Confession

Confession of sins is necessary for the normal reception of the sacrament of penance. As penance is necessary forthe salvation of one who has committed mortal sin after baptism, so also confession of these sins is necessary.

Confession is not a requirement born of the natural law, but is requisite by the supernatural institution of Christ. Our Lord gave his priest the power to forgive sins, setting up the sacrament as a kind of judgment in which testimony (or confession)indicates whether sins are to be forgiven or retained.

All who are bound to contrition and satisfaction are bound to confession. And, since all who have sinned are bound tocontrition and satisfaction, all who have sinned are required to confess. The Church, by her law, imposes on all her children the duty of confession.

Confession is to be made in truth and sincerity. Hence,a man would do wrong, no matter what his motive, if he were to confess a sin he had not committed.

A person who has committed mortal sin should confess itas soon as he reasonably can do so. But we cannot say that he is strictly obliged to take the earliest opportunity of confessing.

Confession is required of all adult children of the Church. There is no such thing as dispensation from the duty of confessing.