Was my confession viable?

[pinetree28]

Hi, hello!
I am new to the Catholic faith and am coming into the church this Easter. I am beyond excited.
I have been going to confession since October, but I’m starting to find myself wondering if I confessed ‘correctly’ a certain time. In my first confession had a certain sin that I lumped into a category I thought it fit into, I didn’t think I needed to go into much detail.
A few months later it started bothering me again, so I went to confession and gave a little more detail about it. I hadn’t planned on going into the confession, I just felt I should, so I don’t remember the entire confession. But I know I confessed it with more detail, and I think I gave the number of times.

But before confessing it ‘again’, I said “I’ve already confessed this, but it’s bothering me…”
I’m worried that the first time I confessed it, when I lumped it with a certain category, it didn’t count. And I’m worried that in my second confession I unintentionally lied about confessing it the first time (because if it didn’t count the first time, then that would mean I’m confessing it for ‘real first time’ in my second confession).

It was a sin from when I was young and I didn’t know it was a ‘mortal sin’. I know I’m being scrupulous too, and I’m working on that, but I’m really anxious about this again. I’ve been waiting so long for Easter Vigil to receive Jesus. I don’t want to accidentally receive Him in a state of mortal sin…

Thank you for your help.

 

[Lou2U]

You’re scrupulous, so what you really need to do is approach the Priest and ask for his guidance. I hope you find resolution and peace along with it.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Especially after having brought it up in confession a second time, and having received absolution, I’d put it out of my mind from now on. Keep in mind that it is up to the priest to ask questions if he’s unclear about anything. As long as you have confessed the sin the best way you knew to at the time, you’re covered.

If you tend towards scrupulosity, please quit analyzing past confessions. This can be an ongoing torment. Be at peace.

 

[ServusDei2019]

Your sins are forgiven the first time you confessed it. However, let that pain of offending God prevent you from committing any other sins, and love that God who loves you tremendously.

 

[Canvas]

I know I’m being scrupulous too, and I’m working on that,

As a scrupulant myself, I would say that would appear to be the case here, and rather than worrying about this old sin you brought up in confession twice now, you should work on fighting your scrupulosity. Trust me, scrupulosity is poison, and you need to cut it off before it become a cancer on your soul.

And you aren’t alone on having little details from past confessions start to bother you. It is a horrible aspect of scrupulosity. The best course of action is try to purge your mind of your confession after the absolution as long as you did not intend to lie, mislead or deceive (fumbling your words, making a mistake, giving an answer to an unexpected question without thinking and forgetting details or even entire sins are things that happen to all of us and do not invalidate a confession). As long as you tried to be honest and you had at least imperfect contrition and a desire to amend your life, your confession was sound.

 

[awesomecatholic]

It sounds like a case of scruples. Although,if you did not know it was a mortal sin,then it was not a mortal sin. Trust in God’s mercy.

 

[CRV]

Welcome to the Catholic Family!

Venial sins can be lumped together. For an example, if you told 3 lies - 1). I forgot the milk 2). I did say “Thankyou” for my present 3). I didn’t set my alarm so I slept in. These types of lies are venial lies, they are not grave matter. We are not expected to number these - confession would take a long time if we listed each venial sin. So just confessing “I’ve lied” covers all these types of lies.

Mortal sins are to be confessed by name and number. You say it was committed when you were young and didn’t know it was a ‘mortal sin’. For a sin to be mortal there has to be full knowledge that it is mortal or grave matter. If at the time of acting this full knowledge is lacking, then the sin isn’t mortal.

This can be a trick of Satan, in the hope you’ll give up entering the Church or give up going to confession - all of which is his aim. By causing you disquiet, anxiety, fear and worry.

But before confessing it ‘again’, I said “I’ve already confessed this, but it’s bothering me…”

therefore you indicated to the priest you have already confessed it, therefore due to the lack of full knowledge at the time of acting when young, it was venial, therefore it was forgiven in the first confession.

All sins are included and placed before the Sacred Tribunal for forgiveness at the time of Confession. You’ve already stated that at the time of committing the sin, you didn’t know it was mortal, therefore that makes it venial. If you are truly sorry for the sin, are firmly resolved not to commit the sin again. Then it was forgiven.

 

[CRV]

I’m worried that the first time I confessed it, when I lumped it with a certain category, it didn’t count.

using the above reasoning on what you’ve told us, it was a venial sin - so even though it was lumped under a category - see my example of lies above, it was forgiven.

And I’m worried that in my second confession I unintentionally lied about confessing it the first time (because if it didn’t count the first time, then that would mean I’m confessing it for ‘real first time’ in my second confession).

A lie is when a person deliberately and with the intention of misleading/ deceiving another says something they know is not true. When doing so the person is aware of this. You can’t lie unintentionally. A person can make a mistake, have their facts wrong.

Intention is important. In your first confession your intention was to place this sin before God, to seek His forgiveness, had contrition on your part and the resolve not to commit it again - and lumped it with the other sins of the same type or what you thought it fitted.

Was your intention to hide the sin? Is that why you lumped it with others that fit the same category. So you wouldn’t have to name it? If this was the reason then there might be a problem. But going on what you said, you lumped it with others in the category where you thought it fit best or what it came under, to me this sounds like your intention was not to hide it.

The best thing for you to do is go and speak with your priest and tell him all this. He’ll be able to guide you on whether you need to bring this to confession again or not., and put your conscience at peace.

Suffering from scrupulosity is a heavy cross and a hard trial. I’ve said a prayer for you that God will keep you and strengthen you and give you the graces you are most in need of.

God bless.