Confession, forgetting to confess something

[eBeth]

If one forgets to confess a sin in confession, are they still forgiven of that sin? I understand that even if you were to forget to specifically mention something, the prayer absolves you of everything, not just what you spoke out loud. Am I correct in my understanding?

Thanks

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

It depends: if you forget your still absolved but still need to mention it next time.
If you purposly don't mention it, your committing a new sin and absoloution does you no good.

 

[Cat59]

Hi Elizabeth! I agree with Aaron.
All mortal sins must be confessed and it is recommended that everyday faults (venial sins) should also be confessed. If a person forgets some venial sins, then yes, they would be absolved but they can mention them next time. With regards to mortal sins, I was always taught to:
1. Examine my consciense carefully
2. Confess my sins without knowingly witholding any
3. Say after my confession "for these and all my other sins, that I cannot remember, I am truly sorry.
It is unlikely that people will fail to remember a mortal sin when examining the past like that, given the very nature of mortal sins.

 

[eBeth]

Hi Elizabeth! I agree with Aaron.
All mortal sins must be confessed and it is recommended that everyday faults (venial sins) should also be confessed. If a person forgets some venial sins, then yes, they would be absolved but they can mention them next time. With regards to mortal sins, I was always taught to:
1. Examine my consciense carefully
2. Confess my sins without knowingly witholding any
3. Say after my confession "for these and all my other sins, that I cannot remember, I am truly sorry.
It is unlikely that people will fail to remember a mortal sin when examining the past like that, given the very nature of mortal sins.

I feel so stupid. I didn't do an examination of consciense before I went. What I forgot was a mortal sin. It's not something I do, but I took the Lord's name in vain. In my head I used the "GD" phrase. I'll need to go again tomorrow morning.

 

[Cat59]

Elizabeth, I suggest you ask your priest about that. For something to be a mortal sin it has to be a grave matter, done with full knowledge and full and complete consent. This doesn't sound like it's the case here.

 

[FullyMT]

Similar experience happened with me! Our youth group had a night just about Reconciliation and we got to use it if we needed to. I did, and forgot something that I had remembered I had done and wanted to confess it (it was a mortal sin). I completely forgot about it during my actual confession and after the night (when the time to go confess) had finished up I asked one of our priests and he had said that if you truly were sorry for it and honestly forgot about it during the confession, then you were absolved from it, but the next time you go to confession you must confess the sin.
Like said earlier though, you should talk to your priest about it.

 

[Rosa Mystica]

These people are right, eBeth. You ARE forgiven if you honestly forget to mention a mortal sin (just mention it in your next confession). Your concerns probably stem from your scrupulosity (I've read your other posts- so sorry to hear you're suffering so much). eBeth, I have scruples too. Pretty serious ones. I have tried everything from giving in to them to resisting the urge to confess doubts. So far, nothing has worked for me (oh- and having a liberal confessor doesn't help this condition ANY, though many priests are like this). However, I can "see the light" sometimes, and I KNOW that one would never be unforgiven in the instance you mentioned.

Hope this helped.

RM

 

[Markh]

I last went to confession to primarily confess a sin that was really wieghing down on me, as it was doing so, I could think of no other thing but that mortal sin and all other littler things I had done lost all perspective in the eyes of this sin. It was not until well after that my conciounce through up remembrence of some of these smaller sins, even so I'll be sure to confess them next time I go.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

eBeth-

We have to be careful not to get legalistic about things of our faith. I think that God would be pleased that you TRY to confess everything, not that you are able to remember every sin.

The Bible says to run the race till the end, fight the good fight, etc.

Dont get caught in the trap of obsessing about confession. That is what led Luther to his heresy of "faith alone."

 

[Eleana]

How to do confession for the first time? I havent been through confirmation, therefore, wont be doing confession until then. But I am very nervous just by thinking of it. Imagine telling someone your secrets....worst still for someone like me who is always so closed up.

what to mention during confession and how to mention it? pls advice me.

 

[eBeth]

These people are right, eBeth. You ARE forgiven if you honestly forget to mention a mortal sin (just mention it in your next confession). Your concerns probably stem from your scrupulosity (I've read your other posts- so sorry to hear you're suffering so much). eBeth, I have scruples too. Pretty serious ones. I have tried everything from giving in to them to resisting the urge to confess doubts. So far, nothing has worked for me (oh- and having a liberal confessor doesn't help this condition ANY, though many priests are like this). However, I can "see the light" sometimes, and I KNOW that one would never be unforgiven in the instance you mentioned.

Hope this helped.

RM

Hello RM,

Thank you for answering my post. The last eight weeks have been horrible for me with all these disturbing thoughts. It started with a terrible feeling I was going to hell. I've kind of gotten over that, but now I just worry that I really don't have any faith. I'll hear something that goes against the Church then I think, maybe that is true -- like the fact that some people say Jesus survived the cross. I can't research it to find out the true answers because I'm afraid that I'll believe the wrong thing even more. I'm always afraid that I could be offending God with all the strange thoughts I've been having.

Fortunatly, I have a date with a therapist on Thursday to try to get my head together. I'm looking forward to a time when I can think clearly again.

