Confession dilemma

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Ace86

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I decided to go to Confession today, and I regularly go. I went to one parish I don’t normally go to, and I arrived 10 minutes into the official confession time, and the priest wasn’t there. I didn’t want to wait for him. So I left and went to another parish. Well I confessed my sins, and right after I said the Act of Contrition the priest interrupted and sorta changed my penance. Then I sat there and waited for him to give me Absolution. Well he didn’t and I guess he thought that he did.

Now I don’t know what to think. I’m pretty sure my sins are not forgiven. Well I’m not going to receive Holy Communion until I hear a priest give me absolution. This incident kinda makes me angry. Advice and prayers would be welcome. Thanks.
 
Ace, some priests give the absolution at the same time you are saying your act of contrition. Is that a possibility?

Betsy
 
baltobetsy said:
Ace, some priests give the absolution at the same time you are saying your act of contrition. Is that a possibility?

Betsy
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Well I don’t remember hearing him say it. If he did, he must have whispered it. If he didn’t do I have to confess the same things again the next time I go, which I plan to do soon?
 
Ace86 said:
Well I don’t remember hearing him say it. If he did, he must have whispered it. If he didn’t do I have to confess the same things again the next time I go, which I plan to do soon?
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Some priests say it very softly and at the same time you say the Act of Contrition. It is not and never has been a requirement that you hear him say it. I personally think that you are all right, and even if the Priest did not absolve you, which I doubt, that was his mistake not yours. I don’t think that God would blame you over his lack of attention to detail.

But if you are really worried you could always confess the same sins again, no prohibition on doing that.
 
palmas85 said:
Some priests say it very softly and at the same time you say the Act of Contrition. It is not and never has been a requirement that you hear him say it. I personally think that you are all right, and even if the Priest did not absolve you, which I doubt, that was his mistake not yours. I don’t think that God would blame you over his lack of attention to detail.

But if you are really worried you could always confess the same sins again, no prohibition on doing that.
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But if the priest did not say it, then how do I know if I’m in mortal sin or not? I do plan on going again sometime. I’ve never heard of priests saying the Absolution so softly. He practically interrupted me right as I finished the Act of Contrition, and it sorta surprised me when he tweaked my penance. And then he was the one who asked if he had given me Absolution and I just sorta said “uh” and then he insisted that I could leave as I just knelt there for a moment.
 
Ace86 said:
But if the priest did not say it, then how do I know if I’m in mortal sin or not? I do plan on going again sometime. I’ve never heard of priests saying the Absolution so softly. He practically interrupted me right as I finished the Act of Contrition, and it sorta surprised me when he tweaked my penance. And then he was the one who asked if he had given me Absolution and I just sorta said “uh” and then he insisted that I could leave as I just knelt there for a moment.
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If he said you could leave then you are all right. Remember it is your intent that counts. Look you go and make a valid heartfelt and contrite confession with a firm purpose of amendment. Who are you confessing to? Christ or the Priest? You are confessing to Christ through the Priest. The Priest just as in the Mass is acting in place of Christ. Christ hears your confession because you have done the right thing in the way the Church says to do it.

Take this example. You confess receive absolution do your penance and go home. Sudddenly you realize that you honestly forgot to confess a mortal sin:bigyikes:

Are you in a state of mortal sin?

No because you honestly thought you had confessed everything and you did so in accordance with established Church procedure. You were absolved and forgiven through your intent. Next time you confess just tell the Priest, last time I honestly forgot to confess the sin of whatever.

Now you go to confession and honestly confess everything but you don’t really think you did anything wrong and don’t have that firm purpose of amendment. The Priest absolves you. Are you forgiven? NO, because your intent was not right.

It is your intent that primarily determines the validity of your confession and the aftermath. I don’t think that you understand that completely.

.
 
Well I understand what you’re saying Palmas85, and I know that it is Christ who forgives through the priest. I just don’t feel comfortable, and I didn’t receive Holy Communion today because of it. I plan on going again sometime this week. Should I re-confess everything again? I don’t know. But maybe I should just to make sure.
 
Ace86 said:
Well I understand what you’re saying Palmas85, and I know that it is Christ who forgives through the priest. I just don’t feel comfortable, and I didn’t receive Holy Communion today because of it. I plan on going again sometime this week. Should I re-confess everything again? I don’t know. But maybe I should just to make sure.
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This is too important to leave to guesswork. Either go to the “Ask An Apologist” section, or, better yet, ask your priest.
 
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