Restitution question

[_L]

I have a question regarding restitution for stolen items.

having gone to confession today and afterwards reflecting back, I recalled some instances when I was a kid where I had stolen some cards from someone I knew from one of those card games that kids play, and I was thinking about whether or not almost a decade later (Im almost 20 now) I have to make restitution for this? Some of the cards I took ended up back in his possession since as kids we often traded cards around so some of the ones I took ended up back with him. I no longer own any of those cards, and they must have been thrown out when I outgrew them. So my question is am I required to make restitution for this? I haven’t had a relationship with this person in almost a decade, I no longer have those cards (maybe a handful of them or so I stole) So what am I supposed to do? Admittedly it would be extremely awkward for me to contact him after almost a decade of not speaking to him hand him a few bucks and say that 9 or so years ago I took some of his cards; would an appropriate sized donation to some sort of charity work as a substitute? Considering I no longer have the cards to begin with to return to him.

And on a related note, is there a general rule for restitution? Like I don’t steal anything now, but when I was a young kid, like all young kids I did stupid things like taking a pencil or a piece of gum and so on. Must restitution be made on such small items?

 

[Dorothy]

I don’t believe in that the small items you mentioned from so long ago that you would have to try and return those items…which, as you said are not even in your possession now.

What you can do, to ease your conscience, is to make a heartfelt donation to a worthy charity, to make up for what you are thinking about.

 

[karow]

How can you return something you no longer have to someone you’re no longer in touch with?

Confess the pilfering. If it’s still weighing on your conscience, perform an act of charity.

 

[_L]

I understand what you are all saying here, and it seems reasonable, but according to the Catechism, it says:

CCC # 2487: Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even it its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another reputation. This reparation, moral, and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of damaged inflicted. It obliges in conscience.

So I think it seems evident that I should do something in the spirit of reparation, but quite honestly I just see confronting this person would just do more harm than good,we aren’t friends or even acquaintances but we are on perfectly friendly terms since we live near each other and I just feel by confronting him over this, it wouldn’t bring about anything good and would just unsettle something that doesn’t need to be unsettled. I considered maybe secretly tossing a few dollars in an envelope and either dropping it in his family’s mailbox or on their front step but then again theres no guarantee that he will receive it, not to mention I really don’t know what the appropriate amount of money would be for such cards considering their value fluctuates over time and I rly dont remember all of them.

I suppose I will bring this up in my next confession and ask the priest what to do regardless.