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

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puzzleannie said:
sure it would, and it would be great if one priest did not have to say 5 Masses in 3 languages each Sunday and had more than 10 minutes between Masses to get a drink of water or prepare spiritually for the next Mass, or drive long distances to reach his mission churches
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Amen to this.
Let us all continue to pray for an increase in priestly vocations.

Peace
James
 
paperwight66 said:
Well, that’s probably not realistic, is it. Say, 2000 parishioners, each taking three minutes minimum. The priest would have to spend one hundred hours weekly in the confessional. Even if they cut it down to two minutes each, it would mean 65 hours. And that’s not allowing for difficult cases.
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Two thousand parishoners? I don’t know where you are but if you’ve got two thousand parishoners you will need more than one priest for them all.
 
paperwight66 said:
Well, that’s probably not realistic, is it. Say, 2000 parishioners, each taking three minutes minimum. The priest would have to spend one hundred hours weekly in the confessional. Even if they cut it down to two minutes each, it would mean 65 hours. And that’s not allowing for difficult cases.
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Laudate_Dominum said:
Two thousand parishoners? I don’t know where you are but if you’ve got two thousand parishoners you will need more than one priest for them all.
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I think my local RC parish has around 5000 families, and we have two priests. We need more.

But just because a parish has X number of parishoners doesn’t mean that all, or even signficant numbers, are showing up for confession each week. I see about a dozen or so when I go every other week, though the numbers really go up during Lent.
 
When I started discerning a vocation, I resolved to go to confession at least monthly. Now I go weekly, and I think it has been VERY helpful. I think that anyone who is discerning what God will for their life can benefit from frequent confession. I’ve found that it helps me act more charitably toward others and also helped me through some difficult spiritual times. St. Faustina wrote about how much the Lord wants to forgive us, and how He longs to help us in this Sacrament. We are blessed to live in a time and country where we can access the Sacraments so often! If everyone took advantage of it, we’d be the holiest country ever:D
 
CatholicFireman said:
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
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Aye! Me too! I even arrange my “client” appointments based on my Confession schedule. Mondays are always full. 😃
 
I go on Tuesdays unless there’s something else going on at my parish. The past two times my confessor hasn’t given me advice and he usually does. I guess that’s all right. 🤷
 
One goes to confession often for a variety of reasons , not the least to offer reperation to God for those that do not go!
 
Could be my imagination, but I think that some problems I created in my life have been resolving since I started going to confession more often, and to a priest who also intimidates me a bit. The last time though, I felt the devil was trying to put me in a wreck on the freeway going there. Had 2 close calls and a death-defying merge across 3 lanes in the dark and rain. Not going to do that again.
 
pollycarp said:
Could be my imagination, but I think that some problems I created in my life have been resolving since I started going to confession more often,
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It’s not your imagination. It’s Grace. 👍
 
Laudate_Dominum said:
Two thousand parishoners? I don’t know where you are but if you’ve got two thousand parishoners you will need more than one priest for them all.
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yes you do but you would be very lucky to get two and it would be rare in most places
diocese of Brownsville
1 million Catholic
perhaps half of them active
100 priests for the diocese
do the math
even if only 1/4 are active that is still 2500 souls per priest
 
RosalieM said:
I go normally go once a week. The receptionist at my parish was wary at first, but now she accepts my doing this. It’s almost like you’re being judged as repeating mortal sin each week. I
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it is absolutely none of her business and if she is making any comment or reference at all even to the fact that your are making an appointment for confession (and she has no need whatever to know the nature of your appointment) she is gravely wrong and derelict in her duty and obligations, and the pastor should be made aware of her attitude and comments. She cannot hold this job if she cannot keep confidential things confidential and refrain from reacting in any way.
 
puzzleannie said:
it is absolutely none of her business and if she is making any comment or reference at all even to the fact that your are making an appointment for confession (and she has no need whatever to know the nature of your appointment) she is gravely wrong and derelict in her duty and obligations, and the pastor should be made aware of her attitude and comments. She cannot hold this job if she cannot keep confidential things confidential and refrain from reacting in any way.
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Another perfect reason why I don’t do “Confession by appointment”.
 
puzzleannie said:
it is absolutely none of her business and if she is making any comment or reference at all even to the fact that your are making an appointment for confession (and she has no need whatever to know the nature of your appointment) she is gravely wrong and derelict in her duty and obligations, and the pastor should be made aware of her attitude and comments. She cannot hold this job if she cannot keep confidential things confidential and refrain from reacting in any way.
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Wow, you sound like me. :rolleyes:

I like you already. 😉
 
puzzleannie said:
Originally Posted by RosalieM View Post
I go normally go once a week. The receptionist at my parish was wary at first, but now she accepts my doing this. It’s almost like you’re being judged as repeating mortal sin each week.
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While I cannot disagree with annie’s comments above, I would suggest that one not presume too much on the receptionists intentions from the single comment made by Rosalie.

First there is the matter of the receptionist making appointments. She may be trying to help the (presumably very busy) priest out by learning the nature of the appointment. In this way she knows approximately how much time to schedule.

Second - and this is more subtle - we can sometimes project things on to others that might not be there or may exist to a lesser extent than we read it. This can occur from what our emotional state is at the time.

So - in considering the advice given by Annie above, we need also to be careful and remain Loving in our outlook and perhaps not read too much into the matter.

Just some thoughts.

Peace
James
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puzzleannie said:
it is absolutely none of her business and if she is making any comment or reference at all even to the fact that your are making an appointment for confession (and she has no need whatever to know the nature of your appointment) she is gravely wrong and derelict in her duty and obligations, and the pastor should be made aware of her attitude and comments. She cannot hold this job if she cannot keep confidential things confidential and refrain from reacting in any way.
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Oh no, I didn’t mean to implicate the receptionist. She sits at the entrance to the church which is a large cathedral and has many tourist groups visiting.
I don’t make appointments for confession. It was just that she thought it was strange I should go so often. I could tell by her demeanor. Now she accepts my frequent confessions.
 
MartyrForJesus said:
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.
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Nobody should go to communion who has any serious, unconfessed sins.
 
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