The Most EVIL Examination of Conscience!

[ATeutonicKnight]

beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html This is the most extreme Examination of Conscience the world has ever known… I have literally been doing this for over two. hours. And, that is with condensing sins familiar to each other together! I have nineteen, and I crossed out four that I realized I didn’t even commit. This thing makes you think you committed sins that you didn’t! If everyone went by this Examination, Priests would only be able to fit in two people per hour. You almost have to do one Confession per Commandment on this thing. I have to wake up in three hours at five in the morning to work, and this thing has kept me up because I won’t be able to do this tomorrow. Do yourself a favor and never use this thing. I filled up an entire page with my sins and I had to stop when I got to the sixth/ninth commandment because if I didn’t the Priest would rip my page in two halfway into it. Am I the only one who thinks this thing is way too descriptive? There’s almost thirty sins per commandment on this thing!

 

[Zacdecat]

I would not call it that, but yes it is very particular.

When I first went back to the Faith, my first confession was quite detailed as I confessed that it had been decades, and I am forgotten the prays etc. My dear Confessor girded his loins so to speak, and he asked questions following the format in the weblink and I responded. It was amazing…I was pretty weepy by the end of it all as I was so emptied out of guilt and ugly things.

If you go to an Ignatian Retreat you will have the opportunity of a General Confession which is a massive exercise where you peruse your entire life. It is exhausting and distressing, but it is also one of the most FREEING of the burden of sin and guilt.You will feel lighter than air afterwards.

If you choose to do the confession in the link, let your priest know before making your confession and he can let you know if time allows or if you should make it another time.

God bless you and keep you always.

 

[LilyM]

Not all the sins in this examination are mortal sins. The seriousness of lying or gossip, for example, depends on the nature and circumstances of the lie or the gossiping.

Only mortal sins need be confessed. And remember for something to be a mortal sin you need to understand before you do it that it is a mortal sin and freely choose to do it anyway.

So, for example, someone who through no fault of their own doesn’t know about the requirement to confess once a year, lacks the necessary knowledge. And someone who is badly addicted to drugs or alcohol and is seeking rehab but occasionally slips up probably lacks the necessary wiling consent, as addiction is very difficult to control.

Having said all of this, many people do find their first (or first in a long time) confession can take time, both in the examination and in the confessing. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once, or straight away. God knows you want to confess, and also understands your difficulties.

Excellent idea to make an appointment for your first time, and let the priest know that it is likely to take a fairly long time.

 

[ANNE_2]

To advise any Catholic not to confess their known sins, is very harmful and false.

I read the examination provided in the link, and there is nothing wrong with it. In fact it is a very good start.
Reviewing the 10 Commandments and the Precepts of the Church should be done on a regular basis to make a good confession.

General Confessions are not permitted except in extreme emergencies.

" Pastoral norms for the administration of general sacramental absolution"
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19720616_sacramentum-paenitentiae_en.html

" Individual and integral confession and absolution remain the Only ordinary way for the faithful to be reconciled to God and the Church unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from such confession. "

" The granting of general sacramental absolution without observing the norms given above is to be considered a serious abuse. "

CCC - “1801 Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt.”

CCC - "1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility.
This is the case when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.”
In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits. "

If each of us read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” provided to each of us from the Magisterium - we would not be ignorant of sins.
And after that if we still have a question we should ask our Priest in Confession.
The Church provided the CCC, it is our personal responsibility to read it.

CCC - 1454 The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God.
The passages best suited to this can be found in the Ten Commandments, the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings.

 

[Hokomai]

On one issue at least this examination seems to be muddled:

Committed slander or calumny? (Telling lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.)
Committed libel? (Writing lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.)

I think these are British civil law definitions within the law of defamation. the church recognises the sin of telling lies to lower a person’s reputation, (calumny) and also telling the truth without just cause to lower a person’s reputation. I also think that in church teaching the reputation does not have to be destroyed, only lowered.

Sorry, OP. I realise I have added another sin for you to be concerned about!

 

[TrueLight]

To advise any Catholic not to confess their known sins, is very harmful and false.

It is good to confess sins but only mortal sins are required to be confessed. Receiving communion pardons venial sins. You can also confess your venial sins to God.

Here is a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition

“1416 Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the communicant’s union with the Lord, **forgives his venial sins, **and preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bonds of charity between the communicant and Christ, it also reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.”

There is a woman I met the second time I attended a mass. I have not seen her receive communion yet even though she is very devout. From her own admissions it is because of venial sin. Her work schedule prevents her from making it to confession.

Even though we are not obligated to receive but once a year, I cannot help but feel she is missing out on a lot of graces.

