Which examination of conscience do we use?

[ProdigalSon1211]

There are so many different forms of the examination of conscience. Are we supposed to use all of them or stick with one? I find myself committing sins on a lot of examination of conscience pamphlets and then I end up putting it down my list, sooner or later I will get like 3-4 pages list of sins I have committed. I am confused? Maybe I am being too scrupulous but when I go to confession I want it to be perfect and make sure I get to confess everything. I don’t want to leave out any sins.

Most of these examination of conscience guides are similar but sometimes they contain a “new” sin and I have this urge to write it down and then confess it
[edited]

beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html

scborromeo.org/confess.htm

ncregister.com/info/confession_guide_for_adults/

What do you guys think?

 

[1ke]

You need to talk to your priest. If you are scupulous, you should be under the direction of one priest who will guide you on examinatioin of conscience.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Agree with 1ke. In general, you would pick one examine that you feel comfortable with and use that. There is no need to use multiple formats before a single confession.

Those who are scrupulous should speak to their priest and follow his direction. Confess to the same priest all the time and use the interval and preparation that he recommends.

 

[Edmundus1581]

I agree with the previous posters.

This is just a note on the examination of conscience at fatima.org, which you included. Please note that fatima.org is a dissident, extreme Traditionalist organisation, so you can expect their examination of conscience to be problematic.

Is this where you found your “new sin”?

Have I taken part in any non-Catholic worship?

It is not necessarily a sin to participate in non-Catholic worship.

That was the first problem I found in that examination. There may be others.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I agree with the previous posters.

This is just a note on the examination of conscience at fatima.org, which you included. Please note that fatima.org is a dissident, extreme Traditionalist organisation, so you can expect their examination of conscience to be problematic.

Is this where you found your “new sin”?

Have I taken part in any non-Catholic worship?

It is not necessarily a sin to participate in non-Catholic worship.

That was the first problem I found in that examination. There may be others.

It is if you actively participate in it. e.g. receive non-catholic “communion” during one of their services!
It seems to me, that if one has been properly chatechised, one must use some common sense in using one of the on-line examinations of conscience. Not everything is judged by “the letter of the law” where sin is concerned.

 

[red85]

Pick one.

What I do is remember my old Baltimore Catechism learning and apply it to my examination of conscience.

I also list the commandments and x mark the ones I’ve broken and write in the specific instants next to it.

 

[Bookcat]

There are so many different forms of the examination of conscience. Are we supposed to use all of them or stick with one? I find myself committing sins on a lot of examination of conscience pamphlets and then I end up putting it down my list, sooner or later I will get like 3-4 pages list of sins I have committed. I am confused? Maybe I am being too scrupulous but when I go to confession I want it to be perfect and make sure I get to confess everything. I don’t want to leave out any sins.

Most of these examination of conscience guides are similar but sometimes they contain a “new” sin and I have this urge to write it down and then confess it

[edited]

beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html

scborromeo.org/confess.htm

ncregister.com/info/confession_guide_for_adults/

What do you guys think?

[edited]

One does not need to confess all ones sins (all mortal sins yes --but not all venial sins). In fact seeking to it can be better even to focus in on some particular venial sins. But one need not try to “say em all”. Though one can intend em in general at the end…

In terms of any question of scruples --one ought to discuss such with a Priest and if the there is question of such to have a regular confessor.

 

[Warandpeace]

I use one based on the beatitudes and the seven capital sins. It helps me to ponder the root cause of my sins.

 

[ChibiViolet]

Any examination of conscience is fine as long as there is nothing heretical. Writing you’re sins down and then confessing them should be fine. (You can even simply hand the paper to the priest if you like. Not all priests accept that, but most do in my experiance.)

Read this if you are concerned specifically with mortal sin: greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00BCBD

 

[ProdigalSon1211]

Ok thanks for all your (name removed by moderator)ut. What is wrong with this website fatima.org/essentials/requests/examconc.asp ? Is this website heretical? I do not know the background of it. How has this website come to be dissident and have an extreme Traditionalist view ?

 

[UpUpAndAway]

Ok thanks for all your (name removed by moderator)ut. What is wrong with this website fatima.org/essentials/requests/examconc.asp ? Is this website heretical? I do not know the background of it. How has this website come to be dissident and have an extreme Traditionalist view ?

Well, here’s what CatholicCulture.org had to say about it:

Website Review: Fatima Network

Whether or not you accept CatholicCulture.org as a reliable authority for this sort of assessment is, of course, up to you.

 

[isidora99]

(You can even simply hand the paper to the priest if you like. Not all priests accept that, but most do in my experiance.)

Really? That’s the second time in two days I’ve seen that mentioned. I always thought that sins must be confessed out loud unless the penitent is actually unable to speak (deaf, speech impediment, etc). Do you have a reference that says it’s ok to hand the priest a written list of sins?