Confession error

[Cimachol]

I was making a general confession - all the sins of my life - and was following a list I had prepared. In many cases, I was estimating, but in one case, I realized that the number I had written down was probably not right - I’d only committed the sin nine times in that time period, but I’d written 10. I stuck with the number 10, because I didn’t want to get off track and was worried about the priest’s time, and that of everyone else in line. Also, explaining why I was suddenly sure it was nine and not 10 seemed beside the point. So I received absolution, but sure enough, I later remembered that I said 10 instead of nine and am worried that, of the thousands of embarrassing sins to which I confessed, I may have blown it by knowingly confessing an inacurrate number. Am I being scrupulous, or did I just waste my entire confession?

 

[bardegaulois]

Yes, you’re being scrupulous. God does not expect that our memories, particularly regarding general confessions, be exact. Your approximation is fine. What is most important is that you express true contrition and sorrow for your sins.

All those sins you confessed are forgiven and you are in a state of grace. Don’t despair of God’s mercy, and don’t feed your scrupulosity by making another general confession soon.

 

[Petaro]

Beware of scrupulosity, it can be a real danger in those trying to be close to Jesus. You are forgiven regardless of memory. Try to approach confession as you would a loving dad, not a tax gatherer. I respect your fervor and will say a poor prayer for you to relax more in His arms.

 

[ServusHumilis]

How could anyone possibly know how many times they specifically did something anyways? The best answer I can give is that you received absolution and have nothing to worry about!

 

[DoGodsBidding]

God is a loving God. He is not waiting to strike us with lightning because we didn’t dot an i or cross a t. He wants us to be with Him and not to agonize because we cannot remember if it was nine times or ten. It is what is in our hearts when we approach Him to ask forgiveness.

DGB

 

[markomalley]

I was making a general confession - all the sins of my life - and was following a list I had prepared. In many cases, I was estimating, but in one case, I realized that the number I had written down was probably not right - I’d only committed the sin nine times in that time period, but I’d written 10. I stuck with the number 10, because I didn’t want to get off track and was worried about the priest’s time, and that of everyone else in line. Also, explaining why I was suddenly sure it was nine and not 10 seemed beside the point. So I received absolution, but sure enough, I later remembered that I said 10 instead of nine and am worried that, of the thousands of embarrassing sins to which I confessed, I may have blown it by knowingly confessing an inacurrate number. Am I being scrupulous, or did I just waste my entire confession?

If you ***intentionally ***omit something, then that would invalidate your confession. The operative word being intentionally. If you inadvertently forget something, the absolution you’re given covers it.

The canon about this says:

Can. 988 §1. A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience.
If you diligently examine your conscience and do not recall an act, you are good. If you are nervous and (honestly) **forget **something while you make your confession, you’re good. If you **know **you did something grave and **choose **to not confess it, then that’s the problem.

A word of caution (not to the OP, but to lurkers): this is a spiritual matter – God knows all and sees all. So if you attempt to conceal something and then try to make a claim, “well, I forgot to confess it” – the only person you’re fooling is yourself.

[NB: I insert the preceding sentence because of the number of “is this a sin?” “is this a sin under these circumstances?” “is this a sin if I ____” threads that predominate some of the forums on CAF – indicating a HUGE spiritual immaturity of some folks]

In the case where you did something 9 times but inadvertently said 10, I agree with the other posters in that you should just relax about it. It sounds inadvertent – and, frankly, you’re confessing more than you actually did…so it’s not like you concealed something.

 

[Cirdan_XII]

Sorry for asking a stupid question, but what’s a general confession and what’s different to a normal confession?

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Sorry for asking a stupid question, but what’s a general confession and what’s different to a normal confession?

A general confession is a confession in which you confess all the sins of your whole life or a great part of it, confessed and unconfessed sins. It is done in the same manner as a normal confession but usually by appointment as it takes much longer than a normal confession.

 

[markomalley]

Sorry for asking a stupid question, but what’s a general confession and what’s different to a normal confession?

Technically, it means where a priest absolves a group of people who have not individually confessed their mortal sins by kind and number. It is only to be done in situations of grave necessity or imminent danger of death (Can 961-963). An example would be a case like the Titanic, where lots and lots of people are going to die soon…and there’s no way that the few priests on board are going to be able to hear everybody’s confession.

