What to do if your confessions were invalid?

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L.u.n.a.02

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I was reading about confession and learned that if you don’t plan on fixing your ways and if you don’t feel repentance for offending God specifically (not just because your sorry you get caught or whatever) your confession is invalid/sacrilegious. What do you do if your confessions (edit) were in fact invalid?
 
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  1. Repentance isn’t a feeling.
  2. Don’t accuse yourself of sins you’ve forgotten.
  3. Intend to change your ways and go to Confession, confess any sacrilegious confessions you’ve had in the past.
  4. Stop worrying about this.
 
Mare.03 said:
I was reading about confession and learned that if you don’t plan on fixing your ways and if you don’t feel repentance for offending God specifically (not just because your sorry you get caught or whatever) your confession is invalid/sacrilegious. What do you do if your confessions are infact invalid?
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Q. Does one have to amend their life?
A. The firm resolve needed, is to avoid the near and voluntary occasions of all (mortal) sin.

Q. Does one have to feel repentance for offending God?
A. Catechism of the Catholic Church
1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52
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Q. Does one have to remember every mortal sin ever confessed/forgotten?
A. No, contrition (perfect or imperfect) should be for all mortal sins, even though the number and kind cannot be remembered anymore.
 
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Mare.03 said:
if you don’t plan on fixing your ways
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You’re right here, anyway. One should have the intention not to sin again. We know we’re human and will sin again, but our intention is not to do so. If for example you went to confession and said “I’m sorry for swearing” knowing full well that when you leave the confessional you will continue swearing and make no effort not to do so, that would be a problem.
Mare.03 said:
What do you do if your confessions are infact invalid?
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The best thing you can do here is talk to a priest, be honest with him, and see what he says. I see you edited your post, but in response to the bit about hundreds of sins, chances are they are repeats of the same thing, which would mean you would only need to name the sin and say “multiple times” or something.

Don’t worry, though, and don’t get stressed out! Tell God you are sorry, be at peace and talk to your priest. It will be ok! 🙂
 
My original post had a few lines on if I needed to remember every sin I’ve made in all the 17 years of my life, which would be a lot. Thanks for helping me
 
It’s basic logic.
If you are not sorry for your sins or offending God and you intend to do them again, then what the heck would you be confessing anyway?
 
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It would be most prudent to discuss this with a priest rather than an Internet forum of strangers.
 
I’m sorry if you think that’s rude. It isn’t meant to be. Maybe I’m missing Something, but it seems pretty strait forward. If there is something you aren’t understanding, perhaps you could elaborate.
 
Feelings have nothing to do with the validity of confession. You confessed, you were honest, you were forgiven.
 
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