I went to confession and the priest told me I shouldn’t have come back so soon, since I didn’t have any serious sins to confess. It was a full week. Is that too soon?
The question of how often a person should go to confession is entirely up to the discernment of the individual, not the priest. The Church teaches that when we have committed serious (mortal) sins, we should confess them at the first opportunity, certainly before receiving holy Communion. That has always been the practice. There is absolutely nothing to prevent a penitent from approaching the sacrament of reconciliation, however, even if he or she only has venial sins to confess (in fact, canon 988.2 of the Code of Canon Law states: “It is recommended to the Christian faithful that they also confess venial sins”).
For many centuries in Church history, the faithful received Communion infrequently at Mass. As a result, the custom developed that reception of Communion was always preceded by confession. It wasn’t until the papacy of Pope Pius X (1903-14) that the faithful were told that, barring serious sin, they should receive Communion whenever they attended Mass. Until Vatican II, many Catholics maintained the custom of confessing their sins weekly in preparation for receiving Communion on Sunday. Following Vatican II, the practice of weekly “devotional” confessions decreased, although the requirement to confess mortal sins prior to receiving Communion remains in effect, for good reason. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year” (CCC 1457).
That being said, I cannot imagine why a confessor would chastise a penitent for coming to the sacrament of reconciliation on a weekly basis. Penitents have the right to confess their sins even if they are venial, and the Church not only allows it, but, as previously stated, recommends the practice. If the priest himself thinks that the weekly confession of venial sins is problematic, then that is his issue, not the penitent’s.
A separate case is that of scrupulosity. Scrupulosity is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the penitent experiences nearly constant anxiety over the fear of being in a state of serious sin. Scrupulous persons are often unable to distinguish between venial and mortal sin, which makes the examination of conscience a tortuous experience. Confession provides only temporary relief, and, following the confession, the penitent may immediately begin to question whether he or she made a “good” one. In that case, a confessor might gently recommend that, unless the penitent is absolutely certain of having committed a mortal sin, he or she should limit receiving the sacrament of reconciliation to a specific schedule (e.g. monthly). Even in those cases, it is merely a recommendation. The penitent is still free to go to confession if so desired.
In cases of compulsive behavior (such as alcoholism or pornography addiction), a person may wind up going to confession every two or three days. In those situations, it is best for the penitent to choose one confessor who understands the nature of addiction and work with him on how to approach the issue of frequency of confession. The confessor would most certainly recommend a Twelve Step program or counseling to help the penitent find a way out of the destructive cycle. The penitent still has every right to receive absolution whenever he confesses, however, as long as he is trying to amend his life.
Finally, if a priest is chastising penitents for going to confession weekly with only venial sins, the penitent should share his or her concerns with either the pastor or with his superior. Like everyone, priests are free to form opinions about frequency of confession, but if they impose those beliefs on penitents, they are crossing the line.
Father Scott Jones is the episcopal vicar for the Northern Vicariate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
