Question About Confession

[Mnhs10]

Hey everyone, for a little info, I finally mustered up the courage to go to confession without holding anything back some months ago. Well, looking back on it now I think for a few things I could have been to vague about. For the majority I would say something along the lines of “I have committed x many times” but for some I don’t remember if I mentioned how many times. Another thing would be not describing something well enough, for instance just saying “I stole” without saying how much. This has started to bother me since I have received the Eucharist and been to confession multiple times since this. I definitely had the intention of making the best confession, but now I don’t really know.

Another quick thing, if one does not know if something constituted grave matter, and still can’t come up with a definite answer after research, is it possible to have committed a mortal sin? And would these doubtful things NEED to be brought up in confession? Or would they have been absolved in your last confession/Mass.

 

[Vico]

Hey everyone, for a little info, I finally mustered up the courage to go to confession without holding anything back some months ago. Well, looking back on it now I think for a few things I could have been to vague about. For the majority I would say something along the lines of “I have committed x many times” but for some I don’t remember if I mentioned how many times. Another thing would be not describing something well enough, for instance just saying “I stole” without saying how much. This has started to bother me since I have received the Eucharist and been to confession multiple times since this. I definitely had the intention of making the best confession, but now I don’t really know.

Another quick thing, if one does not know if something constituted grave matter, and still can’t come up with a definite answer after research, is it possible to have committed a mortal sin? And would these doubtful things NEED to be brought up in confession? Or would they have been absolved in your last confession/Mass.

What is it that you don’t really know now?

If you knew that what you did was presented by the Church as a grave sin not to be done, and you did it anyway, then it was mortal. If you did not know it was grave matter then one of the three elements was missing that define a mortal sin.

If you were contrite for all the mortal sins of your life up to and including all those you remembered when you confessed, and do not intend to repeat them, and you were absolved, then you really are absolved. If after that you remember one you did not confess, or some significant detail, mention it next time, even though you are already absolved, because we are to confess all serious sins remembered.

 

[klm120861]

“When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and *knowingly *withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the preist, ‘for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it doesnot know’” (CCC 1456) (Italics mine)

You knowingly confessed everything you could think of. You knowingly told the number as best you could. Therefore, everything is absolved. To think otherwise is to allow Satan to steal the peace God gives through the sacrament.

In regard to Mortal sin: 1) Is sin whose object is grave matter
2) Is also committed with full knowledge
3) And deliberate consent.

In other words, It has to be grave (against the 10 Commandments), you have to know it’s grave, and then you have to do it anyway. If you are unsure if you committed a mortal sin, you didn’t.

It may be a grave sin. It may be a serious sin. But it’s not a *mortal *sin unless you knew it was before you did it, then you did it anyway.

For example, an unchurched 16-year-old girl is forced by her parents to have an abortion. Neither the girl, nor her parents committed a mortal sin because neither the girl nor her parents knew abortion was wrong at the time.

Also, because you made a good confession, no, you don’t need to confess anything you forgot. That’s what the Catechism says above. If you feel you want to, or need to, for your own peace of mind, then go ahead. From God’s perspective, when sin is absolved, it ceases to exist. You don’t need to confess something that doesn’t exist any more. From a Catechetical perspective, and a sacramental perspective, you don’t need to. That’s not my humble opinion. That’s from my priest/confessor. It’s what he told me when I discovered I was supposed to have made a general confession when I came into the church covering my life from the time of my baptism at age 12 to my first confession at age 42. I did not know that, so had never done that. But while it’s pretty safe to say some of the things I did back in the day were mortal sin, because I had since made a good confession, I did not need to go back and confess every stupid thing I did when I was 20. Or 21. Or 22. Or…
Kris

 

[George_Stegmeir]

Once you have made your confession, and in your heart you were sorry for your sins and the priest absolved you…the Good Lord has forgiven all of your sins, whether or not you remembered evrything or the number of times you did the deed. Please don’t torture yourself about past deeds once you have been absolved. All that is, is Satan biting you on your memories behind in the hope he can lure you into repeating the sin.
Whenever such thoughts get into your head, just say a Hail Mary and/or “Lord have mercy on me a sinner”. It will help you get your mind on something else.
The next time you go to the confession, why not take the time to express these concerns with the priest? His response will not only amaze you, but will give you peace of mind.
G*d Bless!

 

[Joan_M]

What George said is good advice.

God is not standing over us trying to catch us out! He loves us. He wants us to repent - which you did. Yes, He wants us to confess all our mortal sins, but all He expects is that we do our best.

If what you said was too vague, the priest would have asked you a question to clarify.

Whenever I am doubtful as to the seriousness of a sin I always confess it anyway. That way it is absolved and is gone, whereas if I don’t confess it because I am not certain I have committed a mortal sin, then I experience a lot of second guessing and worries. Much better to confess and no more worries! I figure, even if it was not mortal, I still repent of having done it.

 

[Bookcat]

I would make an appointment with a Priest and sit down for a confession and tell him what has happened and ask him to guide you in correcting what has happened in confession

(repost of post from past)

One is obliged to confess all mortal sins in number and kind (and circumstance that changes the kind – like it was your brother you murdered! or the gold cup you stole was from the Church (hence sacrilege))

Venial sins are recommended to be confessed. They can also be forgiven in many other ways.

