Confessing a Mortal Sin

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I like my priest, so I do not want him to think badly of me. I have to go in for my first reconciliation in two weeks, and I must confess my mortal sin. Will the priest remember mortal sins? If so, will he let me explain why I did it, and why I cannot stop doing it?
 
Your priest will most likely:
  1. Be proud of you for confessing.
  2. Not even remember hardly anything you say ten minutes later.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Your priest will most likely:
  1. Be proud of you for confessing.
  2. Not even remember hardly anything you say ten minutes later.
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I don’t even know if I should hope that’s true, or if it is the exact opposite. Either way, I am exceedingly grateful for your reply.
 
I don’t think you have anything to worry about because priests listen to all manner of mortal sin all day long. He won’t treat you any differently. However, if you still feel bad about it, you could do an anonymous confession.
 
Your priest will like you more as such by being brave enough to confess mortal sin and yes if you think you prefer to explain and go into more detail then he will give you that space to discuss more and will offer you advice etc.

I don’t know how true it is some priests forget things but one thing you can rely on is that he won’t use what you have said against you. It in total confidence. It be like as though you never said it out of confession.

It be harder for my priest to totally forget what I’ve said because for my penance he loaned me a book. It be a bit odd for him to look at me too blankly or something when I give it him back which I won’t do in confession as we don’t have to go all the time. So whether they do totally forget, I am not sure but you can rely on 100% confidence that it will stay secret.
 
If you think a priest is going to judge you, just remember: every priest, even the POPE, has to confess to another priest or bishop. Imagine how nerve-wracking that can be, confessing to your very colleagues.
 
I agree with what has been said so far. There is no need to worry about your priest thinking differently of you. He is bound by the Seal of Confession which means that he cannot reveal your sins to anyone and he also cannot treat you differently as a result of the sins you confess.
Dspawn said:
If so, will he let me explain why I did it, and why I cannot stop doing it?
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Just be sure to remember that resolving to never commit the sins you confess again is necessary for absolution. If you struggle with a certain sin, pray for the grace to overcome the temptation or ask your confessor how you might avoid committing it in the future. Sorrow for sins, which includes this resolution, is necessary for a valid confession. Trust in God, He does great things 👍

Congratulations on receiving the Sacrament of Penance for the first time! You’ll be in my prayers!
 
I always like to tell the story that after confessing probably the worst mortal sin I ever committed the priest offered me a job, right there in the confessional.
 
Chances are, whatever sin you are confessing, the priest has heard it before. For me, several times when I’ve confessed mortal sins, priests have said with great compassion and eagerness, “Let us thank God for a good confession.”

I think part of the beauty of this sacrament is that we are able to feel the embarrassment of our sins. I often tell God my sins in personal prayer, but for some reason I don’t get that tinge of shame in my stomach that I get before I go to the sacrament of Reconciliation. That feeling of embarrassment or shame is healthy for us. We should feel bad about our sins. I can say that more than once I’ve refrained from a sin because I just didn’t feel like having to tell it to a priest. Not the best reason to keep from sinning, but it helped me in some weak moments.

To answer your question, yes, you do get to explain your sins. If you are having trouble with a specific sin, he might even give you some advice on conquering it. Remember, the only reason the priest is there is to give you God’s forgiveness. Think of the priest as a spiritual doctor. Do you think a medical doctor gets greater satisfaction from curing a cold or by curing stage 4 cancer? Do you think a priest would get greater satisfaction from administering God’s Mercy to someone who sinned a little bit or to someone who greatly sinned? Congrats on your ongoing journey of faith, Dspawn.
 
I have been going to confession every other week to the same priest, and often I confess the same sins. I do feel a tinge of embarrassment, but he always says, “I understand.” I always am afraid that he’ll go off on me and say, “Why are you still struggling with this?”, but he always reassures me that some sins are hard to recover from.

The beauty of this sacrament, like the above poster said, is that we can feel embarrassment for our sins. I always ask God privately to pardon me, but I never really feel embarrassed or ashamed until I go to confession. I also never really feel “forgiven”. I always feel forgiven after confession because you have that assurance that you are indeed forgiven.

The thing is that I used to hate going to confession. I would avoid it at all costs. I just started going regularly these past few months by the grace of God, and I am thankful for that. It really is a beautiful sacrament.
 
Just remember that no matter what you’ve done, someone else has done it before you. Better.

And the priest has already heard it all already.

Rumor has it that priests say a special prayer before they go to hear confessions: “Lord, let there be something new.”
 
Joannm said:
I always like to tell the story that after confessing probably the worst mortal sin I ever committed the priest offered me a job, right there in the confessional.
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Given the seal of confession, and what goes on in the confessional stays in the confessional, I don’t see how that could legitimately work.

Anyway, the fact that you’re worried that you like your priest and you’re worried about what he’ll think of you is what’s commonly referred to as the sin of human respect.

Priests have heard it all. Just spit it out and move on to the next sin. It’s not like you have to sit there and give him the story and the play-by-play. Just say what you did, how often, and any circumstances which might mitigate or make the sin worse.
 
Dspawn said:
I like my priest, so I do not want him to think badly of me. I have to go in for my first reconciliation in two weeks, and I must confess my mortal sin. Will the priest remember mortal sins? If so, will he let me explain why I did it, and why I cannot stop doing it?
Click to expand...
Dspawn,

Your priest will listen to you for whatever you have to say and WILL NOT tell anyone or think of you any different. That goes agains their priestly Vows!

God Bless
 
Dspawn said:
I like my priest, so I do not want him to think badly of me. I have to go in for my first reconciliation in two weeks, and I must confess my mortal sin. Will the priest remember mortal sins? If so, will he let me explain why I did it, and why I cannot stop doing it?
Click to expand...
I’m sure he’s heard it all, don’t worry about that 🙂 he wouldn’t judge you, he’s there to give you forgiveness. He’s heard many many sins in Confession before. So no worries 🙂 I had the same fear before but it’ll be okay!!

As for how you said that you cannot stop doing the sin… in order to receive absolution, we need to be truly repentant, that means intending to not sin anymore. If you’re in a situation where you can’t escape the sin, you are obligated to leave the situation, to save your soul. If you absolutely can’t leave the situation, try to not sin in it, and maybe talk to a priest to get advice. If you just can’t seem to stop sinning in that way because of weakness, (like let’s say an addiction), then repent anyway and intend not to repeat the sin, and pray for God’s grace. Just try your best 🙂 Dont be afraid. And you can ask the priest for advice on how to overcome the sin. (we can ask questions too, but if you have lots of questions it’s best to schedule a Confession).

I hope that helps and is not confusing…

God bless
 
Remeber that all of the Sacraments are a celebration, including Reconciliation. The peace that I feel after confession is wonderful. If you compare it to physical healing, it is like having a fatal disease and being totally and completely healed by a doctor talking to you. Through Reconciliation, you receive God’s graces, and it is free because Jesus has already paid the price.

DGB
 
I really do think priests are given a gift of being able to forget! Plus, I doubt you could say anything they have not heard before.
 
Thanks for all of the help. I have already resolved to stop doing it, and I am now ready to confess.
 
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