Confession - Language barrier with priest

[mo7]

I went to confession today. The priest is foreign and has a very thick accent. I am not sure he understood me. His comments, as far as I could understand his English, were not really regarding what I had said. I was the last confession of the day and Mass was about to begin. I didn’t feel like I had the time to correct his understanding (if it was wrong). I was also shy to ask him. Did I receive absolution?

 

[Pa_Newman]

Yes you did .If you intended to sincerely confess your sins and you are sorry for them,then regardless of what the priest said if he gave you absolution your sins are forgiven. remember God works through the priest and God knows what is in your heart.

 

[Vico]

I went to confession today. The priest is foreign and has a very thick accent. I am not sure he understood me. His comments, as far as I could understand his English, were not really regarding what I had said. I was the last confession of the day and Mass was about to begin. I didn’t feel like I had the time to correct his understanding (if it was wrong). I was also shy to ask him. Did I receive absolution?

If he absolved you, and you had proper contrition then you are absolved. And if you told the number and kind of serious sins you could remember, then you are done, unless you later remember something else not told.

 

[Suslar]

I had a similar situation not too long ago where the priest was from another country and just learning English. As we talked, I too felt he didn’t really understand everything and I think he sensed that too because his clearest English was, “I can and will absolve you, but please go to see your regular Confessor or Spiritual Director as soon as you can.” And he asked if I understood him saying that. The absolution was true and complete, but he wanted me to benefit from good spiritual counseling which he was astute enough to know couldn’t happen with the language barrier. I left thinking “what a great priest!”

 

[mo7]

Thank you all.

 

[Boy_Wonder]

I went to confession today. The priest is foreign and has a very thick accent. I am not sure he understood me. His comments, as far as I could understand his English, were not really regarding what I had said. I was the last confession of the day and Mass was about to begin. I didn’t feel like I had the time to correct his understanding (if it was wrong). I was also shy to ask him. Did I receive absolution?

Yes, absolutely you were absolved.