Do you have to be sorry in a different way for mortal or venial sins?

[js_cat3391]

I go to confession and do not know if some of my sins are mortal or venial.
Do I have to be more sorry for the mortal ones or what if I made a mistake and was only a little sorry for a sin that I thought was venial but is actually mortal? I am forgiven of it? Maybe I am getting my feelings mixed up with what sorrow is supposed to be?

Are you just supposed to say your sins, take responsibility and let God sort out the gravity of sins where the gravity is not obviously a mortal sin.

Like, what are you supposed to think about when you say your sins?

 

[OxygenMan]

As long as you accept that the sin was wrong, resolve to not do it again, resolve to obey God, and confess the sin, you should be okay.
Some people feel emotions more powerfully than others. You don’t necessarily have to “feel” sorrow in order to be sorry. There’s nothing wrong with that; it just means you may not be a highly emotional person.

 

[Vico]

I go to confession and do not know if some of my sins are mortal or venial.
Do I have to be more sorry for the mortal ones or what if I made a mistake and was only a little sorry for a sin that I thought was venial but is actually mortal? I am forgiven of it? Maybe I am getting my feelings mixed up with what sorrow is supposed to be?

Are you just supposed to say your sins, take responsibility and let God sort out the gravity of sins where the gravity is not obviously a mortal sin.

Like, what are you supposed to think about when you say your sins?

Integral confession means to confess by kind and number all the serious (mortal) sins known to you that you have done in your entire life since baptism. Contrition is sufficient, (e.g., regret for committing them), and a valid contrition is internal, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.

• internal - sincere and proceeds from the will rather than the result of a mere passing mood or emotional experience
• supernatural - inspired by actual grace and based on a motive accepted on faith
• universal - the sorrow extends to all mortal sins
• sovereign - free recognition of sin as the greatest of all evils and with willingness to make amends accordingly.

For a valid confession there must be some contrition present, even if not for the venial sins.

Baltimore Catechism No. 3 has:

Q. 782. What should one do who has only venial sins to confess?
A. One who has only venial sins to confess should tell also some sin already confessed in his past life for which he knows he is truly sorry; because it is not easy to be truly sorry for slight sins and imperfections, and yet we must be sorry for the sins confessed that our confession may be valid – hence we add some past sin for which we are truly sorry to those for which we may not be sufficiently sorry.

baltimore-catechism.com/lesson19.htm

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I go to confession and do not know if some of my sins are mortal or venial.
Do I have to be more sorry for the mortal ones or what if I made a mistake and was only a little sorry for a sin that I thought was venial but is actually mortal? I am forgiven of it? Maybe I am getting my feelings mixed up with what sorrow is supposed to be?

Are you just supposed to say your sins, take responsibility and let God sort out the gravity of sins where the gravity is not obviously a mortal sin.

Like, what are you supposed to think about when you say your sins?

Something I learned in Catachism class over 60 years ago from the Jesuits: “When in doubt, confess”. Let the priest sort out which of your offenses are Mortal sins and which are venial…that is part of the reason he is there. If you have any questions as to the nature of your sins, ask the priest. If you are not contrite for any of your offenses, discuss that with your priest…that is part of his job. Believe me, you won’t regret it. By paying attention to what he tells you in confessuib, you will not only become a better person, you will feel much better about yourself. Remember, when in doubt, confess and don’t be afraid to ask the priest a question or two about it.

 

[js_cat3391]

Integral confession means to confess by kind and number all the serious (mortal) sins known to you that you have done in your entire life since baptism. Contrition is sufficient, (e.g., regret for committing them), and a valid contrition is internal, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.

• internal - sincere and proceeds from the will rather than the result of a mere passing mood or emotional experience
• supernatural - inspired by actual grace and based on a motive accepted on faith
• universal - the sorrow extends to all mortal sins
• sovereign - free recognition of sin as the greatest of all evils and with willingness to make amends accordingly.

For a valid confession there must be some contrition present, even if not for the venial sins.

Baltimore Catechism No. 3 has:

Q. 782. What should one do who has only venial sins to confess?
A. One who has only venial sins to confess should tell also some sin already confessed in his past life for which he knows he is truly sorry; because it is not easy to be truly sorry for slight sins and imperfections, and yet we must be sorry for the sins confessed that our confession may be valid – hence we add some past sin for which we are truly sorry to those for which we may not be sufficiently sorry.

baltimore-catechism.com/lesson19.htm

Thanks for all the answers

What is the difference between sufficient contrition or regret and valid contrition in this sentence from above. “Contrition is sufficient, (e.g., regret for committing them), and a valid contrition is internal, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.”

So in a confession with ONLY venial sins, that we are not fully sorry, are they forgiven? For example, maybe you are willing to do them again. Does that mean you are committing a sacrilege with these venial sins you are not really sorry for with the invalid confession? if we are not forgiven them, why confess them? do we get some kinds of other graces or something? what is going on here?

If you have no mortal sins, but renew your sorrow for one in the past, the confession is valid because you mentioned something you desire to be truly sorry for, i.e. a sin that can send you to hell? …but…

you are already forgiven for that sin that you are renewing sorrow for, and confession is for forgiveness. So, in a confession with a renewed sorrow for a mortal sin and a couple venial sins you are not sorry for, what happens?

 

[Vico]

Thanks for all the answers

What is the difference between sufficient contrition or regret and valid contrition in this sentence from above. “Contrition is sufficient, (e.g., regret for committing them), and a valid contrition is internal, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.”

So in a confession with ONLY venial sins, that we are not fully sorry, are they forgiven? For example, maybe you are willing to do them again. Does that mean you are committing a sacrilege with these venial sins you are not really sorry for with the invalid confession? if we are not forgiven them, why confess them? do we get some kinds of other graces or something? what is going on here?

If you have no mortal sins, but renew your sorrow for one in the past, the confession is valid because you mentioned something you desire to be truly sorry for, i.e. a sin that can send you to hell? …but…

you are already forgiven for that sin that you are renewing sorrow for, and confession is for forgiveness. So, in a confession with a renewed sorrow for a mortal sin and a couple venial sins you are not sorry for, what happens?

You want to obtain an increase in grace when confessing only venial sins. To do that the confession must have some true contrition expressed. Contrition is sufficient means that it is not necessary to have perfect contrition only imperfect contrition (also called attrition). The sentence means valid contrition is internal, supernatural, universal, and sovereign, and the contrition does need only be imperfect.