penance question

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Joe_Brown

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I just recently noticed that I had been saying the Our Father prayer incorrectly in my penance after confession. What does this mean. Does this mean that the sins were not forgiven?
 
No - absolution doesn’t even depend on your doing the penance. Although failing deliberately to do the penance will be a fresh sin, the previous sins were forgiven upon the priest pronouncing the words of absolution.

You didn’t deliberately fail to say your Our Fathers in any case, you simply said them wrongly by mistake. God knows we’re human and make honest mistakes, and will not punish us for them.

So in short it means nothing in regard to your absolution - just be sure to say the Our Father correctly in future!
 
I don’t have an official source for this, but it seems reasonable that, if you performed the penance as you understood it at the time, you fulfilled the requirement.
 
Failing to do the assigned penance is not a sin.
One may freely substitute any penance for the penance assigned by one’s confessor, at one’s own discretion.

What was the error in the Our Father prayer?
 
Joe_Brown said:
I just recently noticed that I had been saying the Our Father prayer incorrectly in my penance after confession. What does this mean. Does this mean that the sins were not forgiven?
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Your absolution is contingent on the priest’s words of absolution, not upon your completion of the penance. Our penance goes towards making up for our sins, but they are not what brings about forgiveness. See the Catechism: CCC 1459-1460.

Unknowingly doing the Penance “incorrectly” is an honest mistake. It doesn’t signify anything regarding your forgiveness of those sins or your satisfaction for those sins. It’s just an honest mistake. So stop worrying about it! 😉

Out of curiosity, what do you mean you were saying the Our Father “incorrectly”? Exactly what was “incorrect”?
 
Ron_Conte said:
Failing to do the assigned penance is not a sin.
One may freely substitute any penance for the penance assigned by one’s confessor, at one’s own discretion.

What was the error in the Our Father prayer?
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This is clearly false. From the Code of Cannon Law:
Can. 981 The confessor is to impose salutary and suitable penances in accord with the quality and number of sins, taking into account the condition of the penitent. The penitent is obliged to fulfill these personally.
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Note the obligation in the last sentence.
 
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