

You know when I first became a Catholic for awhile I would often ask myself before doing an action, “Would this be something that I would want to Confess?” Now that question turns, “DO I want to do something that would be against charity of God and of neighbor.?” Somehow my perspectives have changed, however I am so far from being holy.

One person who knows that I go to Daily Confession asked me why I felt that I needed it, I told them, it was because I was weak, had many vices and ocassions of committing many offenses against charity, and needed the graces of the Sacrament. I cannot imagine life without daily Confession or Daily Mass as well.

I would and always do advocate having recourse to the Sacraments as often as you can. Frequent Confession is helpful to the soul, but one’s Confessor’s counsel must be heeded.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
Anathama_Sit said:
Greetings to those posting and or reading this thread,

There was another thread that asked when your last confession was or how often you went.

I have been going to daily Confession for over a month now and I cannot imagine doing otherwise. Of course my Confessor has agreed to this and my life has been blessed.

Some people would judge me to be scrupulous or to be very sinful. Which to the first I would leave to the judgement of my confessor and as to the second I leave to the judgement of my Confessor as well.

I remember thinking that once a week was too much to go to Confession, and now that I have been going to Daily Confession for over a month my life has changed drastically, this of course by the grace of God.

And in my life, I am in a circumstance that I see my Confessor/spritual director each day. SO this helps.

You know when I first became a Catholic for awhile I would often ask myself before doing an action, “Would this be something that I would want to Confess?” Now that question turns, “DO I want to do something that would be against charity of God and of neighbor.?” Somehow my perspectives have changed, however I am so far from being holy.

One person who knows that I go to Daily Confession asked me why I felt that I needed it, I told them, it was because I was weak, had many vices and ocassions of committing many offenses against charity, and needed the graces of the Sacrament. I cannot imagine life without daily Confession or Daily Mass as well.

I would and always do advocate having recourse to the Sacraments as often as you can. Frequent Confession is helpful to the soul, but one’s Confessor’s counsel must be heeded.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
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That’s more frequent than I was referring to. You are doing well by taking the advice of your confessor.

Thanks so much for sharing something personal.
 
If I had the chance with my unusual work schedule, I try to go once a month to confession but most parishes in my area offer it on Saturdays only in the mornings (or early afternoon) when I am at work. Very few parishes offer it other days of the week or evenings which work out better for me. If I do find a rare Saturday off work, then I will go to Confession even if I do not have mortal sin to confess but only venial sins. Its easier for me to go when others are lining up compared to making an appointment with the priest.

But that I have re-connected much more with my faith and returned to regular Mass attendance, I have gone 3 or 4 times this year alone to Confession. But each person is different & has different spiritual needs. One person can do the church precept/law of 1 time a year, others feel better with monthly or 2 times a month or even weekly Confession.
 
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