A
antaine
Guest
I committed a sin when I was about 6 years old. I never specifically confessed it, but I consider it pretty much to be the worst sin I ever committed. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I felt bad about it afterward and wished I hadn’t done it (repentance?), but life went on and I didn’t give it too much thought thereafter.
When I made first penance, my parish kept things light and general when talking to the priest. I did not specifically mention it — I don’t remember even having it cross my mind until I was older. I don’t know if it was forgiven then, but I always had the understanding that all sins for which you are truly repentant are forgiven in confession even if it slips your mind at the time. I wasn’t thinking about it back then.
After that, my parish would do general absolution for many years. I had been to general absolution on a number of occasions growing up, and for at least one of them, I specifically called that sin to mind. Again, if that absolution was supposed to cover everything for which you are truly repentant, that should have been included.
One year, the pastor surprised everyone by having regular confession, face to face in a corner of the church. Because I was still a kid, and embarrassed, my confession that year was rather meandering. Since the priest was pressed for time trying to handle the crowd that had shown up, when I seemed to have stalled, he said, “and you are sorry for all your sins, yes?” I responded that I was, and he absolved me.
As an adult, I had another experience with holiday-time general absolution, and twice there were parish missions where we were asked to make a single-word (or two-word) confession with the name of the mortal sin(s).
I know that general absolution is highly questionable most of the time it’s used, but it’s also my understanding that if a priest tells you it’s good, and you have no question at the time that is the case, then it’s on the priest and not you if he’s wrong. I never had any reason to question my initial general absolutions until many years later.
I now go to regular, thru-the-screen confession at least once a month.
Do I need to confess a sin from when I was 6 that I thought was long-since forgiven through the sacraments?
When I made first penance, my parish kept things light and general when talking to the priest. I did not specifically mention it — I don’t remember even having it cross my mind until I was older. I don’t know if it was forgiven then, but I always had the understanding that all sins for which you are truly repentant are forgiven in confession even if it slips your mind at the time. I wasn’t thinking about it back then.
After that, my parish would do general absolution for many years. I had been to general absolution on a number of occasions growing up, and for at least one of them, I specifically called that sin to mind. Again, if that absolution was supposed to cover everything for which you are truly repentant, that should have been included.
One year, the pastor surprised everyone by having regular confession, face to face in a corner of the church. Because I was still a kid, and embarrassed, my confession that year was rather meandering. Since the priest was pressed for time trying to handle the crowd that had shown up, when I seemed to have stalled, he said, “and you are sorry for all your sins, yes?” I responded that I was, and he absolved me.
As an adult, I had another experience with holiday-time general absolution, and twice there were parish missions where we were asked to make a single-word (or two-word) confession with the name of the mortal sin(s).
I know that general absolution is highly questionable most of the time it’s used, but it’s also my understanding that if a priest tells you it’s good, and you have no question at the time that is the case, then it’s on the priest and not you if he’s wrong. I never had any reason to question my initial general absolutions until many years later.
I now go to regular, thru-the-screen confession at least once a month.
Do I need to confess a sin from when I was 6 that I thought was long-since forgiven through the sacraments?
