Confession
How to Go to Confession
Preparing for Confession · 9 steps
Step by step through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: preparing, what to say when you enter, confessing by kind and number, the Act of Contrition, absolution and your penance.
9 steps · About 15 minutes
Confession is the sacrament in which Christ, through the ministry of a priest, forgives the sins committed after Baptism and restores us to friendship with God and with the Church. Nothing is required of you except honesty, sorrow and the will to change; the priest does the rest, and he is bound by an absolute seal never to reveal anything he hears. The whole celebration usually takes five to ten minutes. This guide walks through the ordinary form of the sacrament, one penitent with one priest, as it is celebrated in every Catholic parish.
What you need
- The confession times of a parish near you (the bulletin or website), or an appointment with a priest
- Fifteen quiet minutes beforehand for an examination of conscience — see the Examination of Conscience guide
- The Act of Contrition, memorised or on a card; most confessionals also have it printed
- Optionally a short written list of what you want to confess (take it home or destroy it afterward)
When to pray it
Whenever you are aware of a mortal sin, before receiving Holy Communion; and by precept at least once a year. Many Catholics go monthly, and before the great feasts of Christmas and Easter. Every parish keeps regular times, most often Saturday afternoon.
Steps
Step 1: Examine your conscience
Before you go, spend ten or fifteen minutes asking the Holy Spirit to show you your sins, and then look over your life since your last confession in the light of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and the precepts of the Church. Note every mortal sin (a grave matter, done with full knowledge and deliberate consent), and the venial sins that most weigh on you. The Examination of Conscience guide on this site walks through the Commandments one by one.
Tips
- If it has been a long time, say so at the start. The priest will lead you through everything; you do not need to know the form by heart.
- You may confess anonymously behind a screen or face to face; both are always your choice and both are the sacrament in full.
- Confess mortal sins by kind and, as best you can, by number ('three times', 'about once a week'). The priest may ask a brief question to understand; he is not there to interrogate.
- If you honestly forget a sin, it is forgiven with the rest. Simply mention it the next time you go.