Was my confession valid?

[AlanF]

I had my first confession on Saturday, I was confessing my sins and when I was about half way through the priest stopped me and said I’d confessed enough and absolved me. I still had mortal sins to confess but I wasn’t intentionally witholding them because the priest stopped me, I was going to confess them.

What that a valid confession since I didn’t actually confess all my mortal sins?

I asked the deacon afterwards and he said it was valid because the priest’s in charge so he can stop me.

Merry Christmas!

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

How sad that your first confession left you feeling uneasy about whether it was valid. That shouldn’t happen!

Since you didn’t intend to hold back any sins then I think your deacon was right and you’re just fine. The next time you go to confession – hopefully to a different priest – you can confess the other sins you remember.

 

[DJgang]

Yes, you are absolved and it was valid.

Don’t go to that priest again!

 

[AlanF]

Thanks!

Will I still need to confess the other things next time?

 

[teachccd]

Thanks!

Will I still need to confess the other things next time?

Yes. You are already forgiven for those sins. But you do need to mention them next time ( and you do not have to go back immediately just for those sins) because part of the sacrament is the humility in recognizing the seriousness of our actions and for the priest to advise us on how we can overcome these actions.

So, you are freed from ALL of your sins from that confession including those that you didn’t have a chance to mention. That priest should excercise more care in his pastoral duties but then we don’t know how demanding his time might have been that day. We all have those days and this might remind us to take the time with others who need our attention…teachccd

 

[DJgang]

Thanks!

Will I still need to confess the other things next time?

I’m not sure if you need to, in that it was valid… however…

you would feel better, right? you would really be able to experience the grace of the sacrament, right?

Then that answer would be … yes.