"Re-Confessing"

[Online_Knight]

I worry that this would be borderline scrupulous… but would it be appropriate to “re-confess” a sin that was previously confessed a couple of years ago? After reading, studying, and contemplating, I am not sure that my confession for a specific sin back then was as contrite as it would be now.

Of course, maybe we all feel more sorrowful about all of our past sins as we deepen our faith later on.

Thoughts?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

There is no need to re-confess something that has been earnestly and openly confessed.

That being said, there is a long standing tradition in the church of “General confession” where go through your entire life and confess everything you can remember. This is usually a pretty long process that the priest will help you through. It’s not something you’ll do at a weekly confession, it needs to be scheduled.

 

[edward_george1]

It’s also not something that needs to be done in the normal course of things, especially by the scrupulous. It can become a very bad habit for them, who will keep making general confessions because they aren’t sure they “did it right.”

I would advise a general confession in very limited circumstances, namely one who is returning to the Church after a long time away, one who is joining the Church who is already baptized, or one who is about to change his state in life, as by ordination, marriage, or religious profession. Someone who has withheld a mortal sin and subsequently confessed invalidly should make a general confession back to their last good one, but if they tend toward scrupulosity this should only be undertaken at the advice of a spiritual director and only with his guidance.

-Fr ACEGC