Valid Confession?

[dizzy_dave]

What is needed to be a valid confession? When I go, I say Bless me Father for I have sinned, It’s been since my last confession…
Am I supposed to get a blessing? And isn’t the priest supposed to read a passage from scripture? The church I go to they don’t do this is it required? Or is it just the “old” way?

 

[space_ghost]

Need to call you Bizzy_dave…

For sins committed after baptism, a different sacrament is needed. It has been called penance, confession, and reconciliation, each word emphasizing one of its aspects. During his life, Christ forgave sins, as in the case of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11) and the woman who anointed his feet (Luke 7:48). He exercised this power in his human capacity as the Messiah or Son of man, telling us, “the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matt. 8:6), which is why the Gospel writer himself explains that God “had given such authority to men” (Matt. 9:8).

Since he would not always be with the Church visibly, Christ gave this power to other men so the Church, which is the continuation of his presence throughout time (Matt. 28:20), would be able to offer forgiveness to future generations. He gave his power to the apostles, and it was a power that could be passed on to their successors and agents, since the apostles wouldn’t always be on earth either, but people would still be sinning.

God had sent Jesus to forgive sins, but after his resurrection Jesus told the apostles, “‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (John 20:21–23). (This is one of only two times we are told that God breathed on man, the other being in Genesis 2:7, when he made man a living soul. It emphasizes how important the establishment of the sacrament of penance was.)

more to come…

 

[space_ghost]

A little History…

The Didache

“Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure” (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

The Letter of Barnabas

“You shall judge righteously. You shall not make a schism, but you shall pacify those that contend by bringing them together. You shall confess your sins. You shall not go to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of light” (Letter of Barnabas 19 [A.D. 74]).

Ignatius of Antioch

“For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ” (Letter to the Philadelphians 3 [A.D. 110]).

“For where there is division and wrath, God does not dwell. To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of God, and to communion with the bishop” (ibid., 8).

Irenaeus

“[The Gnostic disciples of Marcus] have deluded many women. . . . Their consciences have been branded as with a hot iron. Some of these women make a public confession, but others are ashamed to do this, and in silence, as if withdrawing from themselves the hope of the life of God, they either apostatize entirely or hesitate between the two courses” (Against Heresies 1:22 [A.D. 189]).

almost there…

 

[space_ghost]

With the above information in hand… check the schedule at your parish, go to confession… step in, greet the priest, he will bless you, you may start with the words…"Bless me father for I have sinned… then announce your sins… the number of times is not necessary, but let the priest guide you… when you have stated all you can remember, end with this statement (if you want)… father i ask forgiveness from God for these sins and the sins that i have forgotten… i ask absolution and pennace from you… again, this is one way… let the priest help you… you will not regret it…

Peace…

 

[whit]

dizzy_dave:

What is needed to be a valid confession? When I go, I say Bless me Father for I have sinned, It’s been since my last confession…
Am I supposed to get a blessing? And isn’t the priest supposed to read a passage from scripture? The church I go to they don’t do this is it required? Or is it just the “old” way?

Hey Dave,
After you say what you stated above, you list your sins by name an number of times committed. When you are done, you tell the priest those are all of my sins. The priest will speak to you generally about one or more of your sins generally trying to help you get over commiting them again. You can have a discussion if need be. Then he will give you your penance and tell you to say an Act of Contrition during or after which he says the prayer of absolution at the end of which he says “and I absolve you of all of your sins.” while at the same time makes a sign of the cross over you. And if I remember he will also say “go and sin no more.” At which time I thank him and leave and go do my penance.

Now sometimes the priest will say the prayer very quietly and you can hardly hear it but you should be able to hear the absolution. And there is one priest who is pretty old who for the most part forgets or just doesn’t tell me to say an Act of Contrition. I just say it anyway in the confessional or wait until I am outside in the pew. But sometimes the priest will tell us that to save time ito please say the Act of Contrition in the pew after we leave. I have no problem with that.

Hope that helps.
Whit

 

[martino]

For your confession to be valid you must confess all your mortal sins, you must truly be sorry for your sins and have a firm desire to ammend your life, and you must then do what ever penance was given you.

All the priest has to say for the confession to be valid is “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

 

[loyola_rambler]

Martino’s right. The form may change based on local custom, but the formula remains the same. You need to clear your conscience of all of your sins, both those that readily come to mind and the one’s that you’ve forgotten. Ask for forgiveness, receive absolution and do your penance as soon as you leave the confessional or room.

 

[JimG]

I think there was a period of time post-Vatican II where the form of confession was somewhat more lengthy, and involved some scripture reading before the confession of sins. I don’t know that anyone uses this method anymore.

As for the “Bless me Father,” usually the priest gives a blessing as you enter, so it’s kind of superfluous. In any case he will bless you again when you receive absolution.

I usually just start with the sign of the cross, then state how long it’s been since my last confessions, recite my sins, wait for the penance, say the act of contrition when prompted, wait for the absolution.

JimG