General confession and remembering sins

[Arbovirus]

I converted 3 years ago and made a general confession to a priest and tried my best to recount all types of grave sins.

Does that mean every sin prior to that point had been sacramentally forgiven? What if I didn’t confess every grave sin in detail or forgot some sin?

For some reason, I am remembering sins of the past and having anxiety over them about whether I actually confessed them or confessed them sufficiently.

 

[Rayne2Step]

Good Morning. When a person remembers something that should have been confessed that was forgotten, ask GODs mercy and forgiveness right now and you will be forgiven. Next opportunity, go to confession to get the “welcome back to the community”. If you knowingly with held confessing a sin at last confession, then that would be reason to have some worry, but still the same thing I previously stated would apply. Peace be with you

 

[Elf01]

If you knowingly with held confessing a sin at last confession, then that would be reason to have some worry, but still the same thing I previously stated would apply

That is incorrect.

Knowingly withholding a sin invalidates the entire confession. Not only do you have to confess that sin, you have to reconfess all other sins you confessed at that confession and should not receive Holy Communion in the meantime.

You are correct if a sin is forgotten though. It is forgiven, it should be confessed the next time you go to Confession but you may receive Holy Communion in the meantime.

 

[Arwing]

From what you have indicated, your sins from before your general confession were indeed forgiven.

A mortal sin that was forgotten and later remembered would need to be mentioned at the next confession (although it is still forgiven as long as it was not intentionally left out-- it just needs to be “remitted directly through the keys of the Church” as canon law says). One would not be in the state of mortal sin upon remembering a mortal sin that was unintentionally left out in confession, so it would not be necessary to confess before receiving the Eucharist.

Can. 988 §1. A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience.

However, this is not intended to promote scrupulosity or anxiety over obsessive doubting whether past sins were confessed properly. If that is something that you are having a problem with, I would suggest speaking to your confessor about this.

See also: http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=415263

 

[Arbovirus]

I think I’m having scruples. Even if I were to confess, I wouldn’t be sure I confessed correctly and wouldn’t receive Eucharist.

I wasn’t bothered by the past (over 10 years ago) because I thought a general confession after thorough examination covers the past sins (I did not say number of times each kind of sin was committed - I was 29 when I converted to the Catholic Church - just categories (e.g., lying, cheating, sins of the flesh)). At the time, the priest didn’t say I had to specify numbers.

But now these thoughts are arising, Do I have to re-confess each sin every time I remember them? If I’m not sure, do I trust God’s mercy and goodness to cover the past before the general confession and entry into the Church?

 

[ascetic]

For some reason, I am remembering sins of the past and having anxiety over them about whether I actually confessed them or confessed them sufficiently.

Just my own thinking, but couldn’t you go to confession and say exactly this? You’d get the answer straight from the Holy Spirit. Then if you were still doubting God’s mercy, you could go to the same priest and say exactly that.

 

[Arwing]

I’d say explain your situation to your priest and ask for his advice.

If you’re suffering from scruples it will be good to have a regular confessor/spiritual director for these matters anyway.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Full Question
I recently went to confession, received absolution, and did my penance. Subsequently I remembered something I did years ago that I never confessed. Am I absolved of that one as well? If the sin was mortal, does that need to be addressed specifically?

Answer
So long as you intended to confess all your mortal sins and otherwise make a good confession, then the sacrament was valid, and you were forgiven all your mortal sins. The fact that afterward you remembered another one does not mean that you are in a state of mortal sin.

The Code of Canon Law states, “A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and in number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet directly remitted through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which one is conscious after diligent examination of conscience” (CIC 988:1). Since you remembered this grave sin, you should mention it in your next confession.

If I forgot to confess a mortal sin, was it forgiven?

So long as you intended to confess all your mortal sins and otherwise make a good confession, then the sacrament was valid, and you were forgiven all your morta...

www.catholic.com

Jim

 

[mythbuster1]

If you confessed everything you remembered, you are absolved. If you remember something else later, you have an obligation to confess it at your next Confession (provided, of course, you still remember it).

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The Code of Canon Law states, “A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and in number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet directly remitted through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which one is conscious after diligent examination of conscience” (CIC 988:1). Since you remembered this grave sin, you should mention it in your next confession.

