Mentioned the wrong number of times of committed sin in confession

[ineeda]

When I mentioned how many times I committed a forgotten old sin, I realized that I gave the wrong amount of times. I realized that while priest was talking and did not correct it. It was more than times I confessed. I told him that I was gone from confession for over twenty years, and just returned last year. I told him that I overlooked a couple sins that were not confessed. Do I mention the correction in next confession, or let it go, as it was not deliberate? And, the number is just the best I can estimate. In my first few confessions after being gone for so long were general and I did not give a number then.

Sometimes, I wonder if I can be bordering on being scrupulous. The first few times, I had a list, then I was worried the priest would hear the paper, so I just tried to go from memory. Unfortunately, I walk out and say, oh no, I forgot to confess this or that. I tend to blank in the confessional. I don’t obsess over forgotten venial sins, but I have a hard time putting a number on any of my sins. In fact, my numbers can be way off. And, we do not need to confess a number for the venial sins, correct?

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Let it go. You have confessed your mortal sin and if you did the best you could at the time in estimating the number of times you committed a particular act, let it go unless it is truly significant. You confessed stealing $1,000 when it was actually closer to $100,000, well, that should probably be confessed again. You committed adultery with 20 women when you only confessed 2 affairs - you may want to bring that to confession again. But, in general, do not let the scourge of scrupulosity rob you of the peace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And, even if you do have to re-confess something, in making a sincere effort the first time you may still receive Communion.

As for going to Confession with a list, I’ve been doing that for years and I go to Confession every week. I put a lot of work into examining my conscience and a list helps me remember what I’ve remembered. It also helps me stay on track and keeps me from rambling to the priest. He doesn’t need to hear all the extraneous details, just kind and number of mortal sins, if there are any, and a brief description of my venial sins.

Be at peace.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

First, in spite of hearing confessions for decades, I still write out my list when I myself go to confession – and that’s the way it will be until my last confession at this stage – whether I’m confessing face to face or behind the grill. If it helps you to remember and to make your confession more efficiently, you don’t have to worry about what we priests think…whether its using a list or your act of contrition pamphlet or what have you. Be at peace and use what helps you.

Second, no you do not need to attach any number to venial sins. They do not even have to be mentioned, although it surely is a salutary practice to bring to the sacrament of penance one’s predominate venial sins, which can simply be mentioned in passing.

Concluding what you confess with “For these and any sins I have forgotten and for all the sins of my life, I am truly sorry” covers with a broad brush anything you have forgotten, renews sorrow for all that is past, and also practically tells the priest that your list is finished

Now to the first matter. It is always my advice when I lecture about the sacrament of penance to counsel saying “approximately” with any number…not least for the reason you have just cited. You can go in thinking you did X 12 times…and later it comes back to you that really there were two more times you forgot. The qualifier “approximately” resolves it, barring that it wasn’t actually 24 times or something on that scale of magnitude…there’s no need to revisit the matter in a subsequent confession.

The confession of serious sin by “species and number” asks you to do your best. Some people cannot actually achieve this with any precision, and perhaps you are one of them, so you rather have to keep refining the method.

When one is talking a long period of time, one can use the method of “about X number of times per week or month”…or “I committed such and such sin every month but surely never exceeding X number of times each month.”

Especially when it is an expansive amount of time, one often must have recourse to these sorts of estimation…the number will be inexact and there will surely be things the mind simply doesn’t recall with the passage of time. Now that you are back to the sacraments, that should not be a problem again as you will be approaching confession regularly.

One must deal with the situation of being away from the sacraments for many years pastorally. One should make a good examination of conscience…as best as one reasonably can…and, presumably, the priest also helps one in the course of such a confession, as needed.

Subsequently, if one remembers something or other that truly is a serious sin, it properly should be mentioned…but if that becomes a phenomenon that is continuing for months, you should consign it to the past and to the mercy of God – having done your best to make an integral confession – and not continue to search your mind lest it trouble your inner peace or lead to scruples.

My advice, therefore, is mention once to your regular confessor that this has occurred – recalling sins from the past more than a year after having returned to the sacraments – so that he may definitively reassure you and put the matter completely to rest in your mind beyond what can be done here on an anonymous internet forum.

God bless you.

 

[Vico]

When I mentioned how many times I committed a forgotten old sin, I realized that I gave the wrong amount of times. I realized that while priest was talking and did not correct it. It was more than times I confessed. I told him that I was gone from confession for over twenty years, and just returned last year. I told him that I overlooked a couple sins that were not confessed. Do I mention the correction in next confession, or let it go, as it was not deliberate? And, the number is just the best I can estimate. In my first few confessions after being gone for so long were general and I did not give a number then.

Sometimes, I wonder if I can be bordering on being scrupulous. The first few times, I had a list, then I was worried the priest would hear the paper, so I just tried to go from memory. Unfortunately, I walk out and say, oh no, I forgot to confess this or that. I tend to blank in the confessional. I don’t obsess over forgotten venial sins, but I have a hard time putting a number on any of my sins. In fact, my numbers can be way off. And, we do not need to confess a number for the venial sins, correct?

It is optional to confess venial sins prior to reception of Communion. Grave sins are not optional and the number should be the count remembered. Sometimes it is virtually impossible to know the number if a long time has passed, or to remember if it was already confessed. There is a good reason that the number and kind are required.

Baltimore Catechism

Q. 793. Is our Confession worthy if, without our fault, we forget to confess a mortal sin?
A. If without our fault we forget to confess a mortal sin, our Confession is worthy, and the sin is forgiven; but it must be told in Confession if it again comes to our mind.

Q. 794. May a person who has forgotten to tell a mortal sin in confession go to Holy Communion before going again to confession?
A. A person who has forgotten to tell a mortal sin in confession may go to communion before again going to confession, because the forgotten sin was forgiven with those confessed, and the confession was good and worthy.

Q. 795. Is it a grievous offense willfully to conceal a mortal sin in Confession?
A. It is a grievous offense willfully to conceal a mortal sin in Confession, because we thereby tell a lie to the Holy Ghost, and make our Confession worthless.

 

[ChurchSoldier]

Concluding what you confess with “**For these and any sins I have forgotten and for all the sins of my life, I am truly sorry” **covers with a broad brush anything you have forgotten, renews sorrow for all that is past, and also practically tells the priest that your list is finished
.

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