Was this confession valid? what to do?

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PaulinVA said:
So, the priest thinks the confession was valid but some random person on the internet thinks the priest was wrong.

I know who I’d believe.
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Believe who you will but this random person has taken it upon himself to learn the faith so as not to be a victim of sacramental abuse.

The days of automatically believing and trusting priests are long past. This is the proof.
 
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In this case, it would seem that the confession was not valid since no sins were confessed. This is not like the scenario of forgetting to confess something, or being cut off, wherein sins are still confessed, and so there is still matter for the sacrament. This is more akin to someone who comes into the confessional and tells a story wherein no sins are actually mentioned, and absolution is not given, since no confession was made. Except this is further up the spectrum of possibilities, so to speak, in that nothing was confessed at all. If nothing is confessed, no absolution can be given. If absolution is given in this case, it would be invalid.

The only time absolution would be valid without actual confession of sins is an extraordinary situation, a life-or-death emergency, wherein a general absolution is imparted by the priest upon all present who are in danger. However, even with this, a survivor would still need to make a confession of his grave sins at the next opportunity.

So in short, no sins confessed, no valid absolution. I’m sorry to the OP that you had to go through that, but it just wasn’t valid. If all the conditions are not present, under ordinary circumstances, then no sacrament took place.

-Fr ACEGC
 
HSTV said:
then if I die today I am going to hell?
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Stop playing that game. You know what to do. Just go to confession. No one here can answer “am I going to hell” questions from anyone.

Sure you got screwed over but you also seem to have a very unhealthy image of God’s mercy. We’ve said it before: God does not play gotcha.
 
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so to have a healthy image of God’s mercy I should not fear His judgement?
Do you know most people do not fear judgement? That’s why less than 10% of people care about going to confession. And why many catholics take communion even when they are in mortal sin.
Our society is fearless
 
HSTV said:
I hope it will be accounted. My next confession is scheduled to wednesday, I can die meanwhile.
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Start working on an act of perfect contrition in the meanwhile and offer it ASAP.
 
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HSTV said:
so to have a healthy image of God’s mercy I should not fear His judgement?
Do you know most people do not fear judgement? That’s why less than 10% of people care about going to confession. And why many catholics take communion even when they are in mortal sin.
Our society is fearless
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I’m not talking about society or fear of judgment. I am talking about you and your own fear and scrupulosity. You are afraid of God playing gotcha. Fear of judgment is a healthy fear. Yours is not. Do you really think that the God who loves you, moved you to repentance and just used these forums, including a trusted priest to educate and guide you would then play gotcha and consign you to hell?

That is the unhealthy image to which I refer. So i figure you work on your trust in God first and worry less on society and statistics.
 
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Goodness.

Sacraments are valid unless proven otherwise by competent authority. Not random internet people.

A marriage is valid until a tribunal issues a decree of nullity. Someone opining on the internet that one has grounds for annulment does not nullify the marriage.

You aren’t going to hell because some random person thinks your confession wasn’t valid. For one thing, perhaps there was a misunderstanding on the part of the priest or the pentitant. Perhaps we are not hearing the whole story. Assume it’s valid. If it troubles you, mention it next time.
 
I’ve been wondering…was the priest aware of your compiled list when you asked for confession? Perhaps, whether or not he was in error and if time was short, he chose to interpret that list as you having examined your conscience and stated your sins (although not vocally) because clearly God would know exactly what you wrote…I’m obviously just speculating…
 
HSTV said:
Do you know most people do not fear judgement? That’s why less than 10% of people care about going to confession.
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Not sure where this comes from, but it sounds rather dubious.
PaulinVA said:
Sacraments are valid unless proven otherwise by competent authority.
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We have heard from competent authority on this very thread. Based on the information shared, this sacrament was not valid.
Cecilia2017 said:
he chose to interpret that list as you having examined your conscience and stated your sins (although not vocally) because clearly God would know exactly what you wrote…I’m obviously just speculating…
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This is irrelevant, though; vocal confession to the priest is required.
 
Father edward_george has provided the answer. He is a priest and has explained it.
Question answered! 🙂
( How I miss the emoji with little guy with a banner “ Question answered” from the old forums…And thread closed immediately after because there was nothing else to add after that… ).
 
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PaulinVA said:
Goodness.

Sacraments are valid unless proven otherwise by competent authority. Not random internet people.

A marriage is valid until a tribunal issues a decree of nullity. Someone opining on the internet that one has grounds for annulment does not nullify the marriage.

You aren’t going to hell because some random person thinks your confession wasn’t valid. For one thing, perhaps there was a misunderstanding on the part of the priest or the pentitant. Perhaps we are not hearing the whole story. Assume it’s valid. If it troubles you, mention it next time.
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No you are wrong and this is bad advice. I have proven my position and affirmed by Fr. Edward. The OP was clear enough: she did not confess anything, and therefore had no matter for the sacrament, rendering it invalid.

Your attempt to liken it to the presumption of validity of marriage is flawed. For one thing, the law states that MARRIAGE enjoys the presumption of validity. It’s not sacraments in general. And then, only when defects and impediments are occult. It does not take a tribunal to know, for example, that a Catholic married outside the Church does not enjoy the presumption of validity. A priest saying the Words of Consecration over a rice cracker does not enjoy the presumption of validity. Ordaining a woman does not enjoy the presumption of validity. Because these defects are manifest: the is a defect of form or matter, which renders any sacrament invalid. This is the case there: there was a manifest defect, which means there are no grounds to presume validity.

It does not take more than a catechized Catholic to know that without the essential matter, there is no sacrament. That is why at least one sin must be mentioned in confession and if one has no sins to confess (as in a devotional confession), he must mention at least one previously forgiven sin to receive absolution, otherwise, the priest has nothing to absolve. One does not need a tribunal to know that.

And as for “random persons” this should be a lesson to the OP, as to any other scrupulous, that asking questions here is a bad idea. But now that she has opened that can of worms, the truth, whether from “random strangers” or from a priest is still the truth. In this case, she has it, painful as it may be. She was cheated by that priest, but now hse has the knowledge to rectify it. And “assuming it’s valid” is not the next step. Going to valid confession is.
 
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Yes, but I was just speculating on an explanation for what happened, not arguing the validity…
What happens when someone with a disability can’t actually vocalise just out of interest?
 
Interesting. So although the OP’s circumstances were different as they can speak there are circumstances where it is not invalid to write a confession…
 
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