Confession is a good thing if you do wrong, but only if you accept the responsibility of your actions and make it right with the person or people you have wronged. To not do this and expect three hail mary’s and then everything is sorted us annabdication of responsibility. You go in a say you are sorry to a priest, but that means nothing to me, unless other actions of contrition are taken. It is not for a priest to absolve you, it’s the people you wronged. We could all go about being horrible pieces of nastiness and think, I confessed to the priest. Also, if you are sorry, god, if you believe in him will know, it’s the reason you are confessing that needs to forgive you.
That particular understanding of the role of Spiritual direction which you and many others probably assume is catholic is also why the art of confession is losing its real value.
Everything you suggest should be part of confession is actually much closer to the teaching and reason of Magisterium.
Sadly the priesthood isn't quite the same as the historical catholic church priesthood in general.
If you read the works of Padre pio, Alphonsus ligouri, John Vianney, Aquinas, Augustine, John Damascene, John Chrysystom and the encyclicals of the popes, you might find the actual spiritual medicinal diagnostics that the priest is trained to administer is not quite carried out since the eduction isn't as good as in times past. Not enough priest or laity understand the actual deep spiritual part of the confession it actually should be much closer to what you would thought it should be.
But sadly most people don't fully cooperate with the grace received at confession and although 3 hail marys isn't quite same as rectifying the matter. If it is confessed fully with genuine contrition and hope of returning to love with union in grace then it is valid in eyes of church, but optimally the spiritual director role of priest should be trying to rectify the penitent by genuine efforts to restore the damage committed. But that takes balls, and the priesthood has become very effeminate since the Vatican 2. Not less valid but less courageous perhaps in rectifying errors committed and growing in grace and virtue.
But if its just a pretend confession where you expect the 3 hail marys to cover over a false contrition then you will indeed be badly mistaken. that not a valid confession. And nothing has been rectified in eyes of justice or mercy.
Its also worth noting that a genuine act of contrition made in your heart with desire for union with christ can be sufficient without a priest. If its truly contrition based on absolute love of God and hence actual holy compunction of heart then it can be enough without the sacramental confession.
But the sacramental confession is better because it doesn't require perfect act of compunction and gives grace even if your only motive for confession is fear of eternal hell.
John vianney could read souls and was perfect spiritual director. Sadly there are very few real spiritual directors to raise souls up the ladder of virtue with proper direction these days, which means the soul needs stronger impulses of actual grace to receive supernatural sanctifying grace regularly with direct aching through the holy spirit. But without a director that very rare. Even rare when you have a good director.
But this was all predicted for our times.
Keeping the faith will get harder as the demonic rises in society. Morals will get worse.
But in the end the immaculate heart will triumph.
I didn't always believe this. In fact i was once more critical than anyone i ever knew.
But like the book says. Seek and ye will find.
Telling people about what you find won't help them usually. But if they seek they will find.
So I always suggest that to anyone even the biggest cynic.
Pray the rosary while you seek and have an open heart and willingness to find the actual truth. And if you do that grace will help you find the answers you need to help your soul.
Thats the last Im going to share on my faith in open.
If you want to attack what you don't understand then be my guest.
If you think you understand but still want to attack.
I suggest praying the rosary everyday for 33 days with the intention to find out if you are wrong. And if you can do that you will find your on anew path to unraveling the darkness in your psyche.
The weekly mass help[s a lot. regular confession with true contrition helps a lot. Spiritual reading helps a lot.
A lot of the greatest saints were the biggest cynics. Some of these guys are great place to start spiritual reading since they knew how most cynics think before they had change in heart.
Anyway peace
Christ died for everyone generally but for YOU in particular. That may sound like gibberish. But seek and find out. What was the purpose of christs mission. How did it create a church which is his mystical body. How does it open up gate to heaven through grace to Glory.
Now i realise thats not for everybody. But it should be worth a bit of your time to seek it out. Because at the end of the day its the source of all virtue and life. Whether you believe it or not. The truth is worth seeking.
But cynically dismissing without any effort to understand the actual teachings rather than what you imagine is being taught means you aren't really searching.
Like I said thats the last faith chat ill share openly. It offends to many people. And I'm not trying to convert anyone. I just don't like seeing people who haven't bothered their arse seeking for truth declaring the truth is a lie.
Seek
The confessions of saint augustine written in the 400s I think is still very readable and a great source of understanding humanity. Its like biography of all his errors in life and how they were not always errors in his mind. Its also so well written it keeps you interested for the next crazy part of his life.
He is also arguably one of the greatest minds that ever lived.
You can listen to his audiobook free on Youtube
You can find free downloads PDF style
You can even buy his confessions in style that suits your reading in major book shops stores.
Its one of the best books ever written and it could have been written last week the problems are so human.
Anyway this was one of the best book I ever read. He was a wild man turned saint. He was always super sharp and cynical of everything till he met another great mind St Ambrose of Milan Bishop and orator. Two of the greatest doctors and teachers of the church. St Augustine was by far more intelligent but it took meeting Ambrose to get his heart into the correct place. And his mother monica prayers to help her son are probably key in the story as well.
The year 400 had some of the answers that the year 2018 needs.