Do you need to be in a state of grace to make a General Confession?

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smur843

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This may seem like a stupid question, but I’m planning on making a general confession in a couple of weeks and it’s been a while since I made a normal one. Do I need to make a normal one before I go to the general confession? Or would it be okay to just make the general confession? In that case, would / should I mention the since I’ve made since my last confession in the general confession? Thanks
 
You don’t need to make a separate one, it is a sacrament and isn’t different from a normal one. Mention the last time you went to any confession as usual
 
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Please trust your priest with this and ask him about this.
 
I made a General Confession years ago. It was one of the best things I ever did for my soul.

No, you don’t have to be in a state of grace to make a GC. It is still the same Sacrament, where you are restored to sanctifying grace if your soul needs it.
 
A “general confession” is just a confession of sins over a long period of time. The person might also give a general account of their sins over their lifetime even if they already confessed them and they’ve been absolved and forgiven. I’m not sure how often people ever do this anymore and the priest might confuse it with scrupulosity unless you tell him your intentions. It was done in the past and it’s something St Francis de Sales recommended.

As long as you confess any unconfessed mortal sins in number and kind with a firm resolution not to sin anymore, the confession will be valid.

It’s technically not required to say how long it has been since your last Confession. The Sacrament is still valid. It’s something people traditionally do to help the priest gauge your situation and give any spiritual direction.

Peace.
 
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