Couple Questions On Confession

[goldenchild17]

So a friend of mine asked me a few questions I wasn't sure of the answer to:

If a person tells a lie in confession does that make the confession invalid?

What happens if a person has been going to confession for years but didn't completely understand the nature of the penance afterwards part of it, and didn't complete all of the penances related to his/her confessions? Are those confessions invalid? Does the person need to re-confess? What if the person cannot remember many of those sins, even in general?

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='goldenchild17' date='Oct 8 2005, 11:50 PM']If a person tells a lie in confession does that make the confession invalid?[/quote]
the sins that he confessed w/ a contrite heart will be forgiven. however, if he lied and said he was sorry for a particular sin, but he really wasn't, that sin will not be forgiven.


[quote]What happens if a person has been going to confession for years but didn't completely understand the nature of the penance afterwards part of it, and didn't complete all of the penances related to his/her confessions?  Are those confessions invalid?  Does the person need to re-confess?  What if the person cannot remember many of those sins, even in general?[right][snapback]751384[/snapback][/right][/quote]
your absolution does not depend on whether or not you perform the penance that came with it. this is b/c the absolution involves your relationship w/ the Lord, whereas your penance involves your relationship with man and the Body as a whole. you can't even receive a sacramental penance, or perform one with merit, until you are absolved of your sin. so, he does not have to re-confess. what he will need to do tho is to confess that, out of ignorance, he did not perform his penances in the past and to ask for the Lord's pardon. this is a sin, even tho he was not aware of it at the time. now that he is aware, he will need to confess it.