catholic confession

What is it that Catholic says to the priest when the go to confesion? I've sen movies, but I don't know if that is what REALLY is said. When you go into the box, do you say: 'Bless me father, for I have sined. Its been two weeks since my last confession' and then the priest say: 'Go on...' and you say: 'Ive been swearing and telling lies' or are you precis: 'I've said 5 lies and swore 14 times' and what happens then? Is this how confession works?

Kind of.

Reconciliation is a sacrament meant to be a healing encounter between God and the penitent, and there is no need to worry about exactly what to say or do.

This is one way how to go to Confession

• Get yourself ready by making your examination of conscience.

You enter the confessional. You can choose to talk to the priest face to face or anonymously behind a screen.

• After the priest greets you with the Sign of the Cross make the Sign of the Cross and say: “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been (say how long) since my last confession. These are my sins…”

• Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest. Don’t be embarrassed.

• When you are done listing your sins please say: “…I am sorry for these sins and all the sins I can’t remember.”

• Listen to the advice the priest gives you and accept the penance from him. Then make an Act of Contrition for your sins:

My God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
And failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance,
to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Amen.

• The priest will then conclude with the words: “Your sins are truly forgiven, Go in Peace”. You respond: “Thanks be to God.”

• Perform your penance as soon as possible.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1422 and following: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm#art4

With love in Christ.

2008-06-01 12:20:44 by Karin O

The Catholic Church has installed a new automatic confession service.

I am going through the RCIA course and have to do a confession. I have no idea what to say during confession or what to confess... Can anyone give me some input and an overveiw of the process of a catholic confession?

1st of all, examine your conscience (before confession)
Decide what sins you need to dump. On one hand don't be scrupulous, on the other hand be as specific as you can.

Basically what you've done that was wrong, and what good you failed to do, and maybe the attitudes behind it all. Don't just say I am sorry. Be specific without worrying how the priest will react. He's there to help.

Just know your sins and be truly sorry for them.
After confessing the sins, wrap it up by saying, "I'm sorry for any other sins I might have forgotten."
When the priest asks you to do so, pray out loud the Act of Forgiveness (sometimes called the Act of Contrition). Some Catholics memorize it. Others, if they are not sure, write it down on a piece of paper and read it; still others make up one by praying from their heart.
Then the priest will give the Absolution. Open up your self to the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the absolution prayer, the priest says "I absolve you from your sins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, . .." (You bless yourselves as the priest says these words.)
It is then that we believ that your sins are forgiven and your soul will be as clean as it was when you were first baptized!
It feels good to be right with God!
The priest will give you a penance which is a prayer(s) or maybe a good deed to get you started in living a new life. (You pray that penance after you leave the confessional or reconciliation room.
Finally spend some time just thanking the Lord for His forgiveness.

The most important thing is to know your sins and to be truly sorry for them.
Hey, I wish you the best, son. Welcome aboard! Walk in peace with your Savior!
Hope this helps.
Jim

2009-03-05 08:19:06 by malibu_stacy1985

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How specific are you supposed to get when going to confession? I ask this because I was having a discussion with some friends and one of them said that when she got married, she wanted to be married in the church and so she lied to the priest about how many times she had been married (2 one divorce and one death). She said she had gone to confession and told the priest that she "had lied" but wasn't specific and didn't say what the lie was or to whom. My question as a non-catholic would be would she considered to be forgiven for confessing so non-specifically?

Remember all sacraments are encounters with God. This sacrament is a healing encounter between God and the penitent. God knows the heart of your friend and whether or not she was sorry.

Giving the priest a blow by blow account of every detail of every sin is not really necessary.

So, yes, she was probably forgiven.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm

With love in Christ.

2008-09-06 02:32:51 by Diane B

Price: $4.99

im christain, but today in drama class we were tlkin about catholic confession and i dont really get it. do you go into a cubicle type room hiding faces and confess straight on? do you go with your parents? do you confess to everything? if you have any idea please hlp, im just curious! thanks

Confession, also called reconciliation or penance, is one of seven Catholic sacraments. During confession, a Catholic tells a priest her sins and receives absolution for them. Confession practices vary from church to church, but the scenario described below is typical.

Before going to confession, a Catholic might "examine her conscience" by reviewing past actions, thoughts, and patterns of behavior. Some Catholics evaluate their behavior in light of the Ten Commandments.

Catholic churches often offer confession on Saturday afternoons. The sacrament ordinarily takes from 5 to 20 minutes. First, the Catholic goes into a church and either enters a confessional (a small closet-like room, often at the back of churches) or a regular room designated as a confessional. Depending on the church and the person's own choice, the person kneels or sits, and then speaks to the priest through a screen or face to face.

Inside the confessional, the Catholic:

# Makes the sign of the cross and says: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," or simply begins to speak.
# Tells the priest how long it has been since she last confessed.
# Confesses her sins. While in the past people numbered sins ("I yelled at my brother 5 times"), some people now tend to summarize sinful behaviors ("I didn't treat my brother with respect" or "I didn't show my brother love").

The priest then might question the person or elicit more information. While some priests might help a person understand why she is acting in certain ways, confession is not equivalent to a psychotherapy session. Sins must be recognized as sins and not personality issues.

The person says a prayer expressing sorrow for her sins, such as the Act of Contrition:

O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended you,
and I detest all my sins
because of your just punishment,
but most of all because they offend you, my God,
Who are all good and deserving of my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace,
to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

The priest often gives the person a "penance," or deeds to perform to heal her relationships with God and others. For smaller sins, the priest might ask her to say certain prayers, such as several "Our Fathers." For more serious sins, more serious penances are specified, such as making restitution. The person is expected to perform the penance after she leaves the confessional or in the following days.

If the priest feels that the person is sincere (this is nearly always the case), he absolves her sins using a prayer such as:

God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son,
has reconciled the world to himself,
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins.
Through the ministry of the Church,
may God grant you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you of your sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Catholic/2001/08/What-Happens-During-Confession.aspx

Some Protestants will say confession of sins to a priest is not in the Bible. That claim has to do with agendas, not the truth. For a list of verses, see http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html

2009-03-13 20:58:56 by HannahG((:

I'm not catholic but I'm writing a novel about Catholics and need to do some research and this is an area that is very difficult to find out. I need to get my confessional scenes right otherwise I think it will not sound authentic. Just need to know things the priest may say inside the confessional box etc. Don't want to know any reasons that people confess.
Thanks in advance.
Dawn

It's a persoanl belief. Catholics are taught to believe it forgives sins. Others don't (some Catholics don't). If you can find a way to talk with a dead Catholic that was devoutly religious about going to confession and receiving Holy Communion, ask them...that's really the only way you'll find out for sure.

2007-06-14 02:57:52 by Dawn73