New Catholic - Confession of Old Sins

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I am a new Catholic. I have been to confession several times. I have confessed a grave sin that I committed after I became Catholic. However, I committed some grave sins many years ago, before I was Catholic. I didn’t know they were grave sins (I didn’t even know what a grave sin was). Am I obliged to confess these, or have they been forgiven already, through my reconcilation?
 
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Cassaba:
I am a new Catholic. I have been to confession several times. I have confessed a grave sin that I committed after I became Catholic. However, I committed some grave sins many years ago, before I was Catholic. I didn’t know they were grave sins (I didn’t even know what a grave sin was). Am I obliged to confess these, or have they been forgiven already, through my reconcilation?
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Here’s a quote from the Baltimore Catechism…
  1. What three things are necessary to make a sin mortal?
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To make a sin mortal these three things are needed: first, the thought, desire, word, action, or omission must be seriously wrong or considered seriously wrong; second, the sinner, must be mindful of the serious wrong; third, the sinner must fully consent to it.
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I doubt since you didn’t know that these were mortal sins in the past that they would be mortal sins for you. You should bring up this situation with your confessor though. He’s better equipped to handle this situation than any of us.

I think you would be all right though. Still, speak with your confessor.

And…

Welcome Home!
 
As a newer Catholic you may not be aware of a type of ministry in the church that is available to help you. This is outside of confession. Please read this info from a website.
What Is Spiritual Direction?
Lately, you’ve probably heard a lot about a new fad – persons seeking help and guidance from a “life coach.” Life coaches are supposed to help you through life’s hurdles, helping you to better navigate life’s journey. Having a spiritual director is somewhat similar with one very important difference – a spiritual director helps you to lead a more meaningful life by helping you to discover a deep and lasting relationship with God.

Spiritual Direction is the opportunity to reflect with a qualified spiritual director about your life, its events, relationships with God and others. Spiritual direction is a graced way of serving another believer – helping the other to grow in intimacy with God and to live out the consequences of this intimacy.

While some spiritual directors may be trained pastoral or psychological counselors, problem solving or therapy is not the focus. Rather, the focus of a spiritual direction relationship is the directee’s experience of God. The director helps the person to notice God’s movement in prayer and in the circumstances and events of one’s life.

Contemporary direction presumes that God communicates through ordinary human experience, and in that experience is found God’s invitations, urgings and confirmations. A spiritual director is a companion on life’s journey – asking reflective questions and pointing out resources. They assist with resistances and roadblocks, helping the directee to come to breakthroughs in their relationship with God and its lived consequences.

A spiritual director may be especially helpful to an individual seeking to develop a deeper relationship with God:

when the search for God seems to be at a crossroads or you have difficultry with prayer or are looking for a newer way to pray. Or you wish to discern the call of the Holy Spirit, or you need someone to help you discern some answers.
Not all priests are spiritual directors and not all spiritual directors are priests. This might be a way to have your questions answered and lead you closer to God.
 
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Cassaba:
I am a new Catholic. I have been to confession several times. I have confessed a grave sin that I committed after I became Catholic. However, I committed some grave sins many years ago, before I was Catholic. I didn’t know they were grave sins (I didn’t even know what a grave sin was). Am I obliged to confess these, or have they been forgiven already, through my reconcilation?
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Although you might not be “obligated” to confess past"pre Catholic" sins,if it would help you feel better then I would say “go ahead”
~ Kathy ~
 
If you received the Sacrament of Baptism when you became Catholic recently- EVERY sin was expunged from your soul.

If you were baptised as a child, you would not fall under this category, and would be culpable for sins prior to your first confession.

In any case, all sins are forgiven at confession- even those you* forgot* to mention. But it would be helpful for your spiritual growth to mention them in your next confession anyway. Your confessor may be able to offer comments to you which offers you spiritual direction. And the act of deeply examining your conscience is beneficial as well, but again not specifically necessary to receiveing the Sanctifying Grace from the sacrament.
 
i suggest that you include that sins in your confession. The priest knows if that thing can be included as sin. Telling something whether you are not sure if it is a sin can be confessed for you dont know if that thing is a sin or not.
 
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