Confession

[whoofa]

I just joined this excellent site. I just read on one of these posts about a general confession. When a general confession is listened to, even though all of the sins of the person is not mentioned, are all of the persons’ sins forgiven?

 

[mercygate]

I just joined this excellent site. I just read on one of these posts about a general confession. When a general confession is listened to, even though all of the sins of the person is not mentioned, are all of the persons’ sins forgiven?

If you honestly fail to remember something, then yes: it is forgiven. If you deliberately withhold a sin, then you are committing sacrilege. Ain’t it grand?

 

[decn2b]

If the person intentionally withholds a sin then I am not too certain about abosolution. However in ANY confession forgotten sins are forgiven…even if it was a mortal sin that you forgot. When I returned to the church after over a decade of being like paul I went to confession. I told the priest that it had been 18 years since confession but I did not tell him I was making a “general” confession. I had no idea that such a thing existed at the time. I will tell you it was very very hard to drag myself to the confessional but I chose to do so face to face. when I walked into the confessional and looked up and the priest was my cousin I just about passed out. But It turned out to be a very uplifting experience AND I was walking on air when I left that confessional.

 

[LilyM]

If the person intentionally withholds a sin then I am not too certain about abosolution. However in ANY confession forgotten sins are forgiven…even if it was a mortal sin that you forgot. When I returned to the church after over a decade of being like paul I went to confession. I told the priest that it had been 18 years since confession but I did not tell him I was making a “general” confession. I had no idea that such a thing existed at the time. I will tell you it was very very hard to drag myself to the confessional but I chose to do so face to face. when I walked into the confessional and looked up and the priest was my cousin I just about passed out. But It turned out to be a very uplifting experience AND I was walking on air when I left that confessional.

To clarify further - it’s only if you intentionally withhold or lie about a MORTAL sin (or, for example, are deliberately so vague about it that it sounds like a venial sin or something) that the confession is invalid.

Venial (minor) sins don’t have to be confessed in a general confession or any other, although of course it is always highly desirable to do so. And yes, all the mortal sins you forget to mention are forgiven anyways. Venial sins can be forgiven in plenty of ways other than confession - during the penitential rite (the ‘I confess’ or ‘Lord have mercy’) at Mass, by reception of Holy Communion, by blessing yourself with holy water or making an act of Contrition outside of Confession.