 

[Sherry_G]

Making a good confession, including all sins, mortal and venial is one more way to stay closer to Jesus and to receive many graces that will help each of us stay clear of occasions of sin. Confessing after a long period of time does require a vast amount of prayer and scrutiny. Going to receive absolution for our sins from this sacrament is always a good thing, whether we have committed mortal or venial sins. It keeps our level of awareness of sin to a higher degree. Keeping our conscience fully engaged allows us to realize our sinfulness and our complete dependence on the mercy of God. it’s a good thing!

 

[jmj1984]

beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html This is the most extreme Examination of Conscience the world has ever known… I have literally been doing this for over two. hours. And, that is with condensing sins familiar to each other together! I have nineteen, and I crossed out four that I realized I didn’t even commit. This thing makes you think you committed sins that you didn’t! If everyone went by this Examination, Priests would only be able to fit in two people per hour. You almost have to do one Confession per Commandment on this thing. I have to wake up in three hours at five in the morning to work, and this thing has kept me up because I won’t be able to do this tomorrow. Do yourself a favor and never use this thing. I filled up an entire page with my sins and I had to stop when I got to the sixth/ninth commandment because if I didn’t the Priest would rip my page in two halfway into it. Am I the only one who thinks this thing is way too descriptive? There’s almost thirty sins per commandment on this thing!

I’ve got a book with something similar to this, its helpful, consider it like going to a doctor, the more information you give him the better the remedy he can prescribe and the better he can heal your soul from the wounds of sin. It may perhaps be more suitable for a general confession however.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

To advise any Catholic not to confess their known sins, is very harmful and false.

I read the examination provided in the link, and there is nothing wrong with it. In fact it is a very good start.
Reviewing the 10 Commandments and the Precepts of the Church should be done on a regular basis to make a good confession.

General Confessions are not permitted except in extreme emergencies.

" Pastoral norms for the administration of general sacramental absolution"
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19720616_sacramentum-paenitentiae_en.html

" Individual and integral confession and absolution remain the Only ordinary way for the faithful to be reconciled to God and the Church unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from such confession. "

" The granting of general sacramental absolution without observing the norms given above is to be considered a serious abuse. "

CCC - “1801 Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt.”

CCC - "1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility.
This is the case when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.”
In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits. "

If each of us read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” provided to each of us from the Magisterium - we would not be ignorant of sins.
And after that if we still have a question we should ask our Priest in Confession.
The Church provided the CCC, it is our personal responsibility to read it.

CCC - 1454 The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God.
The passages best suited to this can be found in the Ten Commandments, the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings.

Your bolded statement is not correct. I believe you have confused “general confession” with “general absolution.”

General confessions involve a detailed confessing of all the sins of one’s life, and I am unaware of any restrictions on them, save for the priest’s time. It is generally considered good form to schedule a general confession ahead of time with the priest because of the potential time-consuming nature of such a detailed confession.

General absolution typically involves no individual confession at all, and is limited to emergencies by the norms you cited.

 

[paperwight66]

Your bolded statement is not correct. I believe you have confused “general confession” with “general absolution.”

General confessions involve a detailed confessing of all the sins of one’s life, and I am unaware of any restrictions on them, save for the priest’s time. It is generally considered good form to schedule a general confession ahead of time with the priest because of the potential time-consuming nature of such a detailed confession.

General absolution typically involves no individual confession at all, and is limited to emergencies by the norms you cited.

Yes, she has indeed confused the two terms.

 

[wisdomseeker]

Not all the sins in this examination are mortal sins. The seriousness of lying or gossip, for example, depends on the nature and circumstances of the lie or the gossiping.

Only mortal sins need be confessed. And remember for something to be a mortal sin you need to understand before you do it that it is a mortal sin and freely choose to do it anyway.

So, for example, someone who through no fault of their own doesn’t know about the requirement to confess once a year, lacks the necessary knowledge. And someone who is badly addicted to drugs or alcohol and is seeking rehab but occasionally slips up probably lacks the necessary wiling consent, as addiction is very difficult to control.

Having said all of this, many people do find their first (or first in a long time) confession can take time, both in the examination and in the confessing. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once, or straight away. God knows you want to confess, and also understands your difficulties.

Excellent idea to make an appointment for your first time, and let the priest know that it is likely to take a fairly long time.

Not true. the other day I heard a bishop on EWTN saying that we should also confess venial sins.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

Not all the sins in this examination are mortal sins. The seriousness of lying or gossip, for example, depends on the nature and circumstances of the lie or the gossiping.

Only mortal sins need be confessed. And remember for something to be a mortal sin you need to understand before you do it that it is a mortal sin and freely choose to do it anyway.

So, for example, someone who through no fault of their own doesn’t know about the requirement to confess once a year, lacks the necessary knowledge. And someone who is badly addicted to drugs or alcohol and is seeking rehab but occasionally slips up probably lacks the necessary wiling consent, as addiction is very difficult to control.

Having said all of this, many people do find their first (or first in a long time) confession can take time, both in the examination and in the confessing. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once, or straight away. God knows you want to confess, and also understands your difficulties.

