About to go to my first confession, help!

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Well, not my first confession ever, but my first time going to a “tridentine confession” as it were. Can someone please tell me what the form is like, what i have to do /say so I dont make a fool out of myself

thanks
 
CHCatholic said:
Well, not my first confession ever, but my first time going to a “tridentine confession” as it were. Can someone please tell me what the form is like, what i have to do /say so I dont make a fool out of myself

thanks
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Awesome question. Great post. Confession hasn’t changed. There is no “Tridentine Confession” that I am aware of.

Pray before hand and ask the Holy Ghost to awaken your sorrow for your sins, and to help you discern what your sins are. A simple reflection on the 10 Commandments is sufficient, but excellent examinations of conscience are available. The new one written by Bishop Lori of Bridgeport for the Knights of Columbus is EXCELLENT. I mention the new examinations because they mention things like software piracy, illegal file sharing, inappropriate images on the computer etc. New times make for many new ways to sin.

You will enter the confessional, say “forgive me father for I have sinned.”

Now… I have a wonderful traditional prayer book (Blessed Be God) that outlines a longer formula here. However, “forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been _____ long since my last confession. These are my sins” is sufficient.

Should you wish to say it, here is the longer formula:

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

I confess to Almighty God, and to you Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, deed, and omission through my fault.

It has been one week (or blank weeks) since my last worthy confession. I accuse myself of having committed, during that time, the following sins:

Here make your confession.

At the end you can say:

“These are my sins” so father knows you are done. If you want the longer formula, here it is:

For these, and for all the sins of which I have at any time been guilty, I humbly ask pardon of God, and absolution of you Father, if you think me worthy."

Listen to the pastoral advise, penance. Then the priest will ask you to make a good act of contrition. My favorite:

“Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, not only because I dread the loss of Heaven, and fear the pain of Hell, but because Thou are Thee my God, whom I love with all my heart, and I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more, and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.”

Go out and do you penance.

As you can see there is no “Tridentine Rite” for confession. You don’t need to know Latin or complex formulas. It is exactly the same as it has always been. One of those beautiful things that has never changed.

Of course, now you can go face to face.

I hope this helps. 👍
 
the priest will say “in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit” the you say " Bless me father for I have sinned it has been this many days months since your last confession. (if its your first then say it is your first confession. Then you simply say "My sins are, then say your sins and how many time you commited them. Then the priest will give you absolution and advice. He will then ask you to say the act of contrition, say that and your done, say thank you father.

So you go in, make the sign of the cross, say "bless me father for I have sinned it has been blank since my last confession, say my sins are, say your sins, then the priest will give you advice and absolution he will then ask you to say the act of contrition. Then your done.
 
I regularly go to confession with the only priest in the diocese who celebrates the Solemn High Extraordinary Form of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass on a weekly basis (there is only one other who does “Low Mass” Extraordinary Form occasionally)… Fr. will start with a prayer asking for God’s help for me to make a good confession. Then he’ll directly ask how long it has been since my last confession. I confess what’s on my written list (I have trouble remembering everything I need to confess, and I fear making an invalid confession), and when I’m finished, I’ll say something to the effect of “For these and all sins I have forgotten, I am sorry”.

But keep in mind, no matter which priest you go to, or what form of Mass he celebrates, he is acting in persona Christi, and as long as you make a good and complete confession, and he speaks the words of absolution (I absolve you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…), your sins are forgiven.

God Bless!
Ericka
 
Traditional priests do tend to use the old form of absolution (at least in my own personal experience!)

This includes a few more prayers and can definately be confusing if its your first “traditional” confession. I was completely taken off guard my first time.

Anyways, upon entering the confessional, kneel as usual and sign yourself as the priest says “In Nomine Patris et Fillii et Spiritui Sancti” (sorry for the gross misspellings…), which means "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Then continue, as the previous posters have said, with “Bless me father for I have sinned. It’s been ___. These are my sins” or something similiar. Then something by way of conclusion. Priest then gives advice/ penance.

Then you will be asked to say the act of contrition (preferably in a low voice.) This is where it gets tricky. The priest will say your absolution WHILE you say the act of contrition. You may even miss the “Absolvo te peccatis tuis” (or “I absolve you of your sins”) if it’s your first time, but be assured that you are forgiven.

The old form of absolution is much longer than the new form. It goes like this, according to my missal:
"May Almighty God have mercy on thee, forgive thee thy sins, and bring thee to everlasting life. Amen. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant thee pardon, absolution and remission of thy sins. May Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve thee, and I by His authority do absolve thee from every bond of excommunication, or interdict as far as I am able and thou art needful. + I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the Saints, whatever good thou shalt have done or evil endured, be for thee unto the remission of thy sins, the increase of grace, and the reward of everlasting life. Amen.” Note that all of that is said in Latin.

The priest may then say “Go in peace” or “please pray for me” or something similiar in English and you can then leave.

Hope this helps, and good luck! You’re in my thoughts and prayers.
 
you all may laugh but the first time i went to confession before a tridentine mass, i just came right and told the priest i need help doing this. he was immensely helpful and patient.
 
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