For Catholics, when you go to confession, will you be forgiven for sins you've forgot to mention (IMPORTANT!)?

Question

Or do you have to mention them all? What about sins that are embarrassing?

Answer 1

You aren't going to like this!

If you withhold ANY MORTAL SIN intentionally, it invalidates your ENTIRE Confession! In fact, you just tacked another sin on your list- making a bad Confession!

There is NOTHING you will say that Father has not heard before. If you can't say you masturbated, tell him you were "impure with yourself. He'll get the message.

Get through the easy ones first, take a deep breath and just say it....you will feel so much better when you do!!!

Answer 2

If you go to Confession with the intent to confess a given sin, but can't recall it or forget it entirely until afterwards, you are still forgiven - again, as long as you honestly repent and intended to confess it.

NOTE: There's nothing to stop you from going back the following week, or whenever, and confessing the sin(s) you forgot to confess the previous time.

I've done it before. It is pleasing to the priest (and to God) to see that you think highly enough of the Sacrament and God's mercy to return and confess sins you forgot the last time.

For people who have not been to confession in years, decades even, there's no way one is going to remember everything. That's okay. If you repent, God knows you would confess every sin if you could remember them.

As far as embarrassing sins go, if you truly repent you will confess even the embarrassing sins. To be aware of a sin, be sorry about it, but not confess it when the opportunity came along, is a sin in and of itself.

Remember, priests go to confession too. How embarrassing do you think certain sins might be for them, knowing they are priests and all? Believe me, the priest who hears your confession is going to appreciate the courage it takes to confess "embarrassing" sins. They will be merciful to you, as God is merciful to you.

Answer 3

If you forget, yes.
If you purposely withhold them, the confession is void. Plus you'll have to confess to lying in your last confession.

Its important to remember that you only have to confess mortal sins. Lets say in a week I said some mean things, gossiped a little, and lost my temper. I don't NEED to confess that (though its recommended b/c reconciliation brings loads of grace), but if I watched porn, threatened someone, took advatage of the poor, etc then I'll need to confess that.

Its important to remember that a mortal sin is only mortal if three characteristics are there:
* Mortal sin is a sin of grave matter
* Mortal sin is committed with full knowledge of the sinner
* Mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the
sinner

And remember that not only does confession give us strength, grace, and forgiveness, but it also is EXTREMELY humbling. Humility is good for the soul.

Confession is such a wonderful gift that Fr. Corapi said that after he heard his first confession he said that "and then I heard the chains fall off the man and clang on the floor." Corapi himself realized the importance of Confession when he came back to the Church after 20odd years w/o having one.

I know some sins are embarrassing, but just think of it as Christ on the other side of the curtain. Most of the time priests don't remember what was said b/c they're too busy praying for you! Even if they knew who you were and what you said, they can't do anything about it. If they brake the seal of confession then they are excommunicated, your privacy is that important.

So I pray for you; go to confession.

Edit: And, if you do happen to forget something, go back in. Even if its 5 minutes afterwards.

Answer 4

Yes. Sins you GENUINELY forget to confess (not sins you try to forget) are forgiven. However, this is unlikely. Venial sins don't even require Confession for forgiveness. John tells us this in the Bible when he says that sins "not unto death", that is sins that are not mortal in nature, can be forgiven by a simple prayer. Therefore it doesn't matter if you forget a few venial sins. On the other hand, John also tells us that mortal sins, "sins unto death", cannot be forgiven by a mere prayer. That's why Christ gave priests the specific power to forgive such sins in His name, telling them "whose sins YOU forgive, they are forgiven them". It is quite unlikely that anyone will genuinely forget a mortal sin, which is an extremely grave violation of God's Law. Unless of course someone is confessing for the first time after a long period of serious sin. Then they might genuinely forget to mention some. And in that case all sins are forgiven. Embarrassment is never a valid reason to withhold a mortal sin in confession. You might be embarrassed if you had a venereal diease, but you would still seek medical healing, regardless of how you felt about it. If you are in a state of mortal sin you desperately need spiritual healing, and you need to seek it regardless of how you feel about it.

Answer 5

I am catholic, but it has been long time since last time I confessed to a priest. I used to do it face to face with the priest. I was brave.

I think that if you forgot to mention it, still you are forgiven. But if you did not say it then it is not.

When confessing, you do not have to be specific. Just mention that you have some sexual thoughts or acts that you believe are sins, and that is all (in case it has to be with sex)

Even when I am catholic, I believe that sex is not a sin. I do not comply with that part. I think sex is human.

Answer 6

The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the priest's absolution. The penitents acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation.
One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.
Now if you unintentionally omitted sins because of memory they to will be forgiven. If however you omitted sins intentionally for your own selfish reason objectively speaking the confession would be void. You would still be enslaved to that sin and the graces cannot not be received. Now God still loves you so very much that His wish is to heal you. The only way is to get them out, never doubt the mercy of God for it is He in the confessional acting through the priest.

Answer 7

Confession is not as commonly observed as it used to be. Many churches offer one on one confessions once a week or less.

The confessional serves as a vehicle to ask for forgiveness as well as a platform for spiritual counseling.
It is sacrosanct, meaning that the priest cannot divulge what he is told under any circumstances.

Most churches offer reconciliation masses that are meant to serve in place of the one on one confession.

The service focuses on asking forgiveness for your sins as a congregation. There is no one on one involved.

No one can remember every single thing that might be considered a sin. You are forgiven for sins you truly forgot.
If you forgot about them, they are probably minor everyday sins.

Also, if you do go to one on one confession, the priest does not expect to hear every little detail of your sins.
If your embarrassing sin is a sin of the flesh, you could say you have committed sins of the flesh.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Well, you don't really need a priest to confess to, just confess to God, why do you need the priest to get through to God?


Confessing to God is important, but if you miss some because you forget, well, he'll forgive you, we are not saved by our memory of our sins, but our faith in Jesus Christ, now if you intentionally don't say things when confessing to God, that might be an issue.

Answer 9

If you truly forgot one, it is forgiven.

If you withheld a sin, then you did not make a good confession.

If you are embarrassed.....try going to a priest at a different Church.....but confess!!

Answer 10

Anyone who goes to a "Common Man" to tell all of there
secret and intimate things is Foolish. If God knows all things,
than you don't need to go to anyone, let alone a priest, to ask
for your Sins to be forgiven. In all fairness to Catholics, the
history and practice of the Confessional, was designed to
"Spy" on individuals. History Proves it.