Question about confession

[Rosarydevotion]

Hi all, if a person goes to confession then leaves and then remembers a grave sin from long ago, they forgot to confess, does this mean they are not fit to receive the Eucharist? Must they then run back to confession before they can receive?

Thanks for your time.

 

[O_Lumen]

No, because you’ve already been forgiven of those sins, and are therefore in a state of grace, so long as you did not intentionally withhold those mortal sins, in which case your Confession would, of course, be invalid.

I don’t have documentation for this, but the standard opinion I’ve always seen has been that, if we should remember a mortal sin we’ve forgotten to confess, we should do so at our next, “regularly scheduled” Confession. A minority opinion has been that we don’t even need to confess those mortal sins unless we want to, but I personally disagree with that position, at least in practice.

Edit: Here’s Fr. Z’s opinion on this, which is the sort of opinion I see maybe 85% of the time with regard to this question.

 

[MrSnaith]

From the Code of Cannon Law, Canon 988:

Can. 988 §1. A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience.

And from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 1493:

1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.

So, if you performed a diligent examination of conscience, and had not recalled the grave sin at that point, you are not obliged to confess it, and it is therefore forgiven.

For peace of mind, you may confess the sin at your next confession, but you are not prohibited from Communion, since the sin has already been absolved.

 

[Vico]

Hi all, if a person goes to confession then leaves and then remembers a grave sin from long ago, they forgot to confess, does this mean they are not fit to receive the Eucharist? Must they then run back to confession before they can receive?

Thanks for your time.

Baltimore Catechism No. 3Q. 792. What should we do if we cannot remember the number of our sins?
A. If we cannot remember the number of our sins, we should tell the number as nearly as possible, and say how often we may have sinned in a day, a week, or a month, and how long the habit or practice has lasted.

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.

audiosancto.org/inc/BC3/bc3-19.html

 

[Windmill]

This was Luther’s hang-up. He’d jump back in the confessional because he had a thought or remembered a past sin. The confessor had to practically kick him out of the confessional so other penitents could confess. Rather than tackle his scruples and accept God’s mercy, Luther broke away from the Church and developed a warped theology to alleviate his anxieties. I believe his raving diatribes against the Pope, the Holy Priesthood, the Mass, and the Church were symptoms of a shattered conscience.

Don’t go down that road where you make God a sniper who is waiting to get you on a technicality. You were repentant, you did your best to examine your conscience and confess. God doesn’t expect the impossible. Rest in His Mercy, reform your life, and bring up the forgotten sin next confession as an act of thanksgiving to God.

 

[O_Lumen]

Baltimore Catechism No. 3

A beautiful example of why memorizing the old Baltimore Catechism was such a worthwhile practice! Succinct and clear answers are so sorely needed in today’s world.

 

[MrSnaith]

Baltimore Catechism No. 3Q. 792. What should we do if we cannot remember the number of our sins?
A. If we cannot remember the number of our sins, we should tell the number as nearly as possible, and say how often we may have sinned in a day, a week, or a month, and how long the habit or practice has lasted.

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.

audiosancto.org/inc/BC3/bc3-19.html

 

[Rosarydevotion]

This is good news! Thanks all!

 

[Bookcat]

You would be correct to disagree with that opinion - for it is not an legit opinion. But an error.

One is obliged to confess them.

(now I hasten to add that some struggle with disordered fears in this area and fear they need to confess what they do not - or want to keep repeating the confession of a mortal sin they they unduly fear they forgot but it is only a scruple -they are are to have a “regular confessor” to direct them.)

 

[Bookcat]

Jimmy Akin (from his blog):

Forgotten & Forgiven Mortal Sins

by Jimmy Akin

A reader writes:

I am aware that if one goes to confession and supplies the requisite contrition, then all sins which the person committed are absolved–provided that the person does not intentionally conceal any mortal sins.

Correct.

Also, I have been told by several priests that this means that if one remembers a mortal sin after confession, they should know that they are forgiven for it so long as they mention it the next time they go to confession.

Correct, though this should be formulated a little differently. You are forgiven if you meant to confess all your mortal sins and just forgot one. Having been forgiven of the one you forgot, you are still obligated to confess it the next time you go to confession. It’s not that your forgiveness of it is conditional on you adopting the intention to confess it next time. That sin has already been forgiven. It’s that you incur a new sin if you refuse to adopt the intention of confessing it.

Now I remember that you did a similar blog topic about this fairly recently, but my question is one that I don’t think you dealt with in that blog.

My question is after one has remembered the mortal sin, how soon is one required to seek out confession?  For example, if I go to confession and mention everything I can bring to mind, but immediately afterward remember a mortal sin, must I go to confession to mention the mortal sin as soon as possible?  Or could I just wait 2 weeks, a month, etc., until I feel like going to confession?  And can I receive communion in the meanwhile?

Since you are not in a state of mortal sin, you can receive Communion prior to your next confession.

 

[ccmcmg]

And we are not required to receive the Eucharist at every Mass we attend.