Sin/confession question

[HorseJumperCTS]

If i committed a mortal sin twice in a half hour (no not murder or anything), and i can’t remember if i told the preist that i did it twice, or if i just said that i did it, do i need to re-confess it?

ps i am scrupulous sometimes

 

[kell0618]

If i committed a mortal sin twice in a half hour (no not murder or anything), and i can’t remember if i told the preist that i did it twice, or if i just said that i did it, do i need to re-confess it?

ps i am scrupulous sometimes

No, you do not need to confess it again. If you gave the best information you could at the time and had full intention to be completely honest, your sins are forgiven. When I go to confession, I always end my list of sins with, “I am truly sorry for these sins and all of the sins of my life.” As long as you are contrite, your intention is to confess to all of your sins, and you confess to all the sins you remember, God forgives you.

Peace be with you,

Kelly

 

[PeterMichael]

I have two questions concerning Confession, I have returned to the Catholic Church back in 2006. Since my return to the Church, I try to go to Confession at least five times a year before Lent, before Easter,before Summer, before Fall, and before Christmas. Some Priests that I have talked to stated that unless you commit a mortal sin, twice a year before Christmas and Easter is good enough to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How many times a year should a practicing Catholic receive the Sacrament of Reconcilliation? Also one time during Confession I confessed that I had a bad/angry thought;the priest told me that bad thoughts are not a sin, only if you actually commit the sin is when it becomes a sin. Take care have a great day.

                                           God Bless You
                                                   Pete

 

[kristie_m]

I have two questions concerning Confession, I have returned to the Catholic Church back in 2006. Since my return to the Church, I try to go to Confession at least five times a year before Lent, before Easter,before Summer, before Fall, and before Christmas. Some Priests that I have talked to stated that unless you commit a mortal sin, twice a year before Christmas and Easter is good enough to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How many times a year should a practicing Catholic receive the Sacrament of Reconcilliation? Also one time during Confession I confessed that I had a bad/angry thought;the priest told me that bad thoughts are not a sin, only if you actually commit the sin is when it becomes a sin. Take care have a great day.

                                           God Bless You
                                                   Pete

Hi

I’ve heard it recommended that Catholics should be going to confession about once a month, but that was just a recommendation, not a rule. As far as the bad/angry thought, I think it rather depends on what you do with it. The thought itself is not a sin, but if you entertain it for a while, it might be. In other words, if I’m angry with, say, my sister, and every time I think of her I am reminded of my anger so that it festers and I don’t forgive her for however she wronged me, that would be sinful, I think. Hope that makes sense.

 

[LilyM]

I have two questions concerning Confession, I have returned to the Catholic Church back in 2006. Since my return to the Church, I try to go to Confession at least five times a year before Lent, before Easter,before Summer, before Fall, and before Christmas. Some Priests that I have talked to stated that unless you commit a mortal sin, twice a year before Christmas and Easter is good enough to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How many times a year should a practicing Catholic receive the Sacrament of Reconcilliation? Also one time during Confession I confessed that I had a bad/angry thought;the priest told me that bad thoughts are not a sin, only if you actually commit the sin is when it becomes a sin. Take care have a great day.

                                           God Bless You
                                                   Pete

The strict requirement is only once a year. Confession is absolutely required only in cases of mortal sin, but it is a good idea to regularly confess venial sins too - it gives us grace to overcome them in future. Once a month would be a good idea.

 

[Padua_Minded]

If i committed a mortal sin twice in a half hour (no not murder or anything), and i can’t remember if i told the preist that i did it twice, or if i just said that i did it, do i need to re-confess it?

Yes, you are bound to make known to the priest all mortal sins which you remember committing, and if you have committed the same sin more than once, you need to specify the number of times. If you have forgotten to confess a particular sin or, in good faith, neglected to specify accurately the number of times you committed it, then you need to make that known to your confessor at your next confession.

