Confession....

[Knight of the Holy Rosary]

Hi everyone,

Is it necessary to begin Confession with the sign of the cross in order for it be valid?

Thanks!

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='Knight of the Holy Rosary' post='1231005' date='Apr 5 2007, 08:25 AM']Hi everyone,

Is it necessary to begin Confession with the sign of the cross in order for it be valid?

Thanks![/quote]

No! The only thing that is absolutely essential to the sacrament is that:
1) you (with some effort and self-examination) [b]confess every sin you know was mortal, as well as any details / aspects of the sins that enhance the seriousness / evil of the act [/b](i.e. if your conscience prompts you to say something more you should; the priest will advise you whether or not it was necessary to add, but for your own conscience's sake you'll be glad you added it.)
2) [b]you're confessing because you think you did something wrong and want to make it right[/b] (i.e. you're either sorry for offending God or you're scared of going to Hell - or both) [b]with some resolve to at least try not to sin mortally again from here on out.[/b]
3) [b]the priest, at the very least, says "I absolve you"[/b]

Everything else (act of contrition, penance, sign of the cross, etc.) is required of the priest but you're not expected to correct or confront him during the sacrament and none of that stuff is needed for the sacrament to be valid. I should also add that if the priest cuts you off during your confession or doesn't let your get a word in to finish, I believe you're confession is still valid - but you may want to double check that with someone else...

[Proud2BCatholic139]

So, are you saying you do not need to do some sort of penance for this sacrament to be vaild?

If you are saying this, then you are wrong.

[Proud2BCatholic139]

I say this because even though we are sorry, we must make up for offending God...therefore, some sort of penance to amend.

[Groo the Wanderer]

[quote name='Proud2BCatholic139' post='1231026' date='Apr 5 2007, 10:04 AM']we must make up for offending God...[/quote]


I don't really think we CAN make up for offending God. If we could, Jesus would not have had to die to pay the price for our sins.


2.5 cents worth....

[Totus Tuus]

We have to remit our sins with temporal punishment either during this life or after we die. We strive to make reparation through penance while we're alive because if we don't, we will have to make it up in Purgatory which is much more painful than our penances on earth could be. And, of course, if we die with unconfessed/unrepented mortal sins we cannot enter even Purgatory.

Groo, confessing our sins and receiving absolution is like pulling the nails out of a board (the sins are the nails, and they are forgotten by God). But there is still a hole, which must be filled either during this life through penance or hereafter through Purgatory.

God bless,
Lauren

[Proud2BCatholic139]

[quote name='Ziggamafu' post='1231009' date='Apr 5 2007, 09:47 AM']No! The only thing that is absolutely essential to the sacrament is that:
1) you (with some effort and self-examination) [b]confess every sin you know was mortal, as well as any details / aspects of the sins that enhance the seriousness / evil of the act [/b](i.e. if your conscience prompts you to say something more you should; the priest will advise you whether or not it was necessary to add, but for your own conscience's sake you'll be glad you added it.)
2) [b]you're confessing because you think you did something wrong and want to make it right[/b] (i.e. you're either sorry for offending God or you're scared of going to Hell - or both) [b]with some resolve to at least try not to sin mortally again from here on out.[/b]
3) [b]the priest, at the very least, says "I absolve you"[/b]

Everything else (act of contrition, penance, sign of the cross, etc.) is required of the priest but you're not expected to correct or confront him during the sacrament and none of that stuff is needed for the sacrament to be valid. I should also add that if the priest cuts you off during your confession or doesn't let your get a word in to finish, I believe you're confession is still valid - but you may want to double check that with someone else...[/quote]

Also, the big thing, first and foremost, confess your Mortal Sins. Venial sins are forgiven with sincere sorrow, through the Our Father or Act of Contrition, or any other act, blessing yourself and making the sign of the cross with Holy water, omits you of venial sin, and recieving Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. If the priest cuts you off, and you have stated all of your mortal sins, it is valid, because all of your sins are washed away. If you don't confess it to a priest, through your act of contrition, and you are sincerely sorry, you are forgiven.

[aalpha1989]

The sacrament is valid whether or not we are given a penance. yes we must be healed of the sin and try to make up for it, and a penance is the best way to do it, but we were forgiven of the sins we confessed whether or not we actually do the penance. if we don't do it, we should confess not doing a penance, but we don't have to reconfess everything. we were already forgiven for it.

[Carnanc]

No, Thank God, and be at peace about this.

[Carnanc]

No, Thank God, and be at peace about this.

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='Proud2BCatholic139' post='1231023' date='Apr 5 2007, 09:03 AM']So, are you saying you do not need to do some sort of penance for this sacrament to be vaild?

If you are saying this, then you are wrong.[/quote]

if the priest forgets to assign penance you are still forgiven.

[Proud2BCatholic139]

Even if the priest does not assign a penance, that doesn't mean you don't have one. We should make it up some way.

CCC 1448: "Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same [i]fundamental structure[/i] is to be discerned. It comprises two equally esstential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action through the intervention of the Church. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion."

VII. The Actos fo the Penitent
CCC 1450 "Penance requires...the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and [b]practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction[/b] "

1435 "Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for te sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance."

Besides, how can a priest forget to give penance anyway?

Edited April 5, 2007 by Proud2BCatholic139

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='Proud2BCatholic139' post='1231527' date='Apr 5 2007, 03:42 PM']Even if the priest does not assign a penance, that doesn't mean you don't have one. We should make it up some way.

CCC 1448: "Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same [i]fundamental structure[/i] is to be discerned. It comprises two equally esstential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action through the intervention of the Church. The Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion."

VII. The Actos fo the Penitent
CCC 1450 "Penance requires...the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and [b]practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction[/b] "

1435 "Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for te sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance."

Besides, how can a priest forget to give penance anyway?[/quote]

Usually, they don't forget. They just don't care. At least in my area (and in most other areas in the U.S., as I understand). If you confess your sins and the priest just says "I absolve you" without giving you a chance to say an act of contrition or assigning a penance, you would still be absolved. That's my understanding, anyway. I don't have time to look stuff up right now but I'll try later.

[thessalonian]

I do disagree that penance is neccessary for a valid confession.

If one does not do any sort of penance then one will go to hell. But not because of the particular confession where none was given. Simply because you are not living the Christian life and will inevitably fall away. The penance given at confession these days is not likely sufficient to correct the temporal disorder we have created. That takes time and acts of charity and kindness. Penance is not neccessary for a confession to be valid. The sins are forgiven when you walk out the door. That means the eternal punishment is gone. The penance only starts removing the temporal punishment.

[Maria]

I was taught that one must have the firm intention of performing one's penance.
If one isn't given a penance, or if one is made incapable of fulfilling it, or even if one somehow forgets (tis possible, I suppose), it doesn't affect the validity. But I think I was taught that if one has a firm intention of doing one's penance during confession and then later decide not to bother, the confession is still valid, though you have another sin for your next confession.