Thanks
Elizabeth

 

[Rosa Mystica]

Hello RM,

Thank you for answering my post. The last eight weeks have been horrible for me with all these disturbing thoughts. It started with a terrible feeling I was going to hell. I've kind of gotten over that, but now I just worry that I really don't have any faith. I'll hear something that goes against the Church then I think, maybe that is true -- like the fact that some people say Jesus survived the cross. I can't research it to find out the true answers because I'm afraid that I'll believe the wrong thing even more. I'm always afraid that I could be offending God with all the strange thoughts I've been having.

Fortunatly, I have a date with a therapist on Thursday to try to get my head together. I'm looking forward to a time when I can think clearly again.

Thanks
Elizabeth

eBeth,

Please listen to what I'm about to say: you must resist the urge to investigate your doubts. This isn't just something I made up. Organizations like Scrupulous Anonymous will tell you the exact same thing (and they're made up of conservative Catholics, not idiotic liberals who pick and choose the teachings they want). I can tell you first hand that obsessively researching your doubts/uncertainties WILL increase their intensity. Now, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't talk about your scruples with a competent priest or Catholic professional. You are doing that, and that's good (btw, is your therapist Catholic? If so, how did you go about finding him/her? I also want to seek therapy for my condition).

eBeth, scruples are a lie from Satan, and he often sends them to individuals who wish to grow in their faith with God. When I was eighteen, I told God that I wanted to become a stronger Catholic. Well, Satan responded with a "We'll see about that", and started implanting scrupulous thinking in my head on a frequent basis. Four years later, my condition has only intensified...

eBeth, PLEASE don't let scruples cause you to lose faith. That is precisely why Satan sends them to ppl. It's like a temptation. You must try your best to resist it. When you do fall again, don't be afraid to ask God to help you get back on your feet.

God Bless,
Rosa

 

[Eleana]

No one answering to my queries?

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

No one answering to my queries?

Start here: http://www.kofc.org/rc/en/publications/cis/devotional/GuideToConfession2075.pdf

Your priest/rcia program should help you prepare for it

 

[BornCath]

How to do confession for the first time? I havent been through confirmation, therefore, wont be doing confession until then. But I am very nervous just by thinking of it. Imagine telling someone your secrets....worst still for someone like me who is always so closed up.

what to mention during confession and how to mention it? pls advice me.

Confession is also an act of humility. Your anxiety will go away by remembering that Jesus called us to be humble. Can you think of anything more humiliating than to kneel before another human being to confess your
innermost secret(s) - your sin(s)? By being humble one destroys the sin of pride which is the deadliest of all the seven deadly sins. If you sinned by pride, you sinned like an Angel according to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. It is the sin of pride that made Adam & Eve disobeyed God. When you have conquered your pride, confession will be as easy as 123. Also keep in mind that it is to God that you're confessing. The priest is only there as His agent & the absolution the priest pronounces is from God.

 

[BornCath]

No one answering to my queries?

Sorry Eleana. I forgot to mention in my previous reply that when you go to confession mention only the nature or type of sin(s) and the number of time(s) you committed them/it. It is not necessary to give the gory details of each sin. If you do, the priest will stop you. If the sin is sexual thought say you committed impure thoughts 3 times, if you entertained the thoughts of murdering your boss, say you thought of murder once. If you sinned by slandering your neighbour, say you committed slander 3 times. If you had sex with your boyfriend, say you committed fornication twice. Don't even say you had sex with your boyfriend because the priest understands what
fornication is. The same is with adultery.

 

[kern]

Please listen to what I'm about to say: you must resist the urge to investigate your doubts.

I disagree with this -- I think that investigating your doubts can have a powerful *strengthening* effect on your faith and can prevent you from being "swayed" in the future.

For instance, let's say you start thinking "Hey, maybe those Protestants are right -- I don't really see why we have to confess to a priest instead of just to God directly."

Now, you have two options:
1. You can ignore the doubts entirely -- just say "No, the Church says it, it must be right." I don't like this approach because (a) it's exactly what a lot of anti-Catholics accuse Catholics of doing, and (b) it doesn't really address the doubt it just ignores it, and it may pop up again later.

2. You can investigate the reasoning -- read books, go to message boards, talk to your priest, and find out *why* Catholics believe you have to confess to a Priest. Also look carefully at the statements made on the other side and see if you can find out where they're going wrong.

To me this is a better idea in the end.

(Also, I don't think "scruples" was the word you were looking for -- maybe "skepticism"? "having scruples" means that you're honest and ethical.)

-Chris

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

It realy should be both.

Step 1: Understand that what the Church teaches is the Fullness of Truth accept that.
Step 2: Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidince
Step 3: Seek help from trustworth sources for understanding.
Step 4: Let the Holy Spirit guide you
STep 5: Pray some more

Skip any step you may follow an incorrect path.

And scuples is the proper term: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13640a.htm

An unfounded apprehension and consequently unwarranted fear that something is a sin which, as a matter of fact, is not. It is not considered here so much as an isolated act, but rather as an habitual state of mind known to directors of souls as a "scrupulous conscience."