Repeatedly confessing the same sins and valid absolution

[Mark1970]

I had a conversation with a friend this morning after the TLM I attend, I’d be interested in seeing what the response is to this. I should point out at the start that I only have this second hand!

My friend was discussing confession with the priest and the subject of people committing the same sins and confessing them every time they go to confession. Like I say, I don’t know exactly what was said in the original conversation, but my friend indicated afterwards that the priest said that in this situation the absolution was invalid. I don’t have any information more than this, but I know that I seem to be continually falling into the same sins and keep confession them! Would this mean that every time I went to confession the absolution I thought I received was invalid?

I suspect I probably need to clarify this with either the priest or the person I was talking to but this sounds a bit worrying! How many of us fall into the same sins repeatedly? I certainly do. I have mild scrupulousity to start off with, the last thing I need is to be worrying every time I go to confession that I’m not really absolved.

 

[runningdude]

Absolution is absolute!

If you intend to make a good confession and amend your ways, your sins are forgiven - all of them. If you fall back into a particular sin, that in no way changes the resolve you had at the time of absolution.

Only if you intend on repeating the sin in question after absolution could it be invalid. It is not simply an “invalid” confession, it is sacrilege! You are abusing a sacrament!

However, it is difficult to actually abuse the sacrament of penance. Intending to commit a sin, and acknowledging the possibility that you might commit a particular sin again are very different things. Sin damages our relationship with God. Confession is a step towards repairing that relationship.

If by confessing your sins, you are acknowledging that a sin is damaging your soul, and are going to confession for healing that damage, then you are forgiven. If you slip up, and make and honest mistake while in the confessional, you are forgiven. Absolution is absolute. It is divine Grace. It protects and heals, and is meant to provide comfort.

As the hymn goes, “Come… Follow me… and I will give you… rest”.

 

[jwinch2]

If that is true we are all in big trouble as I don’t know a single Catholic who doesn’t admit to having to confess the same sins over and over again. Frankly, I could probably just put them on tape and bring them from week to week with only minor variations. Its often frustrating but to my understanding, this does not invalidate the sacrament in anyway. ALL of us have sins that we will continue to struggle with.

As was already pointed out in the great response above, as long as we intend to give an honest and open confession, are legitimately contrite, and want to change our ways the sacrament is completely valid. Our blessed Lord himself said that we were to forgive our brother not just 7 times, but 7 times 70 times. How much more merciful and forgiving is our God than we are as fallen sinners?

 

[Joan1969]

I had a conversation with a friend this morning after the TLM I attend, I’d be interested in seeing what the response is to this. I should point out at the start that I only have this second hand!

My friend was discussing confession with the priest and the subject of people committing the same sins and confessing them every time they go to confession. Like I say, I don’t know exactly what was said in the original conversation, but my friend indicated afterwards that the priest said that in this situation the absolution was invalid. I don’t have any information more than this, but I know that I seem to be continually falling into the same sins and keep confession them! Would this mean that every time I went to confession the absolution I thought I received was invalid?

I suspect I probably need to clarify this with either the priest or the person I was talking to but this sounds a bit worrying! How many of us fall into the same sins repeatedly? I certainly do. I have mild scrupulousity to start off with, the last thing I need is to be worrying every time I go to confession that I’m not really absolved.

Hi Mark,

You are right to be concerned about scruples. We need to remember that all God needs is our reasonable good faith, not the instant reformation of all our bad habits. That’s not realistic for people; habits are habits. And we all have ingrained personalities that make certain faults a lifetime concern; we may always have such faults to some degree or another even if we work hard on them.

Maybe the priest had some more info than you did. Some people may confess to mortal sins as a matter of course with no intention of changing anything. Birth control might be a more common case where this happens. I can see questioning the validity of a confession in this sort of circumstance. But not when it comes to venial habits that the person takes to confession, but still can’t break very quickly. Even mortal habits (alcohol, masturbation, etc) are often going to be the repeated subject of many confessions, and this doesn’t affect validity at all.

God Bless,
Joan

 

[Mark1970]

Hi Mark,

You are right to be concerned about scruples. We need to remember that all God needs is our reasonable good faith, not the instant reformation of all our bad habits. That’s not realistic for people; habits are habits. And we all have ingrained personalities that make certain faults a lifetime concern; we may always have such faults to some degree or another even if we work hard on them.

Maybe the priest had some more info than you did. Some people may confess to mortal sins as a matter of course with no intention of changing anything. Birth control might be a more common case where this happens. I can see questioning the validity of a confession in this sort of circumstance. But not when it comes to venial habits that the person takes to confession, but still can’t break very quickly. Even mortal habits (alcohol, masturbation, etc) are often going to be the repeated subject of many confessions, and this doesn’t affect validity at all.

God Bless,
Joan

Thanks for your comments. The comments you make in the second paragraph remind me of a comment a priest made a few years ago, that some sins, even mortal sins, can become habitual. The priest said that in this case, the “full consent of the will” needed for the person to be guilty of mortal sin can be diminished. That also makes it more difficult for them to break the habit, even if they’re trying.

 

[Joan1969]

Thanks for your comments. The comments you make in the second paragraph remind me of a comment a priest made a few years ago, that some sins, even mortal sins, can become habitual. The priest said that in this case, the “full consent of the will” needed for the person to be guilty of mortal sin can be diminished. That also makes it more difficult for them to break the habit, even if they’re trying.

You are very welcome, Mark, and I’m glad I could say something helpful. To be very clear, I would personally always take to confession any action that could be considered objectively a grave sin, even if its gravity could be diminished by habit. But the penitent can be completely at peace about the validity of the confession, no matter how often the same sin needs to be taken there.

God Bless,
Joan