So you are all set for your confirmation but haven’t confessed yet. Have no or little idea on what to reveal inside the confession box? This post is for you! Here, we will be talking about sins to confess before Confirmation.
Before we deep dive into our main topic, let’s first discuss if you need to go to confession before confirmation.
Do you have to go to Confession before Confirmation?
Yes. If you committed mortal sins, you have to go to the Sacrament of Confession for absolution.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
CCC 1310 To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More intense prayer should prepare one to receive the strength and graces of the Holy Spirit with docility and readiness to act.
However, if the Sacrament of Confirmation immediately follows the Sacrament of Baptism, confession would not be required. The reason behind this is that there is complete remission of both original sin and actual sin in the Sacrament of Baptism.
Mortal Sins vs Venial Sins
Now, let’s define what sin is according to the Catechism.
CCC 1854 “Sins are rightly evaluated according to their gravity. The distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in Scripture, became part of the tradition of the Church. It is corroborated by human experience.”
It mentions the two types of sin, mortal and venial.
CCC 1855 “Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.”
Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.
For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be met:
- Object is grave matter
- Committed with full knowledge and
- Deliberate consent
For example, you engaged in adultery. How to know if it is a mortal sin?
First, check if adultery is a grave matter. Ten commandments can be your basis.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Since it is the 6th commandment, we can now consider it a grave sin.
Another condition is you commit it with full knowledge.
Are you aware that it is a sin? If yes, you are one criterion away from being a mortal sinner.
Last is deliberate consent. It is when you still commit a sin even though you know it’s a sin. You must intentionally do it.
So if you know that adultery is a sin yet you still did it, you committed a mortal sin.
These are your 3 conditions. If one is absent, the sin will fall as venial sin.
For example, you are practicing adultery without knowing it is actually a sin. This can diminish its gravity thus, a venial sin.
But, according to a Redemptorist Priest, Fr. JM CSsR, since this is a grave offense, those who are guilty of it must still confess it.
Sins to Confess
Regardless if for confirmation or not, according to the Catechism, you have to confess all your mortal sins.
CCC 1456 “Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly.”
As for venial sins, although not required, it is advisable to include them for confession.
CCC 1458 “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ, and progress in the life of the Spirit.”
List of Sins to Confess
Here are the sins for confession.
- Idolatry
- Divination (like believing in Zodiac Signs), magic, and sorcery
- Sacrilege
- Atheism
- Blasphemy (could be in thoughts, words, or deeds)
- Perjury and False Oaths
- Deliberate failure of the Sunday obligation
- Disrespect to parents
- Murder
- Abortion
- Euthanasia
- Suicide
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Gluttony
- Terrorism
- Extreme Anger
- Extortion
- Adultery
- Divorce
- Fornication
- Pornography
- Prostitution
- Rape
- Homosexual acts
- Incest
- Masturbation
- Theft
- Cheating
- Defrauding worker’s wages
- Unfair wagers
- Adulation
- Lying
- Lust
- Avarice
- Envy
- Voluntary doubt of faith
- Heresy, apostasy, schism
- Despair
- Presumption
- Indifference
- Ingratitude
- Spiritual sloth
- Hatred of God
- Deliberate sexual thoughts
The above sins are squeezed from the 10 Commandments.
For sex-related sins, you can visit this guide to know how to confess them.
There you have it!
Note that before confession, it is advisable to have an Examination of Conscience.
For details, you can click this. It will help you organize your thoughts, preparing you for a fruitful confession.
First time to confess your sins? This comprehensive guide will help you.
Conclusion
Confession is a powerful Sacrament. A lot of Priest Saints had devoted their time to receiving and absolving contrite souls in the confession.
In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit is poured upon us. With that, we must strive to be in a state of grace.
Whether you are confessing your sins for confirmation or not, we Catholics must acknowledge our weaknesses and thus regularly ask for forgiveness in this Sacrament. How joyful it is to know that you get another chance to start anew.
Now that you know sins to confess, you may also want to check the following other tasks to remember before the Sacrament of Confirmation.
- Confirmation Saint Name- Choosing a Confirmation Saint Name can be tedious. To help you, check this out for a step-by-step guide.
- Confirmation Dress- Deciding on what to wear during the Sacrament can also be stressful. If you haven’t any idea what to wear, here are some quick guidelines.
- Confirmation Gift for Sponsor- If you still have no idea what to give to your Sponsor as a token of appreciation, here are the coolest Confirmation Gift Ideas for Sponsors.
Happy Confirmation!
St. Gerard Majella, Patron Saint of Good Confessions, pray for us.