If you doubt you did penance, is your confession valid?

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fakename

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Is the sacrament of confession still valid if I doubt that I did my penance (leaving aside the fact of whether I did it or not)?
 
Having a “doubt” as to if one did the penance is does not make the confession invalid.

And usually there is no “time limit” for doing ones penance. It does not need to be done immediately though such is good. So one just does then the penance.
 
I had the same doubt the other day.

So over the subsequent days I said the penance over and over again to make doubly sure.
 
Bookcat said:
Having a “doubt” as to if one did the penance is does not make the confession invalid.

And usually there is no “time limit” for doing ones penance. It does not need to be done immediately though such is good. So one just does then the penance.
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Would that mean our sins are not forgiven til our penance is completed?
 
fakename said:
Is the sacrament of confession still valid if I doubt that I did my penance (leaving aside the fact of whether I did it or not)?
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Absolution at Confession is NOT conditional upon a penance being done.
 
fakename said:
Is the sacrament of confession still valid if I doubt that I did my penance (leaving aside the fact of whether I did it or not)?
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If you really can’t remeber then just do it, even if you are repeating it. However, if you are scrupulous and you deep down you know that you did it, then do NOT repeat it and just drop this whole thing.
 
chris62 said:
I had the same doubt the other day.

So over the subsequent days I said the penance over and over again to make doubly sure.
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If you know that you did it and are just doubting, then do NOT repeat it.
 
divinefaith said:
Would that mean our sins are not forgiven til our penance is completed?
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If you left confession with the intention of saying or doing it, then the your sins are forgiven, but if you choose not to do it after intending to do it you are committing another sin, a mortal sin if the penance was grave and a venial sin if the penance was not grave.
(Baltimore Chatechism)

I assume if you did not intend to do it and didn’t do it then your sins wouldn’t be forgiven.
 
Yes, it is valid. Just heard that recently from a priest.
 
fakename said:
Is the sacrament of confession still valid if I doubt that I did my penance (leaving aside the fact of whether I did it or not)?
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Validity of a sacrament takes three things: minister with intention to do as the Church does (whether virtual or actual), the matter, and the form. The minister of Penance is the confessor priest, the matter is contrition, confession and satisfaction (provided by the penitent), and the form is the words of the minister starting “I absolve thee/you.” The penance given you by the priest is not the matter of the Sacrament of Penance.

The Council of Trent covers this for us in the 14th Session:
The Holy Synod doth furthermore teach, that the form of the sacrament of Penance, wherein its force principally consists, is placed in those words of the minister, “I absolve thee,”: to which words indeed certain prayers are, according to the custom of Holy Church, laudably joined, which nevertheless by no means regard the essence of that form, neither are they necessary for the administration of the sacrament itself. But the acts of the penitent himself, to wit, contrition, confession and satisfaction, are as it were the matter of this sacrament. Which acts, inasmuch as they are, by God’s institution, required in the penitent for the integrity of the sacrament, and for the full and perfect remission of sins, are for this reason called the parts of Penance. But the thing signified indeed and the effect of this sacrament, as far as regards its force and efficacy, is reconciliation with God, which sometimes, in persons who are pious and who receive this sacrament with devotion, is wont to be followed by peace and serenity of conscience, with exceeding consolation of spirit. The Holy Synod, whilst delivering these things touching the parts and the effect of this sacrament, condemns at the same time the opinions of those who contend, that, the terrors which agitate the conscience, and faith, are the parts of Penance.
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While you could consider whether not doing your penance given you by the priest confessor would show your lacking in contrition or willingness to give satisfaction for your sins (part of the matter of the Sacrament), you would have to come to that answer for yourself. Also, if you have no good reason (i.e., a fact) to doubt that you did your penance, then there is really no good reason to worry about it. 🙂

– Nicole
 
yablabo said:
Validity of a sacrament takes three things: minister with intention to do as the Church does (whether virtual or actual), the matter, and the form. The minister of Penance is the confessor priest, the matter is contrition, confession and satisfaction (provided by the penitent), and the form is the words of the minister starting “I absolve thee/you.” The penance given you by the priest is not the matter of the Sacrament of Penance.

The Council of Trent covers this for us in the 14th Session:

While you could consider whether not doing your penance given you by the priest confessor would show your lacking in contrition or willingness to give satisfaction for your sins (part of the matter of the Sacrament), you would have to come to that answer for yourself. Also, if you have no good reason (i.e., a fact) to doubt that you did your penance, then there is really no good reason to worry about it. 🙂

– Nicole
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👍
 
fakename said:
Is the sacrament of confession still valid if I doubt that I did my penance (leaving aside the fact of whether I did it or not)?
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The absolution bestowed upon you by the priest is not contingent or revocable.

Pax,
OA
 
When I read your post I started to laugh, because it just rminded me that “I” forgot to pray my last penance. I just had gallblader surgery Wed. morning and I had the priest anoint me just before I went in, soooooo I just prayed my 3 Our Father’s. As long as you have the intention to do your penance your sins are forgiven; if you forget what the priest gave you for a penance - the just praya few Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s. It is the intention not the prayers themselves.
So I just wanted to thank you for this post.
God bless you,
 
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