Topic
Confession & Mercy
Christ gave his Church the power to forgive sins. Here is how confession works, why Catholics confess to a priest, and how to come home after years away.
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What is confession?
Confession — the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation — is the way Christ forgives sins committed after Baptism. A person confesses their sins to a priest, expresses sorrow, receives absolution, and does a penance. It restores friendship with God and with the Church.
Read the full answerQuestions about Confession & Mercy
All Confession & Mercy questions
What is confession?
Confession — the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation — is the way Christ forgives sins committed after Baptism. A person confesses their sins to a priest, expresses sorrow, receives absolution, and does a penance. It restores friendship with God and with the Church.
How do I go to confession? A step-by-step guide
Prepare with an examination of conscience, go to the priest, make the Sign of the Cross and say how long it has been since your last confession, confess your sins, listen to his counsel and penance, pray an Act of Contrition, and receive absolution. If you forget the words, just say so — the priest will help.
What does the Bible say about forgiveness?
Scripture teaches that God forgives completely those who repent, and that his forgiveness must flow through us to others. Jesus taught us to pray "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," and warned that refusing to forgive closes our hearts to God's mercy.
Can confession be made online?
No. The sacrament of reconciliation cannot be validly received online — nor by mail, telephone, e-mail or any other remote means. It requires a personal, one-to-one encounter with a priest.
Can mortal sins be forgiven without confession?
Sacramental confession is the normal requirement for the forgiveness of mortal sins, but it is not absolutely required. In extraordinary circumstances — for example, a dying Catholic who cannot reach confession — mortal sins can be forgiven through true contrition with at least an implicit intention to confess when possible.
What if I forgot to confess a sin and remembered it later?
It was already absolved. A forgotten venial sin need not be confessed. A forgotten mortal sin was also absolved, provided you at least implicitly intended to confess everything you remembered — but mention it at your next confession.
What is "anonymous" confession?
Confessing anonymously means kneeling behind a privacy screen rather than speaking face to face with the priest. It was the standard way to confess before the rubrics were revised, and every Catholic church must still offer the choice of a screen or face to face.
Can I give a priest permission to talk about my confession?
No. A penitent cannot give the priest permission to break the seal. You can, however, discuss the matter with him outside of confession, and he may then talk about that conversation. The seal binds even after the penitent's death.
Is it necessary to confess how many times one has sinned?
Yes, for grave sins, as best you can. Canon law requires confessing all grave sins in kind and number. An estimate such as "several times" is fine, and if you forget, your sins are still forgiven — mention them at your next confession.
Can someone in mortal sin receive Communion after a perfect act of contrition?
Only under four conditions: a grave reason to receive, no possibility of confessing first, being in a state of grace through perfect contrition, and the resolve to confess as soon as possible. It is contrition itself — sorrow from love of God — that must be perfect, not the recitation of a prayer.
How many plenary or partial indulgences can one receive per day?
In most cases, only one plenary indulgence may be gained per day, and in most cases there is no limit on partial indulgences.
Do I have to go to confession to receive a plenary indulgence?
Yes. Sacramental confession is one of the required conditions for a plenary indulgence, even for someone not conscious of mortal sin. If any condition is missing, or attachment to sin remains, the indulgence is only partial.
Can a person gain an indulgence without intending to?
No. Canon law says a capable person must have at least a general intention of gaining indulgences in order to gain them.
Can someone with a mortally sinful addiction, who rarely gets to confession, receive Communion?
Be cautious about assuming addiction removes guilt. Ordinarily addictive behavior can be controlled with honesty, grace, motivation and common sense; most of us are freer than we think. In severe cases culpability may be reduced, which a confessor will judge. And you can ask a priest to hear your confession outside the scheduled times.
Must a Catholic go to confession once a year if he hasn't committed a mortal sin?
No. Church law requires confession of grave sins at least once a year; someone with no mortal sins is not obliged to go. Still, the Church recommends confessing venial sins too.
What happened to those who committed mortal sin before confession was instituted?
They needed perfect contrition — sorrow motivated by love of God, not merely fear of punishment. Because God is perfectly merciful and just, they could obtain forgiveness and the purification of their souls.
Can a priest report a sin not yet committed, to prevent a crime?
No. Under no circumstances may a priest use knowledge from confession to the penitent's detriment. The seal is inviolable; a confessor may never betray a penitent in any way or for any reason.
Will my sin be forgiven if I don't feel sorry?
What is required is repentance, an act of the will. Remorse and regret are emotions you may not feel and cannot control; they aren't required, though they help keep us from sinning again. Devotion to Christ's Passion is a good way to foster them.
How do I make an act of contrition?
