Catholic Answers Live - Doing Penance

Questions Covered: 

15:31 - Regarding the sacrament of penance, I know the Eastern Orthodox Churches deputize lay people to hear each other’s confessions. What is the Catholic view of this, and do we ever make allowances for this? 

19:02 - I’ve been to confession where the priests asked me to choose my own penance or gave me a penance with no end date. Is this a normal thing to come across? What should I do in these situations? 

29:22 - I have a big sin from my past that I’ve confessed and still feel guilty about. How can I get that guilt to go away? 

34:44 - My parish priest visits me once a month and I take that time to go to confession. If I sin the day after he comes and I do a sincere act of contrition, am I forgiven then or do I have to wait till the next month to be forgiven? 

44:20 - Is it sinful to question whether I’m actually forgiven? 

48:14 - My elderly father has started to come to Mass again after a very long time. He hasn’t been to confession and has been receiving communion.  What’s the best way to approach him? 

51:14 - Is it possible to request from God and receive from God our penance to not get it in purgatory. 

52:53 - Can one be forgiven for a sin that one is too embarrassed to confess but says “and forgive the rest of my sins”?