Confession Questions

[traillius]

1. IF I don’t remember whether a certain sin was confessed and forgiven, should I confess it again.
2. Does Confession erase the sin, or only the punishment for the sin?
3. Is it proper to tell a spouse what you confessed? ( I hope that one is not silly )

 

[nicolep]

1. IF I don’t remember whether a certain sin was confessed and forgiven, should I confess it again.
2. Does Confession erase the sin, or only the punishment for the sin?
3. Is it proper to tell a spouse what you confessed? ( I hope that one is not silly )

1. If you don’t remember, it would be best to mention it in your next confession stating that you don’t remember.
2. Confession confers absolution (forgiveness of sins), but it doesn’t erase the temporal punishment.
3. If you are comfortable telling others your sins and what you confessed, you are quite welcome to do so.

 

[Angel_Bradford]

It was absolved already. If it is a venial sin, you do not need to confess it. If it was a mortal sin, it was absolved, provided you at least implicitly intended to mention it in the future should you remember it. (What this means is that you confessed all known sins, and would have confessed whatever others you committed had you recalled them.) So, if you now recall a mortal sin, mention it the next time you go to confession.

 

[nicolep]

It was absolved already. If it is a venial sin, you do not need to confess it. If it was a mortal sin, it was absolved, provided you at least implicitly intended to mention it in the future should you remember it. (What this means is that you confessed all known sins, and would have confessed whatever others you committed had you recalled them.) So, if you now recall a mortal sin, mention it the next time you go to confession.

Yes, the sin is already forgiven. However, I have always been taught that it should be repeated in the next confession.

 

[traillius]

Aother question
I will ask by example.
I confess " I lied to my wife " suppose I have lied twice,
do I need to confess each indiividual lie ?
Or can I " blanket confess " ?

 

[Angel_Bradford]

Yes, the sin is already forgiven. However, I have always been taught that it should be repeated in the next confession.

Venial sins need not be confessed at all – although the Church does highly recommend the sacramental confession of venial sins – and so forgotten venial sins do not need to be brought up in your next confession. Only if you remember a forgotten mortal sin do you need to confess it at your next confession.

Also remember that reception of the Eucharist is also effective for the forgiveness of venial sins. If you commit a future venial sin, you can obtain forgiveness for it through Communion.

 

[allhers]

Aother question
I will ask by example.
I confess " I lied to my wife " suppose I have lied twice,
do I need to confess each indiividual lie ?
Or can I " blanket confess " ?

I was taught to confess in kind and number for mortal sins, so I think it would be best to do it that way.
Just last night I was listening to a sermon by a very awesome priest on EWTN and he said that St.Ignatius, I believe it was, suggested that we keep a small notebook and write down the number of times that we commit each sin, as we commit them and that will help us to eventually overcome them as we confess them. Sounds like a good idea. (I was thinking I could list the ten commandments and then under each just make a I or a II or IIII, and if more than 5 to use roman numerals, that way, in case anyone got ahold of your note book they wouldn’t know what sin exactly it was, but you would.)
I also agree with post # 2 with the exception of the third one, I don’t think it is a good idea to discuss confessions with anyone except the Priest you go to.

 

[hilde_the_dog]

Name the sin and the number of times. If the prest wants to know more he will ask.

If you explain every sin in detail it will be a long confession and you should probably set up a time for that sort of thing. As in today I went to confession before the noon mass eight people must have gone in the 25 minutes beofre mass. After mass the priest resumed confession for the six, icluding me, that still had to confess. We were instructed to say the act of contrition outside the confessional to keep things moving.

 

[nicolep]

I was taught to confess in kind and number for mortal sins, so I think it would be best to do it that way.
Just last night I was listening to a sermon by a very awesome priest on EWTN and he said that St.Ignatius, I believe it was, suggested that we keep a small notebook and write down the number of times that we commit each sin, as we commit them and that will help us to eventually overcome them as we confess them. Sounds like a good idea. (I was thinking I could list the ten commandments and then under each just make a I or a II or IIII, and if more than 5 to use roman numerals, that way, in case anyone got ahold of your note book they wouldn’t know what sin exactly it was, but you would.)
I also agree with post # 2 with the exception of the third one, I don’t think it is a good idea to discuss confessions with anyone except the Priest you go to.

Hey, I think that’s the first time anyone here has said they agree with me. Right on! I also don’t think it’s a good idea to discuss confessions with others. There isn’t a “rule” against it though. That’s where I was coming from. I have a friend who is protestant who always wants to know what I said in confession. It drives her nuts that I won’t tell her.