Question concerning confession difficulty

[mcapja]

I am a returning Catholic now for 1 year … 66 years of age and disabled. I was away for nearly 40 years. I have gone to confession several times and had Sacrament of the Sick three or four times (in 8 years). I have many ‘conditions’ including impaired memory due to a small stroke last summer. I know that if I remember a mortal sin I previously forgot to confess I must confess it at the next opportunity. However my memory plays tricks with me and if I write down something I remember, I forget that I’ve written it down to tell my confessor. Am I obligated to remember something I DID remember but have forgotten several times and even have forgotten I have it written down to tell my confessor? Does this make sense. Sometimes I wonder if anything I say anymore does.

Thank you.

 

[Steady_Eddy]

Hello there,

I’ve just read both threads of yours with interest.

When you go to hospital who takes you there? Surely that same person could take you to Mass also, and place your wheelchair up at the very front, near the Altar, and you could receive Communion easily, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”

I think it’s brilliant that you’ve come back to Church after 40 years, “Welcome Home” Perhaps you could speak more openly to your confessor, tell him everything you explained to us here and I’m sure he could help. And if you don’t already do so, pray the Rosary each and every day, for your husband, yourself, and all humanity.

John 19:27
Eddy Barry

 

[JRKH]

WELCOME HOME…

You ask if you are obligated to remember…

You are only obligated to do the best you can within the bounds of your capabilities. God would not have brought you back home to His church just to trip you up on some technicality.

Confess what you remember. Let your confessor know that you have memory issues due to a stroke…Then move forward into the light of God’s Love with joy and confidence in His mercy.

Peace
James

 

[mcapja]

Thank you for your answers.

 

[Bookcat]

If lets say you commit the sin of murder 1x (to use one of my usual examples) and you repent and write it down. You then due to your memory difficulty actually forget to confess that sin of murder and even forget you wrote it down. But you make a good contrite etc confession intending to confess all ones mortal sins. Well that is the case of a forgotten sin. Now if later you find the paper and remember that realize that it was not confessed --well try to remember it for the next confession --but if one again forgets due to ones memory difficulty then such repeats itself… you just keep forgetting it.

(and you even have gone the extra mile! and written it down --which one does not I think have to do–for we can not be obliged to write down our sins --for someone may find them–so I am not so sure you should be writing them down at least not without some “code” perhaps --discuss this with your confessor for you can forget even where you put the list and someone may find it…).

I do not know the extent of your memory difficulty but I could perhaps foresee various difficulties arising otherwise. Such as a you not destroying the paper and finding it each week – and then actually confessing it – and then forgetting you confessed it and finding the paper the next week --and confessing it --and on and on week after week.

So what you need to do is – Simply discuss your particular difficulties with your confessor (or pastor even in confession)…and see what he advises you.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and he loves you and gives you true life!

 

[raaucoin]

WELCOME HOME…

You ask if you are obligated to remember…

You are only obligated to do the best you can within the bounds of your capabilities. God would not have brought you back home to His church just to trip you up on some technicality.

Confess what you remember. Let your confessor know that you have memory issues due to a stroke…Then move forward into the light of God’s Love with joy and confidence in His mercy.

Peace
James

What James said! Welcome home.