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mgb2
Guest
Are there any special (starting/ending) formulas, that English speaking people use for confession? Where can I find them if they exist?
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Tantum_ergo
Guest
I think the St. Joseph Missal has a formula for the newer Rite of Reconciliation (sorry, my mother has my copy right now and I haven’t picked up the new one yet).
When I was growing up back in the glorious (ha) 1960s we learned this one:
Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (x long) since my last confession. These are my sins (list sins and number of times done to best estimate). For these and all my past sins, I am very sorry.
Father then speaks about the sins and gives insight and any necessary penance. He then asks for an Act of Contrition from us. We say,
Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. And I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell. But most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life, amen.
Father then gives absolution and tells us to go in peace. We respond,
Thank you and God bless you, Father.
That’s what I still do. There are many variations (for people who don’t care for the more ‘archaic’ kind of English) which are perfectly fine. The main points are to tell the priest your sins, to say you’re sorry for the sins, and to listen to whatever the priest tells you to do.
When I was growing up back in the glorious (ha) 1960s we learned this one:
Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (x long) since my last confession. These are my sins (list sins and number of times done to best estimate). For these and all my past sins, I am very sorry.
Father then speaks about the sins and gives insight and any necessary penance. He then asks for an Act of Contrition from us. We say,
Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. And I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell. But most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life, amen.
Father then gives absolution and tells us to go in peace. We respond,
Thank you and God bless you, Father.
That’s what I still do. There are many variations (for people who don’t care for the more ‘archaic’ kind of English) which are perfectly fine. The main points are to tell the priest your sins, to say you’re sorry for the sins, and to listen to whatever the priest tells you to do.
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PAboy57
Guest
that is how we were taught in 1964. it is so nice to have consistent teaching. thanks
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JS_Cortez
Guest
You’ll be happy to know that’s the one I was taught in the 90s, more or less. There was only a few differences between then and now.
The first is the Act of Contrition is:
Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. And I detest all my sins, because your just punishments, but most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life, amen.
The other things that differed for me when I was taught I wasn’t told to list the number of times I committed a sin (unless it is a mortal sin, where the priest would then ask more about it and the circumstances) and there was not set phrase for telling the priest when I was done confessing. Instead, I could say in my own words that I believed these were all the sins I had committed since my last confession.
But not too many differences between the 60s and the 90s considering V2 reforms between them.
The first is the Act of Contrition is:
Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. And I detest all my sins, because your just punishments, but most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life, amen.
The other things that differed for me when I was taught I wasn’t told to list the number of times I committed a sin (unless it is a mortal sin, where the priest would then ask more about it and the circumstances) and there was not set phrase for telling the priest when I was done confessing. Instead, I could say in my own words that I believed these were all the sins I had committed since my last confession.
But not too many differences between the 60s and the 90s considering V2 reforms between them.
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wjp984
Guest
Is it different in other languages?
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Spirithound
Guest
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mgb2
Guest
Thanks a lot for all your replies. The Act of Contrition is quite an interesting idea (I like the one in old English 
) We don’t say it in Polish. The priest may sometimes say “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” to which you answer “His mercy endures for ever.”, but that is not very populer these days. And you always start saying kind of “Be praised Jesus Christ” rather than Bless me Father…, that would sound rather bizzare 
) We don’t say it in Polish. The priest may sometimes say “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” to which you answer “His mercy endures for ever.”, but that is not very populer these days. And you always start saying kind of “Be praised Jesus Christ” rather than Bless me Father…, that would sound rather bizzare
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PJM
Guest
Yes, here is a broad outline: The priest will assit you if you ask him too.
- Enter Confessiona’
- Select face to face or behind the curtain
- **Begain with the SIGN of the Cross and the words: **"Bless me father for I have sinned; it has ben [name the time period since last confession] making the sign of the Cross on your person
- Then enumeriate your sins.
- Father may ask a qustion or two for clarification
- Father will ask you to mke a “firm act of Contrition” "O my God I am truly sorry …Ect.
- Father then will grant Absolutation: I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit while blesing you. Again you make he sign of the Cross nd say: AMEN!
8.For your Pennance say or do … such and such
God Bless you,
Pat
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Damase
Guest
Some guidelines from my Layman’s Missal (1961, reprinted 2008):
- Before Confession, you should always say the Confiteor (“I confess to Almighty God, etc.”)
- Upon entering the confessional, kneel and say: "Bless me, father, for I have sinned."
- Then say how long it has been since your last confession and the sins you accuse yourself of since then, telling them as you would to Jesus Christ, whom the priest represents.
- If time allows, you can add: "I also accuse myself of all the sins I may have forgotten, and all the sins of my past life. I ask forgiveness of them of God, and from you, father, penance and absolution if you think I deserve it."
- While you are being absolved, think of Jesus dying on the cross for your sins and the sins of all mankind.
- Perform an Act of Contrition: "O God, I am sorry with my whole heart for all my sins because you are infinitely good and sins is an offense against you. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, not to sin again and to avoid the occasions of sin."
- The priest gives you a penance; perform it as soon as possible.
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Contra_Mundum_1
Guest
It is exactly the same in Croatian (except that we have the Act of contrition)Thanks a lot for all your replies. The Act of Contrition is quite an interesting idea (I like the one in old English
I miss it. When I first came to the UK it took me a long time to gather courage and go to confession in English.
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Joannm
Guest
According to the official rite for reconciliation of individual penitents.:
When the penitent come to confess his sins, the priest welcomes him warmly and greets him with kindness. Then the penitent makes the sign of the cross which the priest may make also. The priest invites the penitent to have trust in God. Then the priest may read or say from memory a text of Scripture. The penitent confesses his sins, the priest may counsel the penitent, urges him to be sorry for his faults and proposes an act of penance, then asks the penitent to express his sorrow (choice of act of contrition) Then the priest offers the words of absolution and continued “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good” and the penitent replies “His mery endures for ever.” Then the preist dismissed the penitent with several choices of dismissal.
Of course I condensed all this but what stands out is there is no mention of “Bless me Father…” The choice of Act of Contrition is the penitents and that there is an optional reading of scripture. Also the priest is to greet the penitent first.
When the penitent come to confess his sins, the priest welcomes him warmly and greets him with kindness. Then the penitent makes the sign of the cross which the priest may make also. The priest invites the penitent to have trust in God. Then the priest may read or say from memory a text of Scripture. The penitent confesses his sins, the priest may counsel the penitent, urges him to be sorry for his faults and proposes an act of penance, then asks the penitent to express his sorrow (choice of act of contrition) Then the priest offers the words of absolution and continued “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good” and the penitent replies “His mery endures for ever.” Then the preist dismissed the penitent with several choices of dismissal.
Of course I condensed all this but what stands out is there is no mention of “Bless me Father…” The choice of Act of Contrition is the penitents and that there is an optional reading of scripture. Also the priest is to greet the penitent first.
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PabloPira
Guest
It is not exactly the same in Spanish… usually with my confessor it goes like this:
Priest: Ave María Purísima (Hail purest Mary)
Penitent: Sin pecado concebida. (Conceived without sin)
Both make the sign of the Cross.
Pr: El Señor esté en tu corazón para que te puedas arrepentir de todos tus pecados.
(May the Lord be in your heart so that you can repent of all your sins).
Pe: Señor, Tú lo sabes todo, Tú sabes que te quiero
( “Lord, Thou knowest all things: Thou knowest that I love thee”. as in John 21, 17)
and then the usual…
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