Act of contrition in foreign language

[Magnum_V8]

Does the priest need to understand your act of contrition? For example, if someone is of a different nationality, can he/she say the act of contrition in his/her own native tongue? And what about people that want to pray it in Latin, knowing that the priest probably wouldn’t understand it?

 

[Phemie]

My mother tongue is French and although I know the rosary in English I’ve never bothered to learn the Acts in that language. Any time that I’ve had to confess in English (BTW, even if you’re fluently bilingual confessing in other than your mother tongue feels completely unnatural and should be penance enough) I’ve recited the Act of Contrition in French and it has never been a problem.

 

[LilyM]

Do remember that an Act of Contrition is not a compulsory part of Reconciliation in any event. Or at least that you can say it yourself before or after the confession, doesn’t need to be in the confessional.

The only requirements are your real contrition (not the Act), confession of your mortal sins and the priest’s correct words of absolution. If I were a priest hearing someone confess in a language that they weren’t fluent with I’d probably skip the AOC.

 

[thistle]

Does the priest need to understand your act of contrition? For example, if someone is of a different nationality, can he/she say the act of contrition in his/her own native tongue? And what about people that want to pray it in Latin, knowing that the priest probably wouldn’t understand it?

My priest never hears my act of contrition. Once he gives me a penance and absolution he tells me to go into the church pews and make my act of contrition.

 

[benedictgal]

Because my hometown sits on the Texas side of the Texan-Mexican border, I often encounter priests who don’t necessarily speak English. Thus, I can fully appreciate Phemie’s situation. However, because English is my mother tongue, I will pray the Act of Contrition in English. More often than not, I sometimes have to stumble through my confession in Spanish, especially if the priest doesn’t understand me in English. However, I do tell him when it comes time to pray the Act of Contrition that I will be doing so in English. The response that I’ve gotten is generally good.

 

[Magnum_V8]

My priest never hears my act of contrition. Once he gives me a penance and absolution he tells me to go into the church pews and make my act of contrition.

I have never confessed to a priest that did not ask to hear my act of contrition. Most always ask me to say it, then afterwards they say the words of absolution. But an Italian priest I sometimes go to says the words of absolution while I say the act of contrition.

 

[Phemie]

I have never confessed to a priest that did not ask to hear my act of contrition. Most always ask me to say it, then afterwards they say the words of absolution. But an Italian priest I sometimes go to says the words of absolution while I say the act of contrition.

I think it’s been 15 years since I’ve been asked to say the act of contrition at confession for years – of course for the first 10 of those we were having general absolution.

 

[benedictgal]

I have never confessed to a priest that did not ask to hear my act of contrition. Most always ask me to say it, then afterwards they say the words of absolution. But an Italian priest I sometimes go to says the words of absolution while I say the act of contrition.

Don’t be alarmed. In my experience, it’s the older priests who do this.

 

[Magnum_V8]

Don’t be alarmed. In my experience, it’s the older priests who do this.

Didn’t mean to give the impression I was alarmed. Either way it doesn’t bother me. Just to clarify: you think its the older priests that give absolution while the penitent prays the act of contrition?

 

[benedictgal]

Didn’t mean to give the impression I was alarmed. Either way it doesn’t bother me. Just to clarify: you think its the older priests that give absolution while the penitent prays the act of contrition?

That has been my experience. Pardon me for generalizing, though.