Note, “should,” not “must.”

Jim

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You are overthinking this.

When you have been away from confession for years, the priest does not expect you to remember the number of times you committed each sin. I was away from confession for 18 years, and for some years before that I probably made confessions that were incomplete because I had doubts about something actually being a sin or some other confusion going on. I did not go into the confessional with the thought, “I just won’t mention this sin or that sin”, rather I was confused as to what I should be confessing and what I should be doing in life in general. I realize this sounds like the height of idiocy but I was in my 20s, we didn’t have Catholic Answers or an Internet, and I probably had some blinders on as to my own behavior because I didn’t want to think of myself as being a bad sinner.

Given all this, I could worry about all those past confessions and past years with lack of confessions, but I just confessed all the big sins I could remember, said I was sorry for everything and that was that. A few sins I forgot or still had some confusion about popped up on later confessions and I made sure to go confess them. From time to time I remember something from way far back (like 1989 or 1999 etc) and if it really bugs me I just mention it in Confession to make sure, but 99 percent of the stuff I confess now is recent stuff. I go to Confession about twice a month so I keep up with everything.

From what you have described, your past confessions were made in good faith, you didn’t willfully withhold any sins and you should be fine.

If you forgot something - and by that I mean you qualitatively forgot a grave sin, rather than worrying about “number of times” or a small sin - then you can mention it in your next confession. You do not have to re-confess all your old sins because you forgot something.

 

[YourNameHere]

I think at one time or another, we all have made a good confession, but then later remembered something we forgot.
As I understand it, as long as there was no intent to not confess, we are absolved of all sins.
But for those who feel really bad, just confess the sin the next time you go. You have been absolved. But if it makes you feel better, I see nothing wrong with it.
I think guilt over forgetting a few sins in a trap set my the devil, who wants to keep us away from communion.

 

[JackMcCoy]

I agree with your assessment.
Once absolved of our sins, we are absolved of all sins, including those that we accidently forgot during confession.
Guilt from not confessing is a trick by the devil to keep us from Communion.
God bless us all!
God help us to confess our sins and to try to mend our lives. And help us to receive Communion each Sunday! AMEN.

 

[YourNameHere]

Well said!

 

[Canvas]

It depends on the Confessor. The Confessor determines what needs to be confessed in that situation. You Confess what you did and he will tell you exactly how to proceed. He makes the determination, not you. Often Priests do not require full re confession before absolution. They might even order you not to re confess. In that situation you do exactly what the Confessor tells you.

 

[AlbertDerGrosse]

Whenever you intend to make a good confession (confessing all mortal sins you can honestly remember in number and in kind) and the priest grants you absolution, you are 100%, unconditionally absolved of all of your sins at that very moment. It doesn’t depend on you remembering and confessing again. It doesn’t depend on you completing your assigned penance. It depends on absolutely nothing. You are entirely reconciled to God’s grace. Period. Full stop.

The Church asks that should we remember an unconfessed sin we confess it at our next confession. This doesn’t mean that your prior absolution is nullified when you remember. You’re still 100% forgiven even if you don’t confess that forgotten sin.

The Sacraments are really that simple: intend and do your best to work with God’s grace and it will be granted to you. He isn’t there behind the scenes trying to catch you up on a technicality. He’s not playing a game of “Gotcha!”

 

[porthos11]

I think I’m having scruples. Even if I were to confess, I wouldn’t be sure I confessed correctly and wouldn’t receive Eucharist.

Let me say this here and now.

NEVER do this.

If you’ve confessed and were absolved, approach the Eucharist.

Another poster had a similar attitude, and stayed away from Communion all Easter and then panicked that he couldn’t fulfill the Easter Duty. When he should NEVER have stayed away from Communion.

Do not make the same mistake.

Further, while it’s true that if you forgot a mortal sin that you subsequently remember, you must confess it at your next regular confession, you do NOT need to run to the Confessional every time that happens. You can just mention it the next time you go to your regular or necessary confession.

AND further, this does NOT mean you dredge up the past for forgotten mortal sins. If they are forgotten, it’s often best that they remain forgotten. The sacraments are for peace, not to inflame scruples.