How to Make a General Confession

[@icyangel13]

I was baptized in the Catholic church but my parents did not give me a spiritual education nor did they wish me to have the other sacraments, as neither of them was very religious at the time. Thankfully, through the Grace of our Lord I have been converted and am now in the process of doing my first confession and then God willing communion and confirmation. However, I am finding it difficult to prepare for my first confession as I am 24 and did not consider myself a Christian until very recently. Consequently, my list of sins is long and varied, as I did not consider them such at the time. There are also a lot of things in my past that I am not completely sure were mortal sins, as well as habits or internal dispositions. I am what you would consider a "scrupulous" person, so this is proving challenging. The priest I am confessing to is not particularly thorough and I am afraid to take his advice to just make a "general statement" of renunciation of all previous sins. Should I make a list to the best of my abilities? Or is there a specific practice to follow for people making their first confessions as adults? Thank you for your work at the Fatima Center, these videos have been very enlightening. I will keep Fr. Gruner and John Vennari in my prayers.

[@TheFatimaCenter]

We would encourage you to take very seriously the sense of caution arising in your soul at the advice of a careless confessor. Nothing could be more crucial to you now than finding a trustworthy spiritual guide. We urge you to seek out a traditional priest. (See sspx.org/en/mass-locator) In the meantime, too, we all know as a matter of basic catechetics that each seriously sinful matter must be explicitly mentioned in Confession, noting also the number of times committed and any significant circumstances, to the best of our efforts of recollection. This would include matters about which you were -- or are still -- unsure. The priest can help you to confess these difficult things properly. You might also find a written manual very useful, such as TAN's reprint of "Confession - Its Fruitful Practice (With an Examination of Conscience)." God bless you.

[@paulhill7726]

I feel ya brother been there, still struggling daily with scrupulosity. I did find comfort in this video on KZbin and website. Its a guide to help the scrupulous. Definitely confess what you need to confess and lay it all before God in the sacrament. www.23rdstreet.com/video_texts/scrupulosity.aspx

[@nicolasjayschroeter]

@@TheFatimaCenter Just a warning to all who read that the SSPX is canonically irregular. Pope Francis wrote in 2015 in Misericordia et Misera that the faithful can validly and licitly receive absolution thorough confession from SSPX priests, “trusting in the good will of their priests to strive with God’s help for the recovery of full communion in the Catholic Church.” The SSPX therefore does not share in full communion with the Catholic Church, and the faithful should be careful.

[@ChristianV-fq6mb]

In my general confession. I did not specify what I did from each sin, neither said the number of times, because I went fully blind without knowing how to confess. I thought I just had to say for example "I was an atheist" "I committed sexual immorality" "I stole" but didn't say what I stole and how many times I did. Now I wonder if I'm forgiven, or I need to re confess properly. But even without the numbers, my confession took 40 min. Because of that, I've been going to confessions to say the specific of the sins (What I've done) and how many times, but sometimes I forget the amount of times again. And it's honestly annoying. The church needs to help confessors. After someone mentions a mortal sin, the priest should ask "How many times?"

[@mz6144]

For a general confession, do you have to make an appointment with a priest? Or can you just walk in to a church and have your confession heard if you have properly prepared?

[@TheFatimaCenter]

It would be a courtesy to the other penitents if you were to make an appointment. The confession itself is naturally lengthier than usual and the confessor may find numerous matters to discuss, so it can take time. Best is to schedule a special meeting for the task. God bless you.

[@maryfarmer9460]

I thought you weren't supposed to confess sins that you have already been forgiven for in confession.

[@TheFatimaCenter]

Sometimes it is useful to add to our Confession certain sins from our past life for which we have particular sorrow, since it is necessary to the Sacrament that we confess at least one sin for which we have true contrition. This would be a good practice especially when we have only venial sins to confess, which may in fact amount only to faults as opposed to sins, or when we cannot call to mind any sins since our last Confession but we want to receive the grace of the Sacrament on a routine weekly or bi-weekly basis. We can indicate this to the confessor with words such as these, at the conclusion of our confession of sins: "For these and all the sins of which I have at any time been guilty, especially ..., I humbly beg pardon of God and absolution from you, Father, if you think me worthy." God bless you.

[@maryfarmer9460]

Thank you. Isn't it a grave sin not to accept God's mercy the first time you confess a sin?

[@TheFatimaCenter]

@@maryfarmer9460 To confess again a sin from one's past life is not an indication of having previously rejected God's forgiveness of that sin, but rather an expression of lasting (and thus true) contrition for it. God bless you.