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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Cant remember what past sins i confessed	Mateo	Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Question: Brother, I was born and raised Catholic. Up until about the age of 25 i didn't practice my faith. A few years ago i radically began to take my faith seriously, now i attend Daily Mass and confession several times a month. I used to have an addiction to pornography. I've been clean from this since my radical re-conversion (about 3 yrs now). I remember confessing pornography problems years ago, but i can't remember whether i confessed the minor relapses i had during the withdrawal processes. I think i made a general confession a few months ago about all of it, but i can't remember. Now, since i can't remember, my OCD is kicking in and worrying about whether i've been receiving the Eucharist unworthily all this time. Is this just part of my OCD? Please help Brother. Thanks. Mateo P.S. When i say in the confessional "I'm sorry for these and all of my sins" - does that take care of the questions that i'm having? Thanks.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Mateo: When the priest absolves you of your sins that includes any sins that you have honestly forgotten. If you later remember a mortal sin then you can bring it up in confession at the time you remember it, but technically it has already been forgiven. What you are not to do is to deliberately and purposely refuse to confess a sin to the priest when receiving the Sacrament of Confession. If you are talking about sins that you do remember but not sure you confessed, can you remember ever purposely refusing to confess them? I ask that because, as mentioned, sins that are honestly forgotten are forgiven when the priest absolves you. It is only sins that you REFUSE to confess that will get you in trouble. If you did not deliberately refuse to confess these sins, then you probably did confess them back then. Concerning your P.S.: yes, the standard phraseology is something like, "For these and for all other sins that I do not now remember, I am heartedly sorry..." But, even if you don't say that, honestly forgotten sins are still absolved anyway. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Cant remember what past sins i confessed

Mateo

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Question:

Brother,

I was born and raised Catholic. Up until about the age of 25 i didn't practice my faith. A few years ago i radically began to take my faith seriously, now i attend Daily Mass and confession several times a month.

I used to have an addiction to pornography. I've been clean from this since my radical re-conversion (about 3 yrs now). I remember confessing pornography problems years ago, but i can't remember whether i confessed the minor relapses i had during the withdrawal processes. I think i made a general confession a few months ago about all of it, but i can't remember.

Now, since i can't remember, my OCD is kicking in and worrying about whether i've been receiving the Eucharist unworthily all this time. Is this just part of my OCD? Please help Brother. Thanks.

Mateo

P.S. When i say in the confessional "I'm sorry for these and all of my sins" - does that take care of the questions that i'm having? Thanks.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Mateo:

When the priest absolves you of your sins that includes any sins that you have honestly forgotten.

If you later remember a mortal sin then you can bring it up in confession at the time you remember it, but technically it has already been forgiven.

What you are not to do is to deliberately and purposely refuse to confess a sin to the priest when receiving the Sacrament of Confession.

If you are talking about sins that you do remember but not sure you confessed, can you remember ever purposely refusing to confess them?

I ask that because, as mentioned, sins that are honestly forgotten are forgiven when the priest absolves you. It is only sins that you REFUSE to confess that will get you in trouble. If you did not deliberately refuse to confess these sins, then you probably did confess them back then.

Concerning your P.S.: yes, the standard phraseology is something like, "For these and for all other sins that I do not now remember, I am heartedly sorry..." But, even if you don't say that, honestly forgotten sins are still absolved anyway.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum