Validity of Episcopal confession

[jonpd]

Before I returned to the Catholic Church in 2000, I was a member of the Episcopal church for about 10 years. During that time I went to confession with an Episcopal priest that I respected and confessed some serious sins that had happened in my past and received absolution.

How that I am a Catholic, do I need to re-confess these sins given that I suspect the Episcopal priests’ absolution would not be recognized by the Catholic church? Or given that at the time I considered my confession valid and was contrite would this confession still be valid?

 

[rkrispies]

I would suggest this:

If you have a doubt about whether or not the absolution was valid, go to Confession and tell the priest this. Assuming that he is a well-informed priest, he will be able to tell you whether or not those past sins were forgiven. If not, you will likely have to re-confess them to the Catholic priest. I’m not sure which way it will go, as Epsicopal priests lack valid orders. Regardless, your confessor will be able to give you guidance in this area better than I can.

 

[FrDavid96]

Before I returned to the Catholic Church in 2000, I was a member of the Episcopal church for about 10 years. During that time I went to confession with an Episcopal priest that I respected and confessed some serious sins that had happened in my past and received absolution.

How that I am a Catholic, do I need to re-confess these sins given that I suspect the Episcopal priests’ absolution would not be recognized by the Catholic church? Or given that at the time I considered my confession valid and was contrite would this confession still be valid?

Only a validly ordained priest can impart absolution. Therefore an Episcopal “priest” can never absolve anyone. So no, the “confession” wasn’t valid in any way. But please read on because there’s more to it than that…

It’s not a matter of “recognizing” the absolution, it’s a matter that the absolution never occured.

A loving, infinately merciful God may very well have forgiven you your sins (very important point here). And if you went to confession to a Catholic priest before being received into the Church (as should have happened) then the absolution which you received at that time would include all past sins.

So as long as you have been absolved by a Catholic priest, you have been absolved of all your past sins.