Denied Confession!

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='18 May 2010 - 02:45 PM' timestamp='1274211904' post='2112973']
The second parish mentioned that there were no priests only when I said I was taking a plane. When I asked to make an appointment she told me they no longer do that, and the same happened when I called my parish twice.
[/quote]


Rumor has it that the priests in your diocese are shocked at your confessions and feel for their own well being it would be better they did not hear them anymore!! [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/shock.gif[/img]

LOL This was about what I thought when I read the thread title, someone was denied confession for something horrible.

ed

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='Ed Normile' date='18 May 2010 - 03:55 PM' timestamp='1274212509' post='2112999']
Rumor has it that the priests in your diocese are shocked at your confessions and feel for their own well being it would be better they did not hear them anymore!! [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/shock.gif[/img]

LOL This was about what I thought when I read the thread title, someone was denied confession for something horrible.

ed
[/quote]

LOL. I only have venial sins to confess, so it is not an emergency per se, but I would feel a lot better if I went you know?

[Winchester]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' date='18 May 2010 - 03:51 PM' timestamp='1274212302' post='2112991']
Sure it's all fun and games until the Air Marshals tackle them to the ground.
[/quote]
Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open manhole and die.

[CatherineM]

My church in Florida had confession scheduled twice a day, and so does the Basilica here. Sometimes the priests are just gone. Ours are on retreat this week. In a pinch, I have called the chaplain at the Catholic hospital. He basically hears confessions all day.

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='18 May 2010 - 02:56 PM' timestamp='1274212583' post='2113000']
LOL. I only have venial sins to confess, so it is not an emergency per se, but I would feel a lot better if I went you know?
[/quote]


Oh yeah, I am not a fan of flying, just the thought that I am being driven in a car by someone else gets me on edge, and I would not fall ten thousand feet if the car driver screwed up! I know its statistically safer than driving, but I would definetly go to confession before I flew, just to be on the safe side.

ed

[BG45]

What is with your state? You're the third person from NJ to say things like this!

No, the priest is not allowed to abolish appointments for confession just because they don't feel like making them. I guess you all having Fr. Brian, so devoted to the Sacrament is a definite plus if some of the priests in the two dioceses in NJ seem to be so happy to deny it...

I always feel horribly guilty to take their time up when I schedule one, but they always work with me. Once when the weather was really bad, the priest didn't make it in time for Confessions to be heard and delayed the start of the Mass to hear mine.

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='Winchester' date='18 May 2010 - 03:07 PM' timestamp='1274213244' post='2113006']
Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open manhole and die.
[/quote]


Its only funny till somebody gets hurt, then its hilarious.

ed

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='BG45' date='18 May 2010 - 04:10 PM' timestamp='1274213410' post='2113009']
I always feel horribly guilty to take their time up when I schedule one, but they always work with me. Once when the weather was really bad, the priest didn't make it in time for Confessions to be heard and delayed the start of the Mass to hear mine.
[/quote]

That is amazing. One of our priests took too long per person on a Saturday and said he would continue after Mass, but my shift at work would be starting by the time Mass was over.

[BG45]

Wow, that's awful...

The week before Holy Week, Fr. kept Confessions going for over an hour after they should've ended, barely starting Mass on time because he refused to turn away anyone in need of Christ's Mercy.

[CatherineM]

When I was still in a wheelchair, I went once, and the handicap accessible door was locked. My roommate went around to let me in, and an usher who was there told her that he wouldn't unlock it for me. I had a short talk with the bishop later, and I understand he had a longer talk with the usher.

[Maximilianus]

I tried to make an appointment once, had to leave a message for the priest. I couldn't wait so I went to daily Mass and after I asked the padre if he could hear my confession.

[zunshynn]

That's so sad.

