Confession question

[t68ware]

I have recently availed myself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and it has been wonderful but I am very curious about something i heard about having a “good confession”. I was told that would require the telling of each and every sin that comes to memory, how many times it was done and when, and that got me thinking about when Christ forgave sins in the Gospels. He forgave broadly, not specific sins having to be confessed, etc, and Paul and the rest of the NT never admonishes us to do that deep of a confession, so my question is why do we?

 

[ivdaeorum]

I think its very important to have an examination of conscience. It shows us that we are truly aware of our sins and how much they offend our Lord. Jesus knows us each individully,better than we know ourselves. God gave us the gift of reconciliation through the Church.

 

[englishredrose]

a good confession really is being sorry for the sins you have committed.

No doubt many will include what you have asked here but in essence being sorry is what is important for a good confession.

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and I will add I am anglican before a few helpful posts state this but i really do believe that for all the only good confession there is, is being sorry for the sins you have committed

 

[DKJ]

I asked my spiritual director the same question and he told me that a good confession is one that comes from the heart. He has been a priest for 43 years so I would think that he understands what makes a good confession.

 

[McCall1981]

a good confession really is being sorry for the sins you have committed.

No doubt many will include what you have asked here but in essence being sorry is what is important for a good confession.

Agreed. I think the reason for listing the sins etc is to prevent us from glossing over our sins and not really examining our conscience. Listing them makes you think about and face them and hopefully be legitimately sorry for them.

I often have a hard time saying my sins while in confession, but after I’ve finished saying them I always get a wave of relief. If I gloss over them, I know in the back of my mind that I sort copped out.

 

[Joe_5859]

Jesus gave the power and authority to “bind and loose” to the apostles and their successors – the bishops. The bishops share this power with the priests who are under them.

The lawful authority of the Church has asked for us to confess both number and kind of all mortal sins committed (we do not have to do this with venial sins, but you could – though it would probably be a bit of an unwieldy task for most of us to confess number and kind of all our venial sins).

It need not trouble us that it is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture to confess this way. What is explicitly in Scripture is that Jesus gave the keys to Peter and his successors. Therefore, they have the authority to make such regulations.

All this said, confessing the number and kind of our mortal sins is not some arbitrary, pointless rule some pope made up just for the heck of it. Doing this forces us to examine our consciences more closely. It also gives the priest a much clearer picture of where we are at so that he can counsel us appropriately.

 

[xzereus]

In addition to what has been mentioned, the situations in the gospel were extraordinary forms of forgiveness, not ordinary. Moreover, this was the forgiveness at conversion. The gospels do not really mention forgiveness after conversion, so what would we have to compare it to in scripture?

To think about it another way, compare the forgiveness we see here to the baptism of converts. The baptism of converts does not require individual confession of sins. Rather, their entire soul is washed clean by the baptism waters. This is what you should compare the “general forgiveness” to, not confession.

 

[giuseppeTO]

As the competent authority at interpreting scripture, Holy Mother church has determined that the scripture “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.” means that you will confess your sins in detail to a priest and he will absolve you of your sins. There are some sins he may not personally have the authority to absolve you of according to canon law. That is why you need to provide the details of your sin.

A good Confession is an honest confession where you have spent ample time examining your conscience for any sins you have committed since your previous confession, or forgot to mention in your last confession, and you are remorseful for your sins. Your intention must be to amend your life to avoid the sins you may particularly have a problem with and avoid the near occasion of sin.

 

[Schedman]

It seems to me that any life not lived in orientation to God is a life lived in sin. Confession helps us to refocus our life on God. Listing our sins (at least those we remember) is giving them to God; sort of like getting rid of toxic waste. That is why I can walk out of the confessional feeling totally free.

 

[Rich_C]

I have recently availed myself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and it has been wonderful but I am very curious about something i heard about having a “good confession”. I was told that would require the telling of each and every sin that comes to memory, how many times it was done and when, and that got me thinking about when Christ forgave sins in the Gospels. He forgave broadly, not specific sins having to be confessed, etc, and Paul and the rest of the NT never admonishes us to do that deep of a confession, so my question is why do we?

Our Lord could read souls, father can’t.

Second, if you look at how rigorous St. Paul is about everything else, it seems safe to say that if he’d written more about confession, he would have applied the same discipline.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Rich_C]

As the competent authority at interpreting scripture, Holy Mother church has determined that the scripture “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.” means that you will confess your sins in detail to a priest and he will absolve you of your sins. There are some sins he may not personally have the authority to absolve you of according to canon law. That is why you need to provide the details of your sin.

A good Confession is an honest confession where you have spent ample time examining your conscience for any sins you have committed since your previous confession, or forgot to mention in your last confession, and you are remorseful for your sins. Your intention must be to amend your life to avoid the sins you may particularly have a problem with and avoid the near occasion of sin.

Well said.

 

[Joannm]

I have recently availed myself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and it has been wonderful but I am very curious about something i heard about having a “good confession”. I was told that would require the telling of each and every sin that comes to memory, how many times it was done and when, and that got me thinking about when Christ forgave sins in the Gospels. He forgave broadly, not specific sins having to be confessed, etc, and Paul and the rest of the NT never admonishes us to do that deep of a confession, so my question is why do we?

We only have to confess mortal sins by kind and number of times. You don’t have to say when or even give many details unless the priest asks. In fact my priest usually asks me to skip the details, but then again maybe because I mostly confess venial sins.

 

[Edmundus1581]

a good confession really is being sorry for the sins you have committed.

