Confession/reconciliation - Poll

[Nunsense]

If a poll like this has already been done, I am happy for someone to link to it. I couldn't find it on a quick search.

I know that I try to go to confession on a regular basis, but I wondered what other people do or think is necessary. When I went to one church in the city, the priest there told me that my sins weren't really "serious sins" and that I shouldn't waste the priest's time there by confessing them! I told my priest about this and he was very upset and told me to come as often as I felt I needed to.


Also, have you ever been so embarrassed by a sin (petty or serious), and gone to another priest so that your parish priest wouldn't know about it? This is also a sin (vanity) but I was very tempted once to do this because I know that my voice is very identifiable to my priest and that he would know who I was. When I confessed this embarrassment to him, he was very sweet and told me never to be embarrassed to go to him or to let him know my sins, and then he explained that Confession humbles a priest to hear so many of his own sins told to him. He also said that they immediately try to forget everything that they have heard in Confession, and never to think about it again - that has helped me so much.

So??? What about you guys??

Edited January 13, 2010 by nunsense

[Archaeology cat]

I try to go once a month (or sooner if I have a mortal sin to confess before then). I think once a month is a pretty good interval, but that's just how I feel. I know I've been tempted to go to a different priest out of embarrassment, but haven't actually done so. Now I actually try to time it so I get the same priest each time. This particular priest is always so good at cutting to the heart of my sin and really getting me to think about it. I pray he stays around for a long time (he's nearly 90!).

[Nunsense]

I am not very good at this poll stuff yet. I think there should have other options for "should" - like Other! I will see if I can edit it, but I don't know if it is too late.


Ok - there was time to change it - now people can choose OTHER as well. And I made it private so no one should see what each person votes - right?

Edited January 13, 2010 by nunsense

[OraProMe]

Around every two weeks. I should probably go two or so times a week though.

[mcts]

I go about every week. I almost feel like I should go every month, though, because it makes it easier to sin if i know I'm going to confession.

[Chestertonian]

I go a about twice a year, but I feel like I should step it up to every couple of months.

[truthfinder]

I go about every two weeks. Any longer and I start misbehaving myself. I usually go to whichever priest is in the Confessional. However, if I know a certain priest is a softie (Oh that's not bad, Jesus LOVESSS YOUUU!) I'll try to go to another priest. I think people should try for once a month or once every two months at least. I know there has been times where I've gone to Confession twice in two or three days. We should err more on the side of frequent confession.

[Lil Red]

+JMJ+
once a month,
once every two weeks,
no.

[CatherineM]

It depends. I go for sure during Advent and Lent. I go during retreats and things like that. I rarely go to confession at our parish. We have the old closet confessionals, and I can't kneel, so it makes it kind of hard for me to use them. Plus, the only time we have confession is 30 minutes before each mass. I'm in choir practice then. I also prefer going face to face, and have a confessor at school. I see him regularly even if it isn't a "formal" confession. The older I get, the more eccentric I get. I don't like going to doctors who are younger than I am, and I don't like confessors who are younger than I am either.

[Saint Therese]

THat's going to, um, narrow your field of choice down a bit.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Saint Therese' date='13 January 2010 - 11:30 AM' timestamp='1263403838' post='2036196']
THat's going to, um, narrow your field of choice down a bit.
[/quote]
Picking on an old woman, shame on you.

[Didacus]

Twice a year.

And I am always embarrassed of my sins. I do try to confess to a priest I do not commonly know. Helps me with the process and anxiety.

[elizabeth09]

I go at lease two times a year or more.

[TeresaBenedicta]

It's difficult to say how often a person [i]should[/i] go to confession, because I think it really does depend on the person and the circumstances of their lives. Obviously the bare minimum should be to follow the requirements of the Church. One ought to seek reconciliation immediately after mortal sin. Otherwise I think somewhere between every two weeks and every three or four months, depending on the person and their individual state of life.

I try to go every two weeks. Sometimes sooner if something's really on my conscience. Sometimes circumstances make it difficult to go every two week. [For example, it's been a month since my last confession. When I'm at home, the only times confession is offered is on Saturdays. I can't make it on Saturdays, so my options are limited. I can make an appointment-- but that makes me feel awkward since it's only been a month and I haven't any mortal sins to confess. I'd feel like I was really wasting the priest's time. And I also go back to school shortly.]

As for changing confessors... Hm. Well, I generally try to confess to my spiritual director, and as he lives and works on campus, that's pretty easy to do. I can't say that I've ever specifically avoided going to him in order to go to someone else, but I have gone to different priests on campus if it was more convenient [my s/d doesn't have scheduled times where he hears confessions and other priests on campus do]. It'd probably be a bad sign if I was trying to hide something from my spiritual director. In fact, in times of embarrassing sins confessed to a different priest... I usually mention to him during spiritual direction, just so he knows.

[OraProMe]

What the? Are there people that seriously go two weeks/a month without falling into mortal sin? That's pretty amazing.

[Nunsense]

[quote name='OraProMe' date='14 January 2010 - 10:37 PM' timestamp='1263469030' post='2036870']
What the? Are there people that seriously go two weeks/a month without falling into mortal sin? That's pretty amazing.
[/quote]


Yeah, nuns.

Cardinal Sheen is rumoured to have said that hearing confession from nuns was like being stoned with popcorn!

[OraProMe]

But most of the people here aren't nuns. Wooooow

[HisChildForever]

1. Once a month

2. Once a month (lately trying for 3 weeks though)

3. Other - When I began to make Confession frequently, I would occasionally go to a parish in the next town. I suppose you could say I was embarrassed to go to my parish. Funny story, I think it annoyed God, because I only made Confession two of the five times (rough estimation) I went. For instance, I would get to the Church but every door I tried was locked.

[Jaime]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='14 January 2010 - 12:05 PM' timestamp='1263488759' post='2036991']
1. Once a month

2. Once a month (lately trying for 3 weeks though)

3. Other - When I began to make Confession frequently, I would occasionally go to a parish in the next town. I suppose you could say I was embarrassed to go to my parish. Funny story, I think it annoyed God, because I only made Confession two of the five times (rough estimation) I went. For instance, I would get to the Church but every door I tried was locked.
[/quote]

I would be really surprised to learn that God was ever annoyed with someone going to confession (even if it was a different priest)


People should go once a year. I go once a month. I have a SD who is also my confessor. I find it really helps when I show up with the same laundry list rather than taking the laundry list to various priests.

[Socrates]

It's generally recommended in the Church that people go to confession at least once a month. One should go more often if he needs to. Once a year is the bare minimum requirement for being a member of the Church.
Regular confession is actually recommended even for those without serious sin on their souls.

[quote name='mcts' date='13 January 2010 - 08:10 AM' timestamp='1263388220' post='2036084']
I go about every week. I almost feel like I should go every month, though, because it makes it easier to sin if i know I'm going to confession.
[/quote]
I've had a number of priests "beat me up" over going to confession for the same sins over and over - which can actually be a good motivator, though not pleasant. The idea is to focus on actually repenting and seriously working to overcome your sinful habits, rather than just regularly sinning and going to confession as a "get out of hell free card" and falling into presumption.
However, you shouldn't put off confession too long if you really need to go - just as long as you're genuinely repentant and working to improve.