EDITED: Confession: Did not confess mortal sins due to shame

[St_Anthony_1]

I went to my first confession today, but out of a sense of shame/guilt/embaressment I didn’t confess all my mortal sins.

Is my confession for the mortal sins I did confess valid or will I need to confess them again?

Now I know what goes on I am going to confess them before the next mass I go to regardless of my embaressment for the sake of my soul.

 

[achmafooma]

Intentionally withholding mortal sins in Confession invalidates the whole thing . If you honestly didn’t know that, then it might not be a mortal sin in-and-of-itself, since you can’t commit a mortal sin without knowing something is a mortal sin, but you will still need to do the Confession over again.

So, as soon as possible, you should get back to Confession and re-confess everything (plus everything you left out), and that you withheld those sins in your previous Confession.

Don’t let this get you down though. God will forgive this in the Sacrament just like he will forgive everything else. We all make mistakes and fall short, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is our opportunity to set things right and begin anew, clean as pure snow.

So swallow your pride, and try again .

God bless you!

 

[Mark_David]

Yes, it’s invalid. Re-confess your sins again. Don’t feel bad about doing that. Feeling shame is great if it’s for God (and not yourself), but don’t hold anything back during Reconciliation. Jesus Christ Our Lord absolves us of all of our sins (via the priest), but you have to trust Him first, so you have to be open and honest. Once you’re forgiven, God and all the angels and saints in Heaven rejoice! Believe me, it’s worth it.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I went to my first confession today, but out of a sense of shame/guilt/embaressment I didn’t confess all my mortal sins.

Is my confession for the mortal sins I did confess valid or will I need to confess them again?

Now I know what goes on I am going to confess them before the next mass I go to regardless of my embaressment for the sake of my soul.

Don’t feel embarassed. I know that is easier to say than do. Bear two things in mind regarding your embarassment. The priest will not be shocked by what you tell him; he’s probably heard it before. The priest cannot go telling other people what you have confessed; so it’s not like everyone will know. Once you get over your embarassment the first time it does get easier.

 

[Battle_Warrior]

I know how you feel. I get really really scared when I am waiting in line. I’m always scared that I’ll get yelled at. I get the whole thing: sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, and my heart beats so fast that I often worry that it’ll burst.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Yes, it’s invalid. Re-confess your sins again. Don’t feel bad about doing that. Feeling shame is great if it’s for God (and not yourself), but don’t hold anything back during Reconciliation. Jesus Christ Our Lord absolves us of all of our sins (via the priest), but you have to trust Him first, so you have to be open and honest. Once you’re forgiven, God and all the angels and saints in Heaven rejoice! Believe me, it’s worth it.

and confess that you withheld some sins in the previous confession, for that is a grave sin in itself.

 

[jmcrae]

I went to my first confession today, but out of a sense of shame/guilt/embaressment I didn’t confess all my mortal sins.

Is my confession for the mortal sins I did confess valid or will I need to confess them again?

Now I know what goes on I am going to confess them before the next mass I go to regardless of my embaressment for the sake of my soul.

Consider it a “practice Confession,” and try again. Mention to the priest that you tried to go to Confession but you were too embarrassed to admit some of the things that you needed to confess.

With practice, you will get better at it.

 

[Mark_David]

and confess that you withheld some sins in the previous confession, for that is a grave sin in itself.

Indeed. Just as I had confessed that I had received the Host a few times unworthily (and I wasn’t even aware of that). It’s essential to make sure that our confession is as comprehensive and up-to-date as possible.

 

[puzzleannie]

I went to my first confession today, but out of a sense of shame/guilt/embaressment I didn’t confess all my mortal sins.

Is my confession for the mortal sins I did confess valid or will I need to confess them again?

Now I know what goes on I am going to confess them before the next mass I go to regardless of my embaressment for the sake of my soul.

you must confess all mortal sins you are aware of to the best of your recollection. That recollection should be part of an examination of conscience that begins with prayer to the Holy Spirit, considers all the commandments as you look interiorly with humility and honesty to see how you have offended the Lord and hurt his Church.

If you get in the habit of reviewing your day in prayer every night before bed you will never forget your sins when it is time for confession.

Yes you must go back and confess all your mortal sins before you are absolved. Share with the priest how nervous you were the previous time because he can give you wise counsel.

I really wonder how anyone could possible approach this sacrament without a sense of shame, guilt and embarrasment and still have real contrition. That should be the attitude so don’t apologize for it. the fancy name for it is “compunction” and it is healthy.