Is it too much?

[Anonymous9]

Hi,
I have done an examination of conscience and have 30 something and counting sins written down (both venial and mortal). I feel like that is too much and may make a confession too long. Do venial sins have to be confessed(I haven’t been to confession in almost 3 years and I’ve never done a proper confession where I confessed all my sins)
Thank you.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Hi,
I have done an examination of conscience and have 30 something and counting sins written down (both venial and mortal). I feel like that is too much and may make a confession too long. Do venial sins have to be confessed?
Thank you.

I do not write down my sins. You do what you see fit, but it’s not something I do. The next time you go to confession, ask your priest what he thinks of the idea.

Strictly speaking, you only have to confess your mortal sins. Venial sins can and should be confessed, but they do not have to be. If you have a venial sin that is giving you a particular problem, yes, you should probably confess that one.

You do not state your age or circumstances, but I really recommend that you discuss this with a priest. You may be coming down too hard on yourself, and there is always the possibility of becoming scrupulous. That is not something you want to have happen. I can tell you that the priest will probably not have time, especially if there are other penitents in line, to hear 30 sins, especially if the vast majority of them are venial. But do confess all your mortal sins. That’s mandatory. If you need to make a lengthy confession, make an appointment, out of consideration to the other people in line, as well as to the priest, who may be on a tight schedule.

 

[phil19034]

Personally, since you haven’t been to confession in 3 years, it might be best to confess everything.

Just start with the Mortal Sins first, then the venial ones.

 

[MNathaniel]

In my experience, no, that’s not too much. Especially considering that, as you say, you’ve “never done a proper confession where you confessed all your sins.”

When I became Catholic, I wrote down my sins too, to remember them. (A friend later told me that a priest told him not to do this in case of scrupulosity, so I stopped. But at the time I found it helpful. I’m pretty certain I forget some of my sins between confessions now, but I try to rest in my trust that God forgives even the sins I forget, so long as I confess everything I remember in the moment.) And even with a lifetime of all known sins that I was confessing… since in Confession we just list our sins, we don’t go off on details about them with the priest, I found the time passed way quicker than I expected. For this adult confession of a lifetime of sins, it was definitely under 5 minutes.

So I wouldn’t worry about “length” when you consider this question. In my experience, confessions seem to get overlong when a penitent tries to make it a “conversation” with the priest, and explain each sin or context in detail, or if the priest decides to provide ‘counsel’ on any specific topic. But if you go in with a straightforward (albeit heartfelt) list of the technical terms under which your sins fall, I imagine that will fly by much quicker than you think it will. Certainly fast enough that no one outside will be tapping their foot wondering what’s taking so long.

(Remember, the key to this is that you’re confessing to God, who already knows all the details; the priest doesn’t need to know any details (except if he asks for a detail to clarify what you’re saying); all you have to do is tell him which sins, by the formal name of the sins, you’ve committed, and approximately how many times. Especially if it’s written down so you don’t even have to pause trying to remember, that’ll fly by.)

 

[CRV]

o venial sins have to be confessed

No. Only mortal sins have to be confessed.

When you get to the point where you haven’t any mortal sins to confess and wish to go to confession for the grace, then confess some venial sins. I have known a priest to advise confessing only 5-7 venial sins in these types of confession which are known as confessions of devotion.

I haven’t been to confession in almost 3 years

Good to go now!

I’ve never done a proper confession where I confessed all my sins)

I hope you mean mortal and venial.

Again, only mortal sins must be confessed in kind and number. Start with those, and if only a few different kinds, then you could add a venial sin or two.

And you may wish to add something at the end like -
a) … … for these and for any sins I may have forgotten, I am truly sorry.
b) … … for these and for all the sins of my past life, I am truly sorry.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Since you have not been to confession for 3 years and say you have never confessed all your sins, it’s reasonable that you would have a 30-sin list.

I would suggest that since you wrote it all down, you order your list with the grave-possibly-mortal sins at the top so you can confess them first. Then write the most serious or frequent venial sins. Then the less important or less frequent venial sins.

When you go in to confession, tell the priest that your last confession was 3 years ago so he is prepared for a lot of sins.
As far as “taking too long”, you can read a list of 30 items in about 2 minutes if you just go straight down the list. I would suggest you just start reading and if the priest wants to stop you at some point he can and will. As someone else said, you are only required to confess all the grave-possibly-mortal sins.

In the future, I would suggest you confess every 1-2 months so you only have a couple of sins rather than a very long list.

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

Why not confess your sins to God as they occur or daily?

Catholics have the sacrament of Reconcilliation

 

[Bluebright]

Well we do both.
The sacrament is for sanctifying grace to help us not reoffend as well as to be forgiven.

 

[Vico]

…

Actual sin is always voluntary.

You do not need to receive absolution from a priest for you venial sins but they can be forgiven in other ways – contrition of charity remits venial sins – and should be because (Catechism 1863) “Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant with God.”

 

[TheLittleLady]

you can read a list of 30 items in about 2 minutes if you just go straight down the list. I would suggest you just start reading and if the priest wants to stop you at some point he can and will

This. The priest will ask for details.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Since you have not been to confession for 3 years and say you have never confessed all your sins, it’s reasonable that you would have a 30-sin list.

I would suggest that since you wrote it all down, you order your list with the grave-possibly-mortal sins at the top so you can confess them first. Then write the most serious or frequent venial sins. Then the less important or less frequent venial sins.

Agreed wholeheartedly. I am very sorry — I did not see the part in the OP about not having been for three years. I still can’t recommend a list — some people use one, some people don’t — but the OP might wish to make an appointment with the priest, if it’s been that long.

I find myself liking more and more the Orthodox concept of one’s confessor as a kind of spiritual father, who knows you well, knows “what makes you tick”, and will work with you, to help you towards heaven. But that would require time that Catholic priests typically don’t have. And I have a feeling that if every Orthodox — or even half of them — followed this practice, the Orthodox priests wouldn’t have time either. It’s an ideal, and a very good one at that, but probably not feasible for many.