The answer
Confessing should not be a cause of fear or worry; but a means of relief from the burden of our sins. Your confessor father is called so because he is a father and you are his child. He looks at you as a son in need of help, comfort, advice and absolution. Therefore, the priest is there to help, not to condemn you. Do not think that you are the only sinner in the world; everyone who goes for confession is a sinner too and the priest hears so many confessions of a wide variety of sins. He does not judge the person; on the contrary, he tries to lead him to the right path, gives advice on how to hold on to God and more importantly he prays for and with the repentant.A good book to read about confession is "How Can I Benefit From Confession" by H.G. Bishop Matthaus, or at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/7261/Confession.htm.
Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)