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Anonymous Jane wrote:

Hi, guys —

If in my Confession the priest spoke when I paused to say something and I wasn't able to mention everything I had written on my list, but told him, "That’s all I can think of!"

  • Would my Confession be invalid?

I don’t remember what was written on that piece of paper as I threw it away after not wanting to remember, if a mortal sin was there.

Jane

  { Would my Confession be valid if a priest interrupted so I may have forgotten certain sins? }

Eric replied:

Jane,

As long as you intended to confess them, you are good. When they next come to mind, and you realize you forgot them, just bring them to your next Confession.

Eric Ewanco

Jane replied:

Eric,

I think you may have misunderstood I didn't say all the sins on the list the priest spoke I knew there was more things I hadn't got to say but I think I said that’s all I can think of knowing some things hadn't got said. I did genuinely intend to say everything at the beginning of the Confession just in that moment when the priest spoke I lost my flow or my nerve.

Jane

Eric replied:

Jane,

The requirement for what we call an integral Confession (i.e. you must confess all sins) simply means that you cannot decide deliberately ahead of time that you are going to hold sins back that you are aware of. You did not do this, you intended to confess them, but didn't have the opportunity to for reasons that were beyond your control. Just confess these sins, or at least as many of them as you can think of, at your next confession. If you forgotten them, don't worry about it. You can ask the Lord to bring them to mind, but it sounds like you're anxious, and you needn't be.

Eric

Mike replied:

Hi, Jane —

Though I agree with my colleague Eric, I would encourage you to list/mention the mortal sins first and the venial sins second.

Hope this helps,

Mike

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