'The penitent must give the number of his mortal sins so far as he can; if he knows exactly how often he has fallen into a mortal sin, he must state that number of times, neither increasing nor diminishing; if, despite careful examination and reflection he cannot arrive at the real number, he must give it as near as possible, adding the words “about” or “at least”; in so doing he fulfills his obligation, for he has done what he could, which is sufficient to enable a judgment to be pronounced humano modo. Should the penitent, after having thus confessed in all good faith, discover later on a more accurate number than that confessed, he is not obliged to make another confession to supply this number; nor should he disquiet himself, for the round numbers given in the first confession included everything; it is only when the newly discovered number is considerably greater than the vague estimate of his first confession that he is obliged to confess again, because the number, and, in consequence, the sin, was not perfectly confessed, since a far greater number cannot be considered as included in his former round estimate. . . If the penitent discovers that he has mentioned a number considerably less than the truth, he must remedy the defect; if he has erred by giving too large a number, he need not correct the mistake, because the larger number includes the less. Moreover, it is advisable, instead of using high numbers, to state how often the sin has been committed in the course of a week or a month, etc., especially with regard to frequent or interior sins. Indeed with habitual sinners it suffices to state how long they have indulged the evil habit, and that they have given willful consent more or less daily whenever occasion offered; this is enough, when the actual number of sins is so doubtful that there would always be a grave risk of a mistake in trying to determine it.
“The confessor, when he knows the period over which the accusation extends, may easily and safely form his opinion in the case of a penitent whose will is habitually inclined to sin, that the penitent has sinned as often as there were necessary interruptions to his sin.”
. . . A similar difficulty is presented in the case of those who have a deeply rooted habit of sin - - those, for example, who constantly entertain impure desires with regard to women whom they chance to meet; it is very difficult in such a case to give any number. Such people make a perfect confession by stating that they are given to this habit, adding whether they indulge frequently in the day or week; besides this they should mention at least the more general specific characters, whether they indulge these desires with regard to married people or relations or persons consecrated to God.
. . . The circumstances under which sins are committed {conditiones quce actus substantiam circumstant atque in ejus moralitatem influunt) are of different kinds:
- Some change the species of the sin (speciem mutantes); for example, the circumstance of a vow or of marriage adds to the sin of impurity that of sacrilege or that of adultery.
- Other circumstances are aggravating (aggravantes) in greater or less degree and gradum moralitatis mutantes or moralitatem augentes such, for instance, as increase the malice within the limits of the same species; they are the duration of the act, its intensity, its degree, the manner of carrying it out, the particular occasion, etc.
- Other circumstances are mitigating {minuentes, moralitatem minuentes), because they palliate the malice of the act; as, for example, want of advertence, etc.
The circumstances must be confessed:
I. If they change the species of the sin. This is the express teaching of the Council of Trent. Hence it is not enough to confess to stealing if the property of the Church has been taken; for the stealing of a res sacra is not merely a sin of injustice but a theft from God and so a new sin. If a child curses its parents, it is not enough to mention that it cursed, for, since special reverence is due to parents, the violation of that special reverence is a new sin.
The following circumstances call for particular mention:
- The circumstance of the person who commits the sin, when with regard to the matter of the sin he is consecrated to God or bound by vow, as in sins against purity, or when he sins against chastity of the married state, or when he stands in special spiritual relations towards those with whom he sins.
- The circumstance of the person with whom the sin has been committed, if God’s honor has suffered in any way, or if the rights of a third person or the particular respect or love which is due to the said person have been violated.
If the person with whom sin has been committed or who has been led into sin is consecrated to God or bound by a vow referring to the matter of the sin, a new and special sin is incurred against tlje virtue of religion {i.e. a sin either of sacrilege or at least of a violation of the vow).
… etc.’
There are many more details about how species of sins can change in the book above, and I think, considering the state of the Church today, one is especially obliged if one has the capacity to, to know oneself these things thoroughly especially since one’s Confessor may not be trained sufficiently in regards to Confession.
It seems to me while knowing these things takes a little reading, the natural law of one’s conscience already understands it.
I’ll add if I recall correctly, one may
not habitually overestimate one’s sins, this is not allowed, though many innocently have made mistake in this. One must confess straightforwards and simply as best one can genuinely recall after careful reflection (i.e. a proper examination of conscience).
