Confession Mess?

[Mr.Blank1.5]

Recently, I remebered a past confession where I told a priest I was not sure how many days it was since my last confession even though I did but was embarassed to tell him the exact time. At the time, I didn’t think this was a grave sin.

Of course, when I remembered to confess this sin, I recalled it shortly after I had finished confessing and the priest was giving advice. I wasn’t sure if I should have interrupted him and said “I forgot to mention this…” (although I probably should have). When I told him after the confession was over (after absolution), all he said was “I absolve you of your sin” which is not the Trinitarian formula.

So were all my confessions invalid since that day I was embarassed to tell him the exact amount of days since my last confession?

 

[Julian0404]

Mr. Blank 1.5
Your focusing on the wrong aspect of confession. You are becoming to “legalistic” in your approach, to worry if you had the exact days correct. Confession is a fountain of grace of joy to be immersed within to the “relief” and “comfort” of your soul. I have never focused on the exact number of days. I give a +/- time usually in weeks, i.e. "about 4 weeks since my last confession. If I miss a First Saturday, then about 2 months since my last confession.
Focus on the joy of being washed clean, and not on the audit of days.
And as a sidebar: I would encourage you to use the Sacrament of Confession on !st Saturdays and 1st Fridays, given the very special gifts promised by Jesus and Mary to those who fullfill the obligation of those two gifts, which requires confession.

 

[Tedster]

Mr. Blank 1.5
Your focusing on the wrong aspect of confession. You are becoming to “legalistic” in your approach, to worry if you had the exact days correct. Confession is a fountain of grace of joy to be immersed within to the “relief” and “comfort” of your soul. I have never focused on the exact number of days. I give a +/- time usually in weeks, i.e. "about 4 weeks since my last confession. If I miss a First Saturday, then about 2 months since my last confession.
Focus on the joy of being washed clean, and not on the audit of days.
And as a sidebar: I would encourage you to use the Sacrament of Confession on !st Saturdays and 1st Fridays, given the very special gifts promised by Jesus and Mary to those who fullfill the obligation of those two gifts, which requires confession.

I think the O.P. was concerned that he lied in confession by purposely saying he was not sure although he really did know, and to make amends for that invalid confession, he must confess that particular sin, validly, in another confession.

Mr. Blank: Your first confession was not valid since you lied in that one, but the second one would be since you at least intended to confess that item. You were also absolved of it at that time. The priest must only say “I absolve you of your sin”, and it is done.

In the future, you could do this: when finished admitting sins, end this portion of your confession by saying “For these sins, for any sins I may have forgotten, and for all the sins of my past life, I am truly sorry.” The the priest will give you absolution, and if you truly forgot a sin, simply confess it at your next chance, but it is still forgiven!

 

[Mr.Blank1.5]

Mr. Blank: Your first confession was not valid since you lied in that one, but the second one would be since you at least intended to confess that item. You were also absolved of it at that time. The priest must only say “I absolve you of your sin”, and it is done.

There were several confessions between the invalid one and the last one. Were those confessions invalid as well? Do I have to re-confess those sins as well?

 

[Tedster]

There were several confessions between the invalid one and the last one. Were those confessions invalid as well?

No, not unless you purposely withheld confessing a sin.

Do I have to re-confess those sins as well?

No.

I would suggest you make a confession and tell the priest exactly what you have said here. He will have questions possibly and then he can absolve everything!

 

[baltobetsy]

I would suggest you make a confession and tell the priest exactly what you have said here. He will have questions possibly and then he can absolve everything!

This and the warning early on about legalism is the only really good advice in this thread. Don’t be surprised if the priest brings up the subject of scrupulosity.

IF you had made a bad confession when you did not tell the exact number of days since your last confession, that confession and all the subsequent ones would have been invalid. You would have to confess every mortal sin from the first bad confession to the present, in addition to confessing that you had made a bad confession.

However, that is a big IF. My guess is that you were embarrassed because it had been so few days since your last confession and were not precise about it. Be sure to explain this and ask the priest if indeed that made that first confession you have told about, invalid. Don’t be surprised if he says it did not.

Please try to remember that God has not set up an elaborate game with confusing and contradictory rules to make it difficult to get to heaven. He loves you and wants you with Him. Think about how the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son welcomed his son back. He didn’t even let him finish his little speech. In confession, you get to finish your little speech, but after that, it’s all welcome and forgiveness.

Betsy

 

[Mr.Blank1.5]

However, that is a big IF. My guess is that you were embarrassed because it had been so few days since your last confession and were not precise about it. Be sure to explain this and ask the priest if indeed that made that first confession you have told about, invalid. Don’t be surprised if he says it did not.

Being embarrassed makes a difference? Does it reduce culpability in this case or something like that? Please explain
Also, would I have to refrain from communion until the next confession?

Please try to remember that God has not set up an elaborate game with confusing and contradictory rules to make it difficult to get to heaven. He loves you and wants you with Him. Think about how the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son welcomed his son back. He didn’t even let him finish his little speech. In confession, you get to finish your little speech, but after that, it’s all welcome and forgiveness.

I’ll remember this.

 

[baltobetsy]

Being embarrassed makes a difference? Does it reduce culpability in this case or something like that? Please explain
Also, would I have to refrain from communion until the next confession?

No, it’s not embarrassment that makes the difference, but the smallness of the matter of the “lie.” You almost certainly did not leave the priest with a seriously wrong impression of how long it had been since your last confession. The difference between a week and three days, for example, is nothing compared to the difference between a week and a year or more. Also, if you decided “on the fly” not to tell the exact number of days, you really did not have time for sufficient reflection. Finally, the length of time since your last confession is not a sin to be confessed, unless it’s been over a year. So you did not conceal a sin, which is what usually invalidates a confession.

So IF you indeed made a bad confession, you should refrain from Communion until it’s rectified. I’m just not certain you really did. You have to decide this for yourself. The rule that most regular confessors give to their scrupulous penitents is that, unless you are 100% certain you have committed a mortal sin, you receive Communion. There’s a reason for you to choose one and only one priest for your confessor, discuss your scruples with him, and always follow his direction.

Betsy