was my confession valid?

[UKcatholicGuy]

So here’s the situation:

At my confession a few weeks ago, as my penance, the priest gave me an entire Rosary offered up for an intention which I’ve since forgotten. I’ve said many Rosaries since that confession, but not because it was my penance. In other words, I wasn’t praying any of the rosaries with my penance in mind. Tonight I went to confession again, and I had made a note to tell the priest that I hadn’t specifically fulfilled my last penance. But when I was in the confessional, after I had confessed all my mortal sins I was going to tell him about the rosary/penance, but he started talking and I didn’t want to interrupt. Then he gave absolution. So I didn’t get to tell him I hadn’t done my penance, and I knew that I didn’t tell him (I didnt merely forget).

So, was my absolution valid? Am I forgiven? Or was that a sin in itself by withholding that information? Should I receive Communion tomorrow at Mass?

 

[thistle]

UKcatholicGuy:

So here’s the situation:

At my confession a few weeks ago, as my penance, the priest gave me an entire Rosary offered up for an intention which I’ve since forgotten. I’ve said many Rosaries since that confession, but not because it was my penance. In other words, I wasn’t praying any of the rosaries with my penance in mind. Tonight I went to confession again, and I had made a note to tell the priest that I hadn’t specifically fulfilled my last penance. But when I was in the confessional, after I had confessed all my mortal sins I was going to tell him about the rosary/penance, but he started talking and I didn’t want to interrupt. Then he gave absolution. So I didn’t get to tell him I hadn’t done my penance, and I knew that I didn’t tell him (I didnt merely forget).

So, was my absolution valid? Am I forgiven? Or was that a sin in itself by withholding that information? Should I receive Communion tomorrow at Mass?

If someone forgets to do the penance I don’t think that makes your absolution invalid. I think it just becomes part of the unremitted temporal punishment for sins already forgiven and will later be washed away in Purgatory.

 

[DavidJoseph]

The only time not doing your penance would be a mortal sin would be if you were determined from the start not to do it, as it would mean you weren’t truly sorry for your sins. But then again, the sin wouldn’t lie so much in your failure to do penance but rather in making a bad confession. You apparently forgot to do your penance (or at least you forgot the intention for which you were told to pray the rosary, making praying a rosary for that intention practically impossible). If you were guilty of sin at all here, it would surely have been venial. So not to worry!

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

Thanks all!

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

UKcatholicGuy:

So here’s the situation:

At my confession a few weeks ago, as my penance, the priest gave me an entire Rosary offered up for an intention which I’ve since forgotten. I’ve said many Rosaries since that confession, but not because it was my penance. In other words, I wasn’t praying any of the rosaries with my penance in mind. Tonight I went to confession again, and I had made a note to tell the priest that I hadn’t specifically fulfilled my last penance. But when I was in the confessional, after I had confessed all my mortal sins I was going to tell him about the rosary/penance, but he started talking and I didn’t want to interrupt. Then he gave absolution. So I didn’t get to tell him I hadn’t done my penance, and I knew that I didn’t tell him (I didnt merely forget).

So, was my absolution valid? Am I forgiven? Or was that a sin in itself by withholding that information? Should I receive Communion tomorrow at Mass?

The Absolution was valid and you should do the penance as soon as possible. Which may require that you right now or first thing in the morning say a Rosary with the intention of praying it for whatever the intention was that you cannot remember!

Pray this Rosary for the unknown penance intention.

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

Thank you, Brother. That’s an excellent suggestion. I’m off to pray it now!