Confessing Forgiven Venial Sins

[Haydenn]

Hello everyone!

I am learning more about our faith, and I have experienced some confusion between Confession and the Eucharist. I will try to present example that demonstrates my confusion.

Suppose I were to commit a venial sin. Some time later, I received the Eucharist. Then immediately, I went to Confession. Would this be an empty confession?

Would I need to confess the initial venial sin? Should I confess venial sins? Would confessing it be a sin since it is already forgiven? Would this indict me of scrupulosity? Are guilty sins the matter of the sacrament of confession? What constitutes the sacrament of confession?

This confusion of mine seems to juxtapose the actual confessional experience. We say the amount of time since our last confession but not our last communion.

I have read the CCC and the Summa to the best of my ability on this subject but there does not seem to be anything addressing this question.

Thank you for your time

 

[edward_george1]

Venial sins don’t actually have to be confessed at all. Receiving Holy Communion and using Holy Water and reciting the penitential act at Mass all remit venial sins.

Be at peace.

-Fr ACEGC

 

[Haydenn]

Venial sins don’t actually have to be confessed at all. Receiving Holy Communion and using Holy Water and reciting the penitential act at Mass all remit venial sins.

Thank you for your response!

Though strictly speaking, venial sins need not to be confessed. However, the Church has promoted frequent confession among the faithful. If we are healed of our venial sins through other means, do those other means provide a “double jeopardy” situation in the confessional?

Perhaps to help clarify, what constitutes the sacrament of reconciliation and what does it provide to the penitent?

 

[edward_george1]

I’m not sure what you mean by “what constitutes the sacrament of reconciliation,” nor what you mean by “double jeopardy.” It sounds like you’re overthinking it.

But what I’ve said holds–venial sins don’t even need to be confessed, and we do so out of humility. And the frequency of confession varies from person to person, depending upon their state in life and their particular spiritual condition. Someone who struggles with scrupulosity and compulsively goes to confession would be ill advised to go more than once every 3-4 weeks. This is an area where you need to make an appointment with a priest and discuss your questions in person, especially since your priest should know you better than anyone on the internet could.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Perhaps to help clarify, what constitutes the sacrament of reconciliation and what does it provide to the penitent?

The Sacrament of Reconciliation these days is performed when the penitent goes to confession and receiving absolution. See CCC 1447
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

Assuming one is not overly scrupulous and one is reasonably sure they haven’t committed a mortal sin (so they technically don’t HAVE to go to confession), frequent confession still does the following:

• Provides you with God’s grace which among other things helps you to avoid sin
• Provides an opportuniity for you to perhaps get a short bit of advice from the priest how to deal with sinful habits, even if they’re just venial, because we’re supposed to be working towards eliminating such habits and also small venial sinful habits could lead to worse ones
• In order to obtain plenary indulgences, you need to go to confession about every 20 days as one of the required elements for the plenary
• Certain devotions may require you to go to confession; for example, the Five First Saturdays require that you go each month as one of the required elements of the devotion

 

[sudy]

If I’m understanding you correctly, you’re concerned about confessing forgiven sins. This isn’t really a problem for us. There’s no double jeopardy. We sometimes confess forgiven sins for other reasons, like… if we have a general confession because we can’t remember all of our sins but are trying to confess every single sin, and receive absolution, we confess the unconfessed sins once we remember them. We could also confess already forgiven sins if they still trouble us for some reason.

As Father said, venial sins don’t require confession.

 

[Haydenn]

@edward_george1

This is an area where you need to make an appointment with a priest and discuss your questions in person, especially since your priest should know you better than anyone on the internet could.

Thank you I will try to discuss this with some of the priest that I am able to get in touch with. Personal circumstances make it difficult to meet in person.

@Tis_Bearself

Thank you for your response!

Provides you with God’s grace which among other things helps you to avoid sin

Would this be attach to absolution or would it be separate?

In order to obtain plenary indulgences, you need to go to confession about every 20 days as one of the required elements for the plenary.

This is a very good point and from which my original question stemmed from. To go to confession often is very good practice as indicated by the teaching of indulgences. However, if we were to ask for forgiveness for sins already forgiven, how would be able to attend confession regularly?

@sudy

We could also confess already forgiven sins if they still trouble us for some reason.

This is a very interesting point. Is this what the summa means when it says the following?

Looking into the Summa - Third Part - Question 84 - Article 2

I answer that, Matter is twofold, viz. proximate and remote: thus the proximate matter of a statue is a metal, while the remote matter is water. Now it has been stated (III:84:1, ad 1, ad 2), that the proximate matter of this sacrament consists in the acts of the penitent, the matter of which acts are the sins over which he grieves, which he confesses, and for which he satisfies. Hence it follows that sins are the remote matter of Penance, as a matter, not for approval, but for detestation, and destruction.

Are sins to which we have guilt not the matter of the sacrament? Are sins that were committed that we grieve for the matter of confession? So, (for the lack of words) the “forgiven” state of the sins are irrelevant in relation to the sacrament? Am I reading this right?

Now, we shouldnt confess the same sin in two different sacraments because we shouldn’t grieve for them?

Now, Im extra confused. Sorry y’all.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

However, if we were to ask for forgiveness for sins already forgiven, how would be able to attend confession regularly?

Unless you are having confession 5 minutes after you receive Holy Communion, which is not the normal time for confession, you have probably committed at least one new sin you could confess. I believe Scripture says the just man sins 7 times a day.

 

[sudy]

I’m sorry I’ve added to your confusion.

If you only had venial sins on your conscience, you can be forgiven with the penitential act during Mass and reception of Holy Communion.

If you were praying some kind of novena which requires confession, such as the Divine Mercy novena and you only had venial sins on your conscience, you could confess the venial sins.

The issue of regular confession is a good one …say, once a month. If you aren’t committing mortal sin, you can confess those venial sins.

Well done to you in avoiding the mortal sins, though it’s taken me many years of effort and trust in God to reach this point and I’m still failing at times.

 

[veritatisstella]

Suppose I were to commit a venial sin. Some time later, I received the Eucharist. Then immediately, I went to Confession. Would this be an empty confession?

No, it would not be. You may confess any sins you have committed in the past even though they have already been forgiven in a previous confession or are just venial sins that may be remitted by other means. Confession has the purpose not just of remitting sins but also giving us extra graces to avoid sin.

Helpful quote from Pius XII:

“As you well know, venerable brethren, it is true that venial sins may be expiated in many ways that are to be highly commended. But to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, we will that the pious practice of frequent confession, which was introduced into the Church by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, should be earnestly advocated. By it genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the sacrament itself” (Mystici Corporis 88)

 

[edward_george1]

If someone struggles with scruples, it is not wise for them to reconfess past sins. This can become a compulsion.

-Fr ACEGC