Confession: Have consistently failed to state # of times sins were committed

[ilySHJ]

Just mention your concern to the priest during your next confession. If there’s a specific moryal sin, confess it.

At the end of your confession of sins, you may add something like, “For these and all my sins, I’m truly sorry.”

Confession is a wonderful sacrament!

 

[catholictiger]

There is an obligation to confess all mortal sins in number and kind (and circumstance that changes the kind …like it was your brother you murdered).

It is not just in order to give a better penance but is part of the nature of the Sacrament.

If I commit murder 3x and I repent --and goto confession and in my nervousness I forget to say “3x” but only “I committed murder” --in the next confession (if I realize this happened) I need to confess it was three murders …for two of em where not confessed.

If one forgets a mortal sin --ordinarily they are to confess it in the next confession.

jimmyakin.com/2006/09/a_reader_writes_1.html

(Now I will note for some out there – who struggle with scruples – they may be in a different boat in some cases. For some seek to confess all sorts of un-needful things --they need a regular confessor who can guide them)

i don’t disagree with this one bit but the OP asked does forgetting the number of times you sinned invalidate the sacrament and the simple answer to that question is no it doesn’t as long as you are truly sorry for the sins you know you committed and the priest does what he is supposed to do your sins are forgiven. Debt of punishment is another issue though.

also wording it the way you do makes you sound to scrupulous, saying that we obligated to confess the mortal sins in number is putting it a-little harsh IMO. It is important to remember every single thing we did to offend God in number in severity and so on and so forth, but that isn’t possible because of our limited memories. As another poster said to the best of your ability confess all the sins you can remember, and if you remember number of times and trust in the mercy of God to forgive your sins.

btw one way to help remember is to do a daily examination of conscience.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

I came back to the Church in April of 2011, and I go to confession regularly (every 2-3 weeks). In my confessions, I have consistently forgotten to state the number of times I committed the sins. It simply doesn’t occur to me, especially when the things which I am confessing are difficult and involved issues (my emotion interferes, and thought process is not as neat and ordered as one would otherwise hope it to be).

Does this mean all those confessions were invalid? Yesterday I went to confession, and I included the mention of something horribly despicable I did as a child (a memory which was provoked by a news article that I recently read). Then I went to confession again today because I had unbearable anxiety, having doubted whether I sufficiently described the sin (it’s not one which I was able to identify with a single word, thus I resorted to attempted description). And again, I did not identify the sin by type (though it was my intention to, I wanted to at least identify the commandment which it pertained to, but I started crying right as I was getting ready to narrate and that messed up my thought process), but I think I was more direct than yesterday.

I mention this because I am very discouraged at the thought of going through all of this again because I have failed of state the number of times I have sinned when I’ve gone to confession.

This website is what gives the impression that stated number of times is necessary for valid confession:

saintaquinas.com/howto_confess.html

1. I am confused as to the law concerning obligatory confession of forgotten sins. Does this apply to any and all grave, unconfessed sins committed after baptism, that one is conscious of, or only those that one has committed since the last confession?

(emphasis mine)

1. Same exact question as above, with one change: replace “grave” with “mortal” (apparently, Canon law uses “grave” when speaking of the type of sins we are required to confess, though other Catholic websites use “mortal” … and all this time I’ve thought there was a nuanced difference between the two words … that all mortal sins are grave, but not all grave sins are mortal.)

Very distressed right now, clarifications would be much appreciated, especially if they cite authoritative sources.

It’s okay. I forget to state the number of times a lot too. But the key word here is “forget”. If you intentionally didn’t tell him how many times you did something, then your confession would likely have been invalid. However, you did not. You are forgiven of your sins that you confessed and you are not required to confess them again.

However, you are being scrupulous. You stated something about forgetting to mention which commandment it pertained to - this is completely unnecessary. The Priest knows the ten commandments, he knows what you have done that pertain to each commandment. You do not have to state which commandment your sin is related to at all. I have never even heard of this, in fact.