It's sad because not everyone can go on Saturday morning, and that means people aren't availing themselves of the grace to become saints that comes with the confession even of venial sins. And it's sad because hearing confessions is one of the primary ways in which a priest grows in grace. How can a priest be conformed to the Merciful Christ if he refuses to encounter Christ in the Sacrament of Mercy and give his flock the opportunity to encounter Him there?

The thing is, it's not that priests don't have time. They do have time. It's just that instead, they're expected to be like parochial chairpersons going to all of these meetings, balancing a checkbook, etc. etc. Offering the sacraments should be their priority. We don't need priests to make sure the parish gym isn't leaking, we need priests for the grace of the sacraments, to make sure that the dwelling of OUR SOULS is in good shape.

At my parish one of the priests is available to hear confessions before every mass. It's one thing if the priests all happen to be gone at this particular time. But to refuse to be available to hear confessions, period, outside of the one hour or whatever on Saturday morning, that's pretty serious... in fact I think it's a mortal sin for a priest to refuse a reasonable request for the sacrament.

I mean you only have venial sins, but what about people that are in mortal sin?

It amazes me how much the priests at my parish are available for confessions. At least one of them is available for at least a half an hour before every mass, in addition to an hour on saturday mornings. And if there are still people waiting when he needs to leave for mass, either one of the other priests comes to take his place or they'll offer to hear them after mass. On Ascension Thursday there were some people that hadn't been able to go before or during mass, so two of the priests came back after compline, even though it was 9.30 at night.

One of my favorite Saints, St. Leopold of Mandic, would often spend ELEVEN hours a day hearing confessions. In a confessional that was really hot during the summer and freezing cold during the winter. When the church attached to his friary was bombed during WWII only his confessional and a statue of Our Lady survived without a scratch.

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' date='18 May 2010 - 01:50 PM' timestamp='1274212216' post='2112984']
You could always show up at the rectory and accost them as they come back from whatever they're doing that day.

"Cmon, srsly, it'll take two minutes! Put your stole on you big baby!"
[/quote]

Edited May 18, 2010 by zunshynn

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

I know you said that one of the reasons you wanted to go to confession was for the plane flight, but....

What about waiting until you get to Rome and giving your confession at St. Peter's Basilica? How cool would that be? When I was there, I saw confession booths with signs above them that said, "English, Spanish, etc."

Obviously I didn't go to confession, so I don't know how it works.

Because I'm sure you're really busy getting ready, if this idea seems like something you'd want to do, let me know, and I'll see if I can find that information on the Internet.

[MissyP89]

My chaplain was always like that, what with making allowances no matter what. I have made many a confession in the sacristy next to a box of easymac. (Dude, I don't know, our chapel is a basement. We make do. )

One time I asked a priest at my parish to hear my confession at 4:45, right as it was supposed to end and he was leaving. He said it was too late. Seriously? What if I had walked out the door and died??

However, there are also the guys who will hear you out in the parking lot if you really needed it. My confessor is that way and has "rescued" me from a lot of red tape as I tried to get someone to hear me. It shouldn't be so difficult to receive mercy.

As my pastor put it once, "Take your time. They can't start Mass without me. "

@Phil: There are 4 dioceses in Jersey, not just two. Small state, but lots of Catholics.

[MithLuin]

People are always saying that it used to be that no one went to communion, but if they did, they always, always went to confession first (and confessing often was not unusual). Now, no one goes to confession ('once a year' is enough for some people ) but everyone goes to communion. I wish confession were offered a lot lot more. Like, before all masses, not just the one on Saturday. The two local diocese here declared that all churches would be open for confession on Wednesday evenings in Lent and had a big ad campaign to let people know (buses, subways, billboards). I really appreciated that!

I understand that with fewer priests per parish (and larger parishes) our priests' time is at a premium. Many of them are very very busy men who have many pastoral obligations to a lot of people. I know I can't expect them to drop what they are doing and take care of me. That wouldn't be fair.

But I don't like that confession is only available for one hour on Saturday afternoons at most parishes. It's very limited. It's great when parishes can offer more.