Interesting confession question

[Mark1970]

An interesting question has arisen, perhaps one of the priests who regularly post on CAF will know the answer - or even some of the non-priests.

A friend was telling me this evening about the Mass he went to this morning. The priest preached about confession, and apparently the priest said that when you go to confession, the penitent should always tell the priest whether or not they have completed the penance they were given the last time they went to confession.

Apparently a few of them were talking after Mass, only one of them had ever heard of this - it was new to everybody else. I have a vague memory of hearing somewhere that at the start of confession the penitent should say how long it is since their last confession then add something like “Since my last confession and completing my penance I accuse myself of…”. But it’s only a vague memory and I could be wrong.

Just wondering if anybody - particularly any of the priests who frequent CAF - know anything about this?

 

[Bookcat]

That was a practice one encountered in the past (and from your post - with some today).

But it is not required.

(at least in the ordinary form of the Roman Rite…I cannot speak to other Rites like the various Eastern Rites).

 

[Mark1970]

That was a practice one encountered in the past. But it is not required.

I’ve certainly never known it in practice. As completing the penance isn’t required for valid absolution I’m not even sure what the purpose would be of telling the priest that you’d done it?

 

[Mark1970]

at least in the ordinary form of the Roman Rite.

The priest was speaking from the Extraordinary Form, it was an Institute of Christ the King priest. But even so, I’ve been attending EF Masses for 15+ years, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of any priest using the EF suggest this I have heard that, for example, you should tell the priest e.g. your state of live (married, single, ordained etc) but the bit about penance is the first time I’ve heard it in practice.

 

[Olrac]

When I go to confession I tell the priest how long its been since my last confession but I have never heard of them asking people if they have completed their penance.

 

[MaryHelp777]

It’s presumed that everyone going to confession has competed their last confession penance.
If you did not complete your last previous penance, you confess during the current confession; “I did not compete my last confession penance due to laziness, being too busy, or forgetfulness. Etc…”

 

[Mark1970]

It’s presumed that everyone going to confession has competed their last confession penance.
If you did not complete your last previous penance, you confess during the current confession; “I did not compete my last confession penance due to laziness, being too busy, or forgetfulness. Etc…”

That’s my understanding too, which is why I’m a bit puzzled by the priest’s comments. Perhaps it may be worthwhile, if possible for somebody to ask the priest about this next time they see him, he may be able to clarify. It may be a misunderstanding, but from what I’ve been told, it seems everyone who heard what he said had the same idea.

 

[sticknstring73]

I learned my confession form from an old book from tanbooks.com and I actually say that. Specifically:

Bless me father for I have sinned.
It has been ___ since my last confession.
I said my penance and received holy communion.
I confess to almighty God and to you father that I am guilty of ______.
For these and all other sins of my past life I am heartily sorry and ask forgiveness of God and penance of you father.

Never heard a complaint.

 

[LoveMercyGrace]

Our priest does not give any penance.
Is this a new thing, he is a young priest, is it common?

In regards to op question, I can not comment. but it causes me to wonder
why we are not given penance

 

[Vico]

Our priest does not give any penance.
Is this a new thing, he is a young priest, is it common?

In regards to op question, I can not comment. but it causes me to wonder
why we are not given penance

The priest does not have to give any penance, but we all have temporal punishments as a result of sins, for which we will do penance, and we do penance through alms-giving, prayer, fasting, giving witness.

 

[InThePew]

My concerns with this is that it seems to be lifting the veil of secrecy a bit too much. A confessor can’t ask anything about a penitent’s previous confession (lie: “have you confessed this before”) - even if the priest heard it he still can’t refer to it - since the nature of absolution means that it’s effectively wiped (as if it never happened). Granted, asking about completion of previous penance isn’t exactly crossing that line but it seems to me at least to be sailing a bit too close to it.

 

[Mark1970]

My concerns with this is that it seems to be lifting the veil of secrecy a bit too much. A confessor can’t ask anything about a penitent’s previous confession (lie: “have you confessed this before”) - even if the priest heard it he still can’t refer to it - since the nature of absolution means that it’s effectively wiped (as if it never happened). Granted, asking about completion of previous penance isn’t exactly crossing that line but it seems to me at least to be sailing a bit too close to it.

As the OP, this is my concern too. I always thought that previous confessions were not supposed to be referred to.

Imagine a hypothetical situation - you go to confession, the priest thinks he recognizes your voice but gets confused, thinks your somebody else and asks you about the other person’s previous sin in confession. Now that would be a problem!

 

[Bookcat]

I’ve certainly never known it in practice. As completing the penance isn’t required for valid absolution I’m not even sure what the purpose would be of telling the priest that you’d done it?

Well it it IS required after Confession (completing the penance that is)…and one normally will do that penance before ones next confession.

So that is likely why it was done.

 

[Bookcat]

The priest was speaking from the Extraordinary Form, it was an Institute of Christ the King priest. But even so, I’ve been attending EF Masses for 15+ years, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of any priest using the EF suggest this I have heard that, for example, you should tell the priest e.g. your state of live (married, single, ordained etc) but the bit about penance is the first time I’ve heard it in practice.

I do not attend the EF for Mass or Penance - so I cannot comment on how widely this may or may not be discussed or practiced. But yes I have seen it in works I have read in the past (older works).

As to the state of life etc - yes that is what you do.

 

[Bookcat]

The priest does not have to give any penance

Ordinarily he does have to.

 

[Bookcat]

My concerns with this is that it seems to be lifting the veil of secrecy a bit too much. A confessor can’t ask anything about a penitent’s previous confession (lie: “have you confessed this before”) - even if the priest heard it he still can’t refer to it - since the nature of absolution means that it’s effectively wiped (as if it never happened). Granted, asking about completion of previous penance isn’t exactly crossing that line but it seems to me at least to be sailing a bit too close to it.

The person would be stating it themselves.

That was the idea.

Again I am not saying this is to be done (it certainly is not part of the ordinary form of Penance)…but that is what was done at least at some times in the past in some places or was recommended etc.

 

[Mark1970]

Well it it IS required after Confession (completing the penance that is)…and one normally will do that penance before ones next confession.

So that is likely why it was done.

Is completing the penance required for the absolution to be valid?

That’s the point I was trying to make, if completing the penance is required for valid absolution then I can understand mentioning in the next confession whether or not you had completed it.

 

[Bookcat]

Is completing the penance required for the absolution to be valid?

That’s the point I was trying to make, if completing the penance is required for valid absolution then I can understand mentioning in the next confession whether or not you had completed it.

No.

But it is part of the Sacrament of Confession.

And one is yes to receive the penance.

There would be a problem if one rejected it!

And after receiving it - if one does not do it -does not intend to do it - there is sin.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Well it it IS required after Confession (completing the penance that is)…and one normally will do that penance before ones next confession.

So that is likely why it was done.

It is required for absolution?
I didn’t think so.

To the op one thing it might help with is some who priest shop for confession may need some help with habitual sins. If a scrupulous person is under the direction of one priest it would be helpful for another to know how many Hail Mary’s to give…

 

[dshix]

I attend a church occupied by the FSSP, and I’ve never heard this.

It would certainly be necessary to mention it if you had FAILED to do your penance, because that’s a sin, but if you haven’t, then there’s no need to mention the fact that you did it. It’s kind’ve assumed.