 

[Padua_Minded]

I have two questions concerning Confession, I have returned to the Catholic Church back in 2006. Since my return to the Church, I try to go to Confession at least five times a year before Lent, before Easter,before Summer, before Fall, and before Christmas. Some Priests that I have talked to stated that unless you commit a mortal sin, twice a year before Christmas and Easter is good enough to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How many times a year should a practicing Catholic receive the Sacrament of Reconcilliation? Also one time during Confession I confessed that I had a bad/angry thought;the priest told me that bad thoughts are not a sin, only if you actually commit the sin is when it becomes a sin. Take care have a great day.

Strictly speaking no-one is bound to confess except once a year, and then only if they are in mortal sin, but a good Catholic should make frequent use of confession—daily, if possible. You could not go frequently enough. Some of the saints went more than once a day.

St Padre Pio said

Confession is the soul’s bath. You must go at least once a week. I do not want souls to stay away from confession more than a week. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again!

Bad thoughts, if willing entertained, can be mortally sinful in themselves. If you willingly entertain lustful or hateful thoughts towards an individual, then you are guilty of a grave sin, and it needs to be confessed.

 

[KAL]

When is drunkeness a mortal sin. Is it when you are falling down, slurring words, and making a fool of yourself? Or is it less than that. I don’t drink to get drunk, but I take a medication that probably accelerates the alcohol, so I try to keep it to two glasses of wine at a time. Sometimes, it becomes more than that if we have company, or are out to dinner. And then I spend the whole time at Mass debating with myself the pros and cons of the night before. It gets quite exhausting.

Thanks for your help.

 

[lak611]

When is drunkeness a mortal sin. Is it when you are falling down, slurring words, and making a fool of yourself? Or is it less than that. I don’t drink to get drunk, but I take a medication that probably accelerates the alcohol, so I try to keep it to two glasses of wine at a time. Sometimes, it becomes more than that if we have company, or are out to dinner. And then I spend the whole time at Mass debating with myself the pros and cons of the night before. It gets quite exhausting.

Thanks for your help.

If you know that your medication does not mix well with alcohol, you should probably not drink at all. When you go out to dinner and combine this medication with alcohol, are you driving? Drunk driving is always a mortal sin. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

 

[Cristiano]

Yes, you are bound to make known to the priest all mortal sins which you remember committing, and if you have committed the same sin more than once, you need to specify the number of times. If you have forgotten to confess a particular sin or, in good faith, neglected to specify accurately the number of times you committed it, then you need to make that known to your confessor at your next confession.

What you suggested is a very good practice but it is not needed. Unless you intentionally avoid to mention sins or misrepresent them then you are absolved.

 

[Padua_Minded]

What you suggested is a very good practice but it is not needed.

Let me clarify. The penitent, if he forgets to confess a mortal sin, is still validly absolved and in a state of grace, but he is still required to confess that particular sin again in his next confession.

From the St Pius X Catechism:

**
82 Q: Does he who through forgetfulness does not confess a mortal sin, or a necessary circumstance, make a good confession?**

A: He who through pure forgetfulness does not confess a mortal sin, or a necessary circumstance, makes a good confession, provided he has been duly diligent in trying to remember it.
**
83 Q: If a mortal sin, forgotten in confession, is afterwards remembered, are we bound to confess it in another confession?
**
A: If a mortal sin forgotten in confession is afterwards remembered we are certainly bound to confess it the next time we go to confession.

Unless you intentionally avoid to mention sins or misrepresent them then you are absolved.

This is correct, I never stated anything to the contrary.

 

[Cristiano]

Let me clarify. The penitent, if he forgets to confess a mortal sin, is still validly absolved and in a state of grace, but he is still required to confess that particular sin again in his next confession.

What is it going to happen if he is not going to confess it in the following confession? Is he committing a sin? If yes which one?

When you say it is required, who requires it? The reference to the catechism of St. PiusX is not binding.

 

[LilyM]

What is it going to happen if he is not going to confess it in the following confession? Is he committing a sin? If yes which one?