An act of contrition is any expression to God of sorrow for sin; no formula is required, and it can be as simple as "Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Perfect contrition, from love of God, forgives even mortal sin if it includes the resolve to confess; imperfect contrition disposes one for forgiveness in confession.
Do I need to confess a mortal sin committed before I was baptized?
No. Baptism forgave all your prior sins — original and personal — and all punishment for them. Confession is for sins committed after baptism.
What's the best way to prepare for a general confession?
Make an appointment so you aren't rushed during regular hours, and make a list — it's hard to remember sins from a long period. The priest will help you. Destroy the list afterward.
Can I receive a plenary indulgence for reading the Bible?
Yes. Reading Scripture with veneration as spiritual reading earns a partial indulgence, and a plenary one if it lasts at least half an hour — provided the usual conditions are met: confession, Communion, prayer for the pope's intentions, and freedom from all attachment to sin.
What is the requirement about yearly confession?
After reaching the age of discretion, the faithful must confess their grave, that is mortal, sins at least once a year. A sin is mortal only with grave matter, full knowledge and complete consent.
Can priests hear confessions by phone, e-mail or online?
No. Confession is a personal encounter with Christ, and the absolute secrecy it requires cannot be guaranteed by phone, e-mail or internet. As the Church says, there are no sacraments on the internet.
If I smoke, must I confess it every time I go to confession?
Smoking in moderation is no sin at all (CCC 2290). It can be excessive, though addiction may reduce culpability. Ask your confessor to assess your culpability and how often to confess it; confessing venial sins brings healing grace.
If there is a "baptism of desire," is there a "reconciliation of desire"?
In a sense, yes: perfect contrition. Sorrow for sin arising from love of God above all obtains forgiveness even of mortal sins, provided it includes the firm resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.
What do "bind and loose" mean in Matthew 16:19?
Christ gave Peter, and the apostles united with him, authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. To bind is to exclude from communion, which means exclusion from communion with God; to loose is to receive back into communion, which God also does. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.
As a Protestant, may I confess my sins to a priest to stay focused on the Lord?
Catholics confess not mainly to stay focused but because they believe Christ truly forgives sins through the priest's absolution. If you believe that too, perhaps you need to become Catholic; as things stand, one must hold the Church's teachings to receive its sacraments.
Read in depth
Coming Home: A Guide for Returning Catholics
A practical, unhurried guide for anyone thinking about returning to the Church after years away.
What the Early Church Believed: Confession
Our sins are not all forgiven once for all when we become Christians. After baptism, God forgives sin through confession; venial sins may be confessed to God directly, but for grave sins Christ instituted the sacrament, giving his ministers power to forgive and retain sins. The early Church practiced it from the beginning.
The Forgiveness of Sins
All forgiveness comes from Christ's work on Calvary. Christ gave two means for receiving it: baptism for original sin and sins before baptism, and the sacrament of penance for sins after baptism. He gave the apostles power to forgive and retain sins, a power passed to their successors and practiced from the early Church.
Examination of Conscience
An examination of conscience is a reflective review of our thoughts, words and deeds in light of the Church's moral teaching, to prepare well for confession. It helps adults, teens and children grow in holiness and distinguish mortal from venial sin.
Myths About Indulgences
An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, which the Church grants from the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints (*Indulgentiarum Doctrina* 1). It cannot buy one out of hell, cover future sins, forgive sins, or be bought.
In Scripture
- John 20:21-23
- James 5:16
- 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
- Luke 15:11-24
- 1 John 1:9
- Matthew 6:12-15
- Matthew 18:21-35
- Luke 23:34
- Ephesians 4:32
- Psalm 103:10-12
- Matthew 16:19
- John 20:22-23
- Luke 15:11-32
- Joel 2:12-13
- Isaiah 1:18
- Matthew 6:12
- Matthew 9:6
- Matthew 9:8
- 1 Corinthians 11:27
- Revelation 2:5
- Tobit 12:9
- Matthew 3:6
- Acts 19:18
- Matthew 10:40
- John 8:1-11
- Luke 7:48
- Matthew 28:20
- John 20:21
- Matthew 18:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:18
- Matthew 28:19-20
- Acts 13:38-39
- Mark 16:15-16
- John 20:23
- Romans 2:14-16
- Hebrews 9:27
- Hebrews 7:25
- Revelation 5:8
- Hebrews 12:6
- Philippians 2:12
- 1 Peter 1:9
- Colossians 1:24
Key terms
- Absolution
- The words and act by which a priest, acting in the person of Christ, forgives sins in the sacrament of Penance.
- Indulgence
- A remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, granted through the Church under prescribed conditions.