As it is commonly (incorrectly…but commonly) used, people use that to talk about a baptized person who does a confession covering his/her entire life just prior to being received into the Church or a Catholic who has been away from the Church for years or decades going to confession as part of being reconciled with the Church. The reason why people use it in that fashion is that there is no reasonable way that a person can be expected to remember 30 years worth of sins “in number and kind” – as required by Can. 988 (as a person would not be expected to be perfect in recalling the sins"which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience")

 

[Cimachol]

Technically, it means where a priest absolves a group of people who have not individually confessed their mortal sins by kind and number. It is only to be done in situations of grave necessity or imminent danger of death (Can 961-963). An example would be a case like the Titanic, where lots and lots of people are going to die soon…and there’s no way that the few priests on board are going to be able to hear everybody’s confession.

As it is commonly (incorrectly…but commonly) used, people use that to talk about a baptized person who does a confession covering his/her entire life just prior to being received into the Church or a Catholic who has been away from the Church for years or decades going to confession as part of being reconciled with the Church. The reason why people use it in that fashion is that there is no reasonable way that a person can be expected to remember 30 years worth of sins “in number and kind” – as required by Can. 988 (as a person would not be expected to be perfect in recalling the sins"which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience")

This was a bit different. (See: catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=33707) As part of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, I was making a general confession of the sins of my entire life to a priest. It was not general absolution. While no one can remember exactly the number of time he or she committed a sin in many cases, we were required to make the closest estimate we could for each mortal sin and go decade by decade.

Actually, now that I’ve reflected further, I realize I had committed the sin 10 times after all during the decade in question. The nature of this particular sin – failing to receive the Eucharist at least one a year – makes it somewhat easier to keep track of, since there are only 10 years in a decade. During my confession, I recalled a brief period when I had decided to try to return to communion with the Church in my 30s. I had gone to confession and then received communion, so I thought this would have made it nine times that I had failed in this obligation.

Upon looking again at my examination of conscience guide, I realized that the obligation is to do the above during the Easter season. It’s possible I had realized that qualifier as I made my list and had written 10 for that reason, but during confession I was thinking that the requirement was to receive communion at some point during the year, which I had done during one of the years. However, the time at which I had received it was, I believe, during the Christmas season.

Anyway, maybe it was good to stick with the list that I had written carefully in advance rather than second-guessing myself in the confessional. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Gorgias]

Technically, it means where a priest absolves a group of people who have not individually confessed their mortal sins by kind and number. It is only to be done in situations of grave necessity or imminent danger of death (Can 961-963).

No; what you’ve described is general absolution. That’s not what’s meant by people generally, when they talk about ‘general confession’.

 

[markomalley]

No; what you’ve described is general absolution. That’s not what’s meant by people generally, when they talk about ‘general confession’.

I try to do my research before saying something is wrong. From the CCC:
1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent’s confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their sins in the time required. The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist. A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity.
Please re-read the second paragraph of my previous post.

Also, see JPII’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penance (1984):
The third form however- reconciliation of a number of penitents with general confession and absolution-is exceptional in character. It is therefore not left to free choice but is regulated by a special discipline.

 

[markomalley]

This was a bit different. (See: catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=33707) As part of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, I was making a general confession of the sins of my entire life to a priest. It was not general absolution. While no one can remember exactly the number of time he or she committed a sin in many cases, we were required to make the closest estimate we could for each mortal sin and go decade by decade.

Actually, now that I’ve reflected further, I realize I had committed the sin 10 times after all during the decade in question. The nature of this particular sin – failing to receive the Eucharist at least one a year – makes it somewhat easier to keep track of, since there are only 10 years in a decade. During my confession, I recalled a brief period when I had decided to try to return to communion with the Church in my 30s. I had gone to confession and then received communion, so I thought this would have made it nine times that I had failed in this obligation.

Upon looking again at my examination of conscience guide, I realized that the obligation is to do the above during the Easter season. It’s possible I had realized that qualifier as I made my list and had written 10 for that reason, but during confession I was thinking that the requirement was to receive communion at some point during the year, which I had done during one of the years. However, the time at which I had received it was, I believe, during the Christmas season.

Anyway, maybe it was good to stick with the list that I had written carefully in advance rather than second-guessing myself in the confessional. Thanks for all the replies.

Regardless, as I said previously, if you didn’t intentionally conceal something, it’s not an issue.