 

[AnneTeresa]

I think you are fine. As others said, you didn’t do it on purpose. God isn’t going to withhold forgiveness because your emotions were strong and you forgot something. What matters is your repentance.

Something to think about for anyone struggling with remembering past sins … you might consider doing a general confession of your life at some point. That is, you state everything you can remember in one confession. I did this, wrote it all out in very much detail, then made an appointment and read it. It really was helpful – I had been floundering for quite a while with remembering things from the past and figuring out how to deal with that in confession, then having more things pop up again right after. I even probably went way overboard in stating sins several different ways because I wanted to be absolutely certain I was confessing everything once and for all and didn’t want to keep worrying about it in the future.

Doing this gives you a point of reference for when you have doubts later about validity or forgiveness – you then think, yes, I am forgiven, I said everything I could think of at that general confession and I received absolution. It is hard at the beginning I think, for those of us who’ve been gone from the sacrament for a long time. I remember feeling the same way you do for quite a while after I returned. Hope this helps. God bless you!

 

[Bookcat]

Honestly forgetting to confess the number of mortal sins

(venial sins need not be even confessed necessarily -though very recommended --at least some…let alone numbers given)

-is well –forgetting to do so. Hiding such is a different story. Assuming one was contrite and amended and intending to confess all mortal sins --and just forgot to say some —
*
they are absolved indirectly. *

One is to confess then in the next confession. Of course ones memory could honestly slip again despite ones intent etc to remember.

Yes one is to confess all forgotten post -baptismal mortal sins (well that is those one remembers!..sometimes we may forget something forever…). So if one remembers say that one murdered ones 5th grade teacher…and that it was mortal (not only grave matter but full knowledge and deliberate consent) and not confessed --one is to confess it.

(Now I will note for some out there – who struggle with scruples – they may be in a different boat in some cases. For some seek to confess all sorts of un-needful things --they need a regular confessor who can guide them)

One does not have to identify the commandment --but rather for mortal sins one needs to confess the species (even if one does not use the technical name) jimmyakin.com/2007/03/specific_confes.html (Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers).

As to forgotten mortal sins: jimmyakin.com/2006/09/a_reader_writes_1.html

As to “grave sin” “mortal sin” and “serious sin” they are different terms for the same sin. All are synonyms. Some can get confused there…but the terms are used interchangably by the Church. So when Canon Law states one must confess all grave sins --well what is meant is that which was committed (grave matter, full knowledge and deliberate consent). Hence all mortal sins (grave sins, serious sins -they all mean the same with a bit different emphasis) are to be confessed.

One can address this difficulty with a Priest in confession – and remedy what may be missing etc etc. You could make an appointment and perhaps (perhaps I say not must) make some notes --perhaps in code --to refer to and then destroy the list.

I repeat for new readers. One IS obliged to confess forgotten mortal sins

 

[bilop]

I repeat for new readers. One IS obliged to confess forgotten mortal sins

If you subsequently remember it, or learn that something you thought wasn’t sinful, is, then you have to mention it in a future confession. But, as long as it was legitimately forgotten, that sin was forgiven by your previous confession.

You may committ a new sin by not mentioning a mortal sin you now recall, but you can’t be “unforgiven” for a previously absolved sin. Just like failure to do assigned penance (intentionally) may be sinful, but does not invalidate the confession and absolution.

God Bless

 

[Bookcat]

If you subsequently remember it, or learn that something you thought wasn’t sinful, is, then you have to mention it in a future confession. But, as long as it was legitimately forgotten, that sin was forgiven by your previous confession.

You may committ a new sin by not mentioning a mortal sin you now recall, but you can’t be “unforgiven” for a previously absolved sin. Just like failure to do assigned penance (intentionally) may be sinful, but does not invalidate the confession and absolution.

God Bless

Yes I have said as much above (with various details).

 

[bilop]

Yes I have said as much above (with various details).

Just making it clear for everyone who may not know.

People can be scrupulous.

God Bless