Quite probably - that would be the sin of knowingly or deliberately withholding a mortal sin in confession. You are under obligation to confess from the moment you become aware of the sin - doesn’t matter when that awareness arises or how many opportunities you may miss due to forgetfulness, until such time as you confess you are under that obligation, and to knowingly fail in it is sinful.

 

[Padua_Minded]

What is it going to happen if he is not going to confess it in the following confession? Is he committing a sin? If yes which one?

If the penitent refuses to confess the sin in his next confession, his absolution will be invalid and he will be guilty of a sacrilege.

 

[Cristiano]

Quite probably - that would be the sin of knowingly or deliberately withholding something which should be confessed. Basically you’re deliberately omitting to confess the sin when you should do so.

That is not correct. The original assumption is that the individual obtained a valid absolution. There are no partial or conditional absolutions. If we confess sins that have already been absolved then we are committing the sin of despair against the Holy spirit. The sin can be brought up again in confession if we are seeking spiritual guidance (e.g. how to perform a good examination of conscience and/or confession) and not absolution for something that has already been forgiven.

 

[Cristiano]

If the penitent refuses to confess the sin in his next confession, his absolution will be invalid and he will be guilty of a sacrilege.

You are wrong, please read about “ex opere operato” and sacramental confession.

 

[Cristiano]

Bad thoughts, if willing entertained, can be mortally sinful in themselves. If you willingly entertain lustful or hateful thoughts towards an individual, then you are guilty of a grave sin, and it needs to be confessed.

To quote a quite senior CAF member " I never entertain lustful thoughts, they entertain me!"

 

[Padua_Minded]

You are wrong, please read about “ex opere operato” and sacramental confession.

I have not once doubted the validity of the original confession. Ex opere operato (“from the work having been worked”) is commonly used in the reference to the anti-donatist dogma of the Church that a priest can confect a sacrament regardless of his spiritual state. All priests can confect the Eucharist, and all western priests with jurisdiction can validly absolve penitants. The term is used in reference to the minister of the sacrament, not the recipient. I do not see why this is relevant.

All penitants are validly absolved provided that they tell all known mortal sins they have committed to the priest.

 

[CreatioNova]

You are wrong, please read about “ex opere operato” and sacramental confession.

I may very well be wrong here , but I thought ‘‘ex opere operato’’ meant the ‘‘work’’ ie the absolution in this case would be valid, regardless of the state of grace of holiness of the priest administering it, so long as the priest was vaildily ordained to do so.

Ex Opere Operato doesn’t refer to the state of the penitant. (I don’t think so anyway)

‘‘But those who fail to do so and knowingly withold some (mortal sins) place nothing before the divine goodness for mediation of the priest - for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know’’

 

[LilyM]

That is not correct. The original assumption is that the individual obtained a valid absolution. There are no partial or conditional absolutions. If we confess sins that have already been absolved then we are committing the sin of despair against the Holy spirit. The sin can be brought up again in confession if we are seeking spiritual guidance (e.g. how to perform a good examination of conscience and/or confession) and not absolution for something that has already been forgiven.

No. It’s a bit like the sin of failing to perform penance after confession. The obligation is a fresh one afer confession and so the sin is a fresh one, independent of the original confession, that must be confessed at the next confession.

So it is with our obligation to confess forgotten mortal sins - if we are bound to confess them at the next opportunity, then that duty in itself becomes a fresh obligation, binding in itself on pain of sin, independent of the original confession and absolution.

I can see that to mention sins that have previously been NAMED and absolved can constitute the sin of despair, but we are in fact bound on pain of sin to mention those that we’ve forgotten in previous confessions. So to do so - as long as it is for the first time and not the third or fourth - cannot possibly constitute despair, but instead constitutes a binding duty.

As for reconfessing sins - have you ever heard of such a thing as a ‘devotional confession’? There are circumstances, such as when one desires to gain an indulgence for which confession is a necessary component, or when one simply wishes to gain the graces of the sacrament, when you can go to confession with no fresh sins at all, and simply mention sins of your past life. Presumably one would specify to the priest that one is doing this, and you can do so without fear of doubting that they were forgiven the first time around.