ASK FATHER: Confessor interrupted and I didn’t get to confess everything

italian confessional pilgrimsFrom a reader…

QUAERITUR:

This Sunday I went to Confession for the first time in ~2 years. As you always say, I tried to make a good examination of conscience.

One problem is that Father chimed in with comments or advice as I was trying to work my way down my rather long list and I have run into this before. Result: after leaving the confessional I realized that there were several sins I didn’t confess.

I am sorry to sound critical but I’m sure I am not the only person whose concentration is easily broken.

First, good for you for going to confession.  It sounds as if you did your sincere best.  Don’t worry.

If there is something pressing on you, mention it next time you go to confession, which should be regularly from now on.

That said, my Spidey Sense suggests to me that perhaps, friend, you may have been rambling a little.  In the situation where you have a well-intentioned but somewhat chatty confessor, together with a penitent who provides too much detail … well… sometimes things can go off the rails.

When people start to ramble or repeat themselves, a confessor can get the impression that there isn’t anything else of substance that needs to be confessed.

When confessing your sins, it is best to be concise.  State your sin, the number or frequency you committed it (or omitted doing what you ought), just enough circumstantial details that may exacerbate or mitigate the sin, and move on.

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