What do you do when you're too shy to confess?

[teresamom]

I have a big problem; I am too shy for confession. I have gotten in the line to go to confession and then I chicken out. I have an extreme social phobia and have a hard enough time speaking to a priest about anything, let alone sins. I am leading a very devoutly Christian life with this exception, but it is a hurdle I don't know how to overcome. I'm depressed and thinking of becoming Protestant. Is it official Church teaching that you cannot be forgiven of sins without a priest?

[Michelle Arnold]

Originally Posted by teresamom

Is it official Church teaching that you cannot be forgiven of sins without a priest?

Mortal sins require sacramental confession.

Originally Posted by teresamom

I'm depressed and thinking of becoming Protestant.

Leaving the Catholic Church, which Jesus founded for your salvation, will only compound your problem, not solve it. And, from a purely secular perspective, running away from problems, rather than solving them, tends to make people more miserable in the long run.

First of all, you can confess your sins from behind the privacy screen. You will not have to see the priest face-to-face. But if you find that you have a true phobia that is not overcome by anonymous confession, I can only recommend that you seek help from a therapist to overcome that phobia. You can obtain a referral to a Catholic counselor from the Pastoral Solutions Institute or from CatholicTherapists.com.

Recommended reading:

How do I handle my phobia of priests?