Act of Contrition

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Is saying the AoC absolutely requires for a valid confession?
 
TravisandJill said:
Is saying the AoC absolutely requires for a valid confession?
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What is required is a clear, verbal expression of contrition. This allows the priest to make the judgment that you are truly sorry for the sins you have just confessed, since true sorrow is absolutely required for confession to be valid. Most, if not all priests ask you to say the Act of Contrition as that clear, verbal expression of contrition. The exact formula is not specified, but one of the standard formulas certainly qualifies.
 
And if there was just the confession without a verbal contrition but contrition in the will only?
 
Why are you opposed to praying this prayer?
They have it in most confessionals to read if you can’t memorize it.
It is a beautiful prayer.
Our priests require it.
 
I’m not! Just wondering about it it’s absolutely required to be said (of course assuming one is contrite in the heart/will)
 
Wait a minute. We don’t know that the OP does not want to say the prayer.

No, saying the Act of Contrition is not necessary for a valid confession. Contrition is necessary, verbally saying it is not.

There have been many posts here where the question was asked if someone’s confession was valid because the priest never asked the penitent to say the AoC and just went straight to the words of Absolution.

This said, if the priest asks the penitent to say an AoC the penitent should comply. If the penitent cannot remember an AoC he or she should say so and the priest will help him or her.
 
Let me put it this way: If a verbal Act of Contrition is necessary for a valid confession, every confession I’ve made since ~1989 has been invalid.

I remember vividly the last occasion on which I was asked to recite this, a Sunday morning pre-Mass confession to ensure that I was in a state of grace before exercising my ministry as EMHC. Since then, it’s been a private AoC in preparation for confession
 
There are occasions where one might not be said at all. A person might forget or not know they are supposed to say one
 
An Act of Contrition is a good way to follow up the examination of conscience. We teach children to do this, why would adults skip it? Makes no sense.
At any rate, regardless of whether or not you HAVE to…you should, IMHO.
It’s in every one of our confessions for people to read. As I said, our priests in the Diocese require it.
 
Phemie said:
Let me put it this way: If a verbal Act of Contrition is necessary for a valid confession, every confession I’ve made since ~1989 has been invalid.

I remember vividly the last occasion on which I was asked to recite this, a Sunday morning pre-Mass confession to ensure that I was in a state of grace before exercising my ministry as EMHC. Since then, it’s been a private AoC in preparation for confession
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After confessing all your sins, if you say something as simple as “I’m sorry for these and all my sins”, that would certainly suffice.

I’m amazed that no priest has ever asked you to recite the Act of Contrition as he’s saying the formula for absolution. I live in a very liberal diocese, and I’ve NEVER had a priest fail to ask me to say it. They usually say “OK, as I’m giving absolution, please say an act of contrition.” Sometimes they ask me to say it before they start the absolution, and sometimes they start the absolution after I have finished the words “Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you…” But they always ask me to say it, and the card is right there in the confessional.
 
Matt_Collins said:
After confessing all your sins, if you say something as simple as “I’m sorry for these and all my sins”, that would certainly suffice.

I’m amazed that no priest has ever asked you to recite the Act of Contrition as he’s saying the formula for absolution. I live in a very liberal diocese, and I’ve NEVER had a priest fail to ask me to say it. They usually say “OK, as I’m giving absolution, please say an act of contrition.” Sometimes they ask me to say it before they start the absolution, and sometimes they start the absolution after I have finished the words “Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you…” But they always ask me to say it, and the card is right there in the confessional.
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yup.
 
Just to have at least a priestly opinion on this: wdtprs.com/blog/2010/08/quaeritur-priest-in-confession-doesnt-ask-for-act-of-contrition/
If the priest is sufficiently assured that you are sorry and have a firm purpose of amendment even without hearing you say the Act of Contrition, he can absolve.
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One of the priests in our parish, after giving his advice and a penance, would ask " … and you’re sorry for all of the sins of your past, aren’t you?" After hearing an affirmative answer, he would then begin the absolution.

Since I trust said priest, I assume he was working off of principles that Fr. Z mentions above, rather than out of some odd desire to be unorthodox. Moreover, I assume that Father did not ask us to say an act of contrition, mostly because he was an elderly, retired Navy chaplain, and wanted to save as much time as possible. Such pastoral reasons, I’m sure, can come into play.

Incidentally, here is the Rite of Individual Penance itself: ibreviary.com/m/preghiere.php?tipo=Rito&id=227

Something I don’t recall ever encountering are *the forms of reception of the penitent, i.e., ***May God, ****who has enlightened every heart, help you to know your sins and trust in his mercy. **The penitent answers: **Amen.

**Likewise, priests rarely seem to utilize the *Proclamation of Praise of God *after Absolution.

I wonder why.
 
I don’t think I was clear. I do say the AoC, however since I am a convert and have had to slowly learn all there is to Catholicism I am sure there have been times I have not recited the AoC out of ignorance, not by some desire to be rebellious;)
 
Wonderfully clear! Thanks
InNomineDomini said:
Just to have at least a priestly opinion on this: wdtprs.com/blog/2010/08/quaeritur-priest-in-confession-doesnt-ask-for-act-of-contrition/

One of the priests in our parish, after giving his advice and a penance, would ask " … and you’re sorry for all of the sins of your past, aren’t you?" After hearing an affirmative answer, he would then begin the absolution.

Since I trust said priest, I assume he was working off of principles that Fr. Z mentions above, rather than out of some odd desire to be unorthodox. Moreover, I assume that Father did not ask us to say an act of contrition, mostly because he was an elderly, retired Navy chaplain, and wanted to save as much time as possible. Such pastoral reasons, I’m sure, can come into play.

Incidentally, here is the Rite of Individual Penance itself: ibreviary.com/m/preghiere.php?tipo=Rito&id=227

Something I don’t recall ever encountering are *the forms of reception of the penitent, i.e., ***May God, ****who has enlightened every heart, help you to know your sins and trust in his mercy. **The penitent answers: **Amen.

**Likewise, priests rarely seem to utilize the *Proclamation of Praise of God *after Absolution.

I wonder why.
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TravisandJill said:
I don’t think I was clear. I do say the AoC, however since I am a convert and have had to slowly learn all there is to Catholicism I am sure there have been times I have not recited the AoC out of ignorance, not by some desire to be rebellious;)
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I think that’s why they generally have it in the confessionals laminated. For people who just forget, or are new to it. I tell my high school students to keep it on a index card in their wallet or purse
Just in case. 👍
 
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