(Now I will note that those out there who are scrupulous …they need to a regular confessor and not scruple about confession…)

Of course after a good examination we may not …remember everything…that is ok…we do what we can…God forgives the forgotten ones too (we need of course to be sorry for all our mortal sins…and amended)…then if we later remember one we forgot…we are to confess it in the next confession after we remember it. (this is different from if we intentionally hide a mortal sin…or the number --such can make the confession invalid and add more sin to confess)

Also we may not know the numbers …we do what can …and if we do not know…we make an approximation according to our knowledge from our examinination …3-5x, 5-10 a month for the last 20 years, somewhere around 50 times, around 10x, or it was several times definately more than 10 …it may be that one has to say: “a few times”, “several times” “many times” “many many times” etc

Now if one makes an honest mistake and says “I stole” but forgot to make it clear that it was $100,000 not a candy-bar from a store and realizes this after the confession–well one needs to confess such in the next confession (and one needs to repair the theft…the Priest can guide one).

Of course one needs contrition and a firm purpose of amendment.

Here from the Catechism:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#VII

Here is a guide sold by Catholic Answers: shop.catholic.com/product.php?productid=137&cat=25&page=1

From Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers:

jimmyakin.com/2007/03/specific_confes.html.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd …he loves you --in him is * true life*

 

[klm120861]

One of Satan’s favorite tricks is to take anything we forgot (honestly forgot) to mention in confession and throw it at us. Not only to try to get us to repeat the sin, but mostly so that we wallow in the guilt. So that we beat ourselves up over the stupid things we have done. So that we feel “less than”. Doing any of those things is to self-assign penance, (and who are we to do that?) because we don’t feel we “deserve” absolution. Remember, you are not the worst sinner on earth. St. Paul said he was, and who are we to argue with him? Also, once you have done your penance, do not let Satan rob you of your absolution. Anything that comes to mind after you have made a good confession, that happened before that confession is Satan throwing your past at you. Look him square in the face and declare, Absolved!!! Remind him of that.

Unless you need to for your own peace of mind, once you have made a good confession, the only things you need to confess at the next confession is what sins you have committed since your last confession.

In other words, if you go to confession once a month, you only need to cover the past 30 days. Unless you need to confess something for your own peace of mind. As far as God is concerned, the sin is already absolved.
Kris

 

[Bookcat]

One of Satan’s favorite tricks is to take anything we forgot (honestly forgot) to mention in confession and throw it at us. Not only to try to get us to repeat the sin, but mostly so that we wallow in the guilt. So that we beat ourselves up over the stupid things we have done. So that we feel “less than”. Doing any of those things is to self-assign penance, (and who are we to do that?) because we don’t feel we “deserve” absolution. Remember, you are not the worst sinner on earth. St. Paul said he was, and who are we to argue with him? Also, once you have done your penance, do not let Satan rob you of your absolution. Anything that comes to mind after you have made a good confession, that happened before that confession is Satan throwing your past at you. Look him square in the face and declare, Absolved!!! Remind him of that.

Unless you need to for your own peace of mind, once you have made a good confession, the only things you need to confess at the next confession is what sins you have committed since your last confession.

In other words, if you go to confession once a month, you only need to cover the past 30 days. Unless you need to confess something for your own peace of mind. As far as God is concerned, the sin is already absolved.
Kris

Such would not be fully true. If someone forgets a mortal sin (yet were contrite etc and seeking to confess all mortal sins) -they are* obliged* to confess it in the next confession.

(see my post)

 

[Bookcat]

I would make an appointment with a Priest and sit down for a confession and tell him what has happened and ask him to guide you in correcting what has happened in confession

(repost of post from past)

One is obliged to confess all mortal sins in number and kind (and circumstance that changes the kind – like it was your brother you murdered! or the gold cup you stole was from the Church (hence sacrilege))

Venial sins are recommended to be confessed. They can also be forgiven in many other ways.

(Now I will note that those out there who are scrupulous …they need to a regular confessor and not scruple about confession…)

Of course after a good examination we may not …remember everything…that is ok…we do what we can…God forgives the forgotten ones too (we need of course to be sorry for all our mortal sins…and amended)…then if we later remember one we forgot…we are to confess it in the next confession after we remember it. (this is different from if we intentionally hide a mortal sin…or the number --such can make the confession invalid and add more sin to confess)

Also we may not know the numbers …we do what can …and if we do not know…we make an approximation according to our knowledge from our examinination …3-5x, 5-10 a month for the last 20 years, somewhere around 50 times, around 10x, or it was several times definately more than 10 …it may be that one has to say: “a few times”, “several times” “many times” “many many times” etc

Now if one makes an honest mistake and says “I stole” but forgot to make it clear that it was $100,000 not a candy-bar from a store and realizes this after the confession–well one needs to confess such in the next confession (and one needs to repair the theft…the Priest can guide one).

Of course one needs contrition and a firm purpose of amendment.

Here from the Catechism:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#VII

Here is a guide sold by Catholic Answers: shop.catholic.com/product.php?productid=137&cat=25&page=1

From Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers:

jimmyakin.com/2007/03/specific_confes.html.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd …he loves you --in him is * true life*

more from Jimmy Akin jimmyakin.com/2006/09/a_reader_writes_1.html