Hi, Veronica —

Absolutely.

Having a feeling is not sufficient; you need to receive the grace of this sacrament and be reconciled, not only to God, but to the Church, because sin, even ostensibly private sin, affects the whole Church.

All mortal sins need to be brought to the Divine Physician through the sacrament of Confession
He instituted for this purpose.

Eric

Dear Veronica —

I just wanted to quote one of my favorite replies from Eric on this issue:

Remember that the Confessional is a tribunal of mercy and healing,
not of judgment. The point is not to accuse you or impose guilt;
the point is to relieve guilt and apply the balm of mercy to sins so that they might be healed.

A sin is like an injury, and the priest is like a doctor.

I don't know why I like this quote. It probably has to do with the type of sinner I am : )

Mike