Was my confession legitimate?

[Aubz]

I was baptized as a baby but I did not go to Catholic school and was raised agnostic. I have been going to mass for a while and I wanted to do a confession.

I booked an appointment at the nearest parish and I saw the Priest. When I told him my history he seemed very hesitant to do the confession! He mumbled something about absolution but did not really say with certainty if it was going to be granted.

I was a little put off by this but we went ahead anyways. He did the sign of the cross and let me go through the broken commandments.

When I was done he did the sign of the cross again but did not say anything about absolution. 

Then he said I should do '5 hail mary's as penance' and then he left.

Were the sins absolved because he gave me a penance task?

Also, when I do confirmation would that no longer be first confession?

I did my penance the same day as the confession. Was I supposed to wait until Friday?

[Luigi]

I'mm not a canon lawyer, nor a specialist in sacramental theology. And your account of what the priest said is vague at best. BUT...

If a priest feels that a confession wasn't valid, he won't give absolution. They're trained in that sort of thing, you know? And he gave you a penance, which you have completed (no, you didn't have to wait until Friday). 

Rest easy. All is well. 

[Nihil Obstat]

It is not clear in your post if you have been doing something like RCIA, or been formally received into the Church in any way. If you have not done so, I do not believe you are yet able to avail yourself of the sacrament of confession, in which case the priest would not have given you absolution.

What it comes down to is whether or not the priest said "ego te absolvo" / "I absolve you". If he said it then your confession is likely valid though perhaps illicit, perhaps not. It he did not say it, then you were not absolved and will need to confess those sins during your first confession. Those three words (de minimis) are the absolute crux of the matter. Necessary and sufficient condition.

Strictly speaking the fact that you were given a penance does not entail that you were given absolution.

[Luigi]

8 hours ago, Nihil Obstat said:

It is not clear in your post if you have been doing something like RCIA, or been formally received into the Church in any way. If you have not done so, I do not believe you are yet able to avail yourself of the sacrament of confession, in which case the priest would not have given you absolution.

What it comes down to is whether or not the priest said "ego te absolvo" / "I absolve you". If he said it then your confession is likely valid though perhaps illicit, perhaps not. It he did not say it, then you were not absolved and will need to confess those sins during your first confession. Those three words (de minimis) are the absolute crux of the matter. Necessary and sufficient condition.

Strictly speaking the fact that you were given a penance does not entail that you were given absolution.

Why would a priest go through the motions of confession without absolving the penitent? Is there such a thing as 'confession light' where you get to name your sins but you don't receive absolution? To the best of my knowledge, a priest can't give 'conditional forgiveness' or anything like that. I've read stories of people not being absolved, but in those cases the priest always told the penitent directly that he was withholding absolution, why, and what the penitent would have to do to be absolved.

[Nihil Obstat]

23 minutes ago, Luigi said:

Why would a priest go through the motions of confession without absolving the penitent? Is there such a thing as 'confession light' where you get to name your sins but you don't receive absolution? To the best of my knowledge, a priest can't give 'conditional forgiveness' or anything like that. I've read stories of people not being absolved, but in those cases the priest always told the penitent directly that he was withholding absolution, why, and what the penitent would have to do to be absolved.

I have heard of cases where it is generally treated like spiritual direction, and remains covered by the seal. I agree that the priest should make it clear that he is withholding absolution to avoid misunderstandings. There is definitely no conditional form.