Excellent idea to make an appointment for your first time, and let the priest know that it is likely to take a fairly long time.

Thanks for the post, but this isn’t my first confession.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

It is good to confess sins but only mortal sins are required to be confessed. Receiving communion pardons venial sins. You can also confess your venial sins to God.

Here is a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition

There is a woman I met the second time I attended a mass. I have not seen her receive communion yet even though she is very devout. From her own admissions it is because of venial sin. Her work schedule prevents her from making it to confession.

Even though we are not obligated to receive but once a year, I cannot help but feel she is missing out on a lot of graces.

I realize this, but that’s the thing: I can’t recognize which ones are not Mortal sins. They all appear to be Mortal sins.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

Not true. the other day I heard a bishop on EWTN saying that we should also confess venial sins.

Yes, we should confess Venial sins, but we don’t have to confess Venial sins. The Catechism makes it very clear with this. There is someone quoting the Catechism on this a few posts up.

 

[Anathama_Sit]

beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html This is the most extreme Examination of Conscience the world has ever known… I have literally been doing this for over two. hours. And, that is with condensing sins familiar to each other together! I have nineteen, and I crossed out four that I realized I didn’t even commit. This thing makes you think you committed sins that you didn’t! If everyone went by this Examination, Priests would only be able to fit in two people per hour. You almost have to do one Confession per Commandment on this thing. I have to wake up in three hours at five in the morning to work, and this thing has kept me up because I won’t be able to do this tomorrow. Do yourself a favor and never use this thing. I filled up an entire page with my sins and I had to stop when I got to the sixth/ninth commandment because if I didn’t the Priest would rip my page in two halfway into it. Am I the only one who thinks this thing is way too descriptive? There’s almost thirty sins per commandment on this thing!

Greetings ATeutonicKnight,

I have seen one worse and more detailed. If I find it I will post the link. This one seems to be a realitively easy one. I use the more detailed one at least once a month. The rest of the time I can remember my sins venial and or mortal becuase I go to Confession at least once a week, if not more [if needed].

God Bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[Inquiringperson]

I would not call it that, but yes it is very particular.

When I first went back to the Faith, my first confession was quite detailed as I confessed that it had been decades, and I am forgotten the prays etc. My dear Confessor girded his loins so to speak, and he asked questions following the format in the weblink and I responded. It was amazing…I was pretty weepy by the end of it all as I was so emptied out of guilt and ugly things.

If you go to an Ignatian Retreat you will have the opportunity of a General Confession which is a massive exercise where you peruse your entire life. It is exhausting and distressing, but it is also one of the most FREEING of the burden of sin and guilt.You will feel lighter than air afterwards.

If you choose to do the confession in the link, let your priest know before making your confession and he can let you know if time allows or if you should make it another time.

God bless you and keep you always.

Can you describe General Confession?

 

[odile53]

The general confession (most frequently done in the context of an Ignatian retreat, or at some point early in the course of spiritual direction,) is all the sins you can remember that you ever committed. This isn’t something you do in the confessional during scheduled weekly confession times. You make an appointment, and give the priest fair warning that you plan to do a general confession. The grace to be had from confessing, in this context, sins that you probably already confessed years ago, is the resolution of lingering feelings of guilt and shame, as well as discovering patterns of sin that run through your life over a period of time, and it does allow for some pastoral counseling (in terms of advice to amend or to avoid occasions of sin.) I’ve done it, with a pretty exhaustive examination of conscience list, during the Spiritual Exercises, and can attest to the blessing that doing a good general confession confers.

 

[TrueLight]

I detest the idea of a general confession.

Why do I have to revisit all my past sins that have been absolved with a spiritual director or on a retreat?

 

[Anathama_Sit]

I detest the idea of a general confession.

Why do I have to revisit all my past sins that have been absolved with a spiritual director or on a retreat?

Greetings TrueLight,

Penthos for ones sins is always a good thing. I do a general confession at least once a year. It helps me realize how much I do owe much to God for His Mercy and Love for forgiving my sins. Venial sins are beginning to cause me pain in knowing that I am sinning against God’s love. Somehow sin is becoming more and more repulsive to me. I hope this post made sense.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[TrueLight]

Greetings TrueLight,

Penthos for ones sins is always a good thing. I do a general confession at least once a year. It helps me realize how much I do owe much to God for His Mercy and Love for forgiving my sins. Venial sins are beginning to cause me pain in knowing that I am sinning against God’s love. Somehow sin is becoming more and more repulsive to me. I hope this post made sense.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit

I’m not speaking about gratitude that God would even want to be in communion with a sinner such as myself. Never, do I take that for granted. My constant prayer is “Lord have mercy upon me… a sinner”.

I just don’t see why I have to go to a priest and go back again to the age of reason and rehash all those sins. God knows what they are.