No doubt many will include what you have asked here but in essence being sorry is what is important for a good confession.

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and I will add I am anglican before a few helpful posts state this but i really do believe that for all the only good confession there is, is being sorry for the sins you have committed

I also agree.

My favourite biblical image of confession is the prodigal son returning to the father, and the father embraces him before the confession, and then, before the brief confession has finished, stops him and rejoices.

Of course, I accept and practice the Catholic doctrine of the requirements for a good confession (and, I believe that confession by kind and number is doctrine rather than discipline), however I also believe that confession is, primarily, repentance and forgiveness as recounted in the gospels.

However, I don’t agree with this…

…and Paul and the rest of the NT never admonishes us to do that deep of a confession, so my question is why do we?

Paul and the rest of the NT never attempted to establish all the doctrines and the disciplines of the Church. You can’t pit Paul against the Magisterium (ie. the authority of the Church). The Church is clear - we must confess mortal sins by kind and number. Although God is not restricted by the sacraments, when we use them we must use them correctly (as intended by the Church).

 

[twf]

I also agree.

My favourite biblical image of confession is the prodigal son returning to the father, and the father embraces him before the confession, and then, before the brief confession has finished, stops him and rejoices.

Of course, I accept and practice the Catholic doctrine of the requirements for a good confession (and, I believe that confession by kind and number is doctrine rather than discipline), however I also believe that confession is, primarily, repentance and forgiveness as recounted in the gospels.

However, I don’t agree with this…

Paul and the rest of the NT never attempted to establish all the doctrines and the disciplines of the Church. You can’t pit Paul against the Magisterium (ie. the authority of the Church). The Church is clear - we must confess mortal sins by kind and number. Although God is not restricted by the sacraments, when we use them we must use them correctly (as intended by the Church).

I’m quite certain that confessing “kind” and “number” is a matter of discipline, not doctrine. As other posters have noted, Holy Mother Church has the authority to require this us of - and She does so for good reason…there are many pastoral and spiritual advantages (humility, appropriate pastoral instruction/assistance from the priest, recognition of our own failings, etc). Keep in mind that private one on one confession was not always the norm in the Church…the way in which the sacrament of penance is administered has varied down through the centuries…the essential element that has always been there is the bishop (or priest) granting absolution in Christ’s name. Doctrinally only the absolution is required (hence why general absolutions, when lawfully given, are valid)…but as a matter of discipline, the Church also asks for private, personal confession.

 

[Edmundus1581]

I’m quite certain that confessing “kind” and “number” is a matter of discipline, not doctrine. …

Thanks for the reply.

I think that most Catholics would think the same (if they understood the difference), however I learned recently that it is, apparently, more doctrine than discipline, in that the Church simply cannot change it. Obviously, individual pastors do dispense with it in some situations, and they can do this, but they are the exception. The church cannot say “From now on, priests can give absolution without hearing a valid confession”.

I refer to Cardinal Ratzinger, Motu Proprio, 2002.

This juridical-sacramental character of the sacrament has two important implications: if this is the reality, we must speak of a sacrament that is different from Baptism, of a specific sacrament, that supposes a special sacramental power, that is linked with the Sacrament of Orders (1684). If however, there is also a judicial evaluation, then it is clear that the judge has to know the facts of the case on which he is to judge. The necessity of the personal confession with the telling of the sins, for which one must ask pardon of God and of the Church because they have broken the unity of love with God that is given by baptism, is implicit in the juridical aspect. **At this point the Council can say that it is necessary iure divino (by divine law) to confess each and every mortal sin (can. 7, 1707). **So the Council teaches that the duty of confession was instituted by the Lord himself and is constitutive of the sacrament, and so not left to the disposition of the Church.

The explanation here is important. He is discussing the juridicial aspect of confession, where the priest judges the penitent, with authority to forgive or retain his sins (John 20:23).

The Fathers saw in this the judicial nature of the sacrament. **Two aspects belong essentially to the Sacrament of Penance: on the one hand the sacramental aspect, namely the mandate of the Lord, **that goes beyond the real power of the disciples and of the community of disciples of the Church; on the other hand, the commission to make the decision that must be founded objectively and, therefore, must be just and in this sense has **a judicial nature. “**Jurisdiction” belongs to the sacrament and it requires a juridical order in the Church, that is always directed to the essence of the sacrament, to the saving will of God (1686f).

Perhaps this can illuminate the original discussion. The “sacramental aspect” is closer to the forgiveness freely given by Jesus in the gospels, and “goes beyond the real power of the disciples and of the community of disciples of the Church”, whereas the “juridicial nature” always requires confession.

 

[johnthebaptist1]

When I go to Confession,I tell the priest the sins that i have commited,and if I forget something, i know that Jesus understands,and when the priest said,s I forgive all your sins,I know that Jesus also for gives me and than I feel better, knowing that I,am in the state of Grace.

 

[twf]

When I go to Confession,I tell the priest the sins that i have commited,and if I forget something, i know that Jesus understands,and when the priest said,s I forgive all your sins,I know that Jesus also for gives me and than I feel better, knowing that I,am in the state of Grace.

This is true; you would indeed be in a state of grace. Though if you do forget a mortal sin and remember it later, you should confess it the next time you go to confession.

 

[johnthebaptist1]

This is true; you would indeed be in a state of grace. Though if you do forget a mortal sin and remember it later, you should confess it the next time you go to confession.

yes I agree with you,their has been things to, that came to mine,and I told the priest.But some priest say, at the end,I forgive all sins you have commited by the power given to me.Amen