The Papists

Yes. The priest cannot give any identifiable information about a person from a particular confession. Priests take the seal of confession extremely seriously, because it is an extremely serious matter! Breaking the seal of confession is grounds for excommunication and being stripped of one’s duties as a priest for life. 

As a side note, I have heard that priests often have a difficult time remembering what people confess to them, likely one of the graces of the sacrament. And they hear so many confessions, there’s almost no way they would remember who said what. 

When talking about things they hear in the confessional, the most I have ever heard a priest say are things along the lines of, “People who struggle with anger and lust usually are dealing with an underlying problem, which just manifests itself in that way,” for example.

Thank you for your question!

Yes.  Venial sins may be forgiven by private acs of contrition, good works, and reception of the Eucharist. 

However, it is still good to confess venial sins when one goes to confession, for it is a healing sacrament.  Here is a good link.  Does this answer your question?

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Catholics-955/Confession-13.htm

- Niko

All the Sacraments must meet three criteria to be valid: they must have correct form & matter and there must be correct disposition.  If anyone of these is not present, the sacrament is deemed invalid.

Form: The priest must say some form of absolution. It is generally accepted that the words “I absolve you from your sins” are the essential words.

If these are not said, then the sacrament is invalid.

Matter: The matter is contrition, confession, and satisfaction. Essentially, is the person truly sorry?  Did they confess all their mortal sins as far as they can remember and in kind and number?  Are you steadfast in desire to amend for your sins, at the very least doing the penance assigned by the confessor if the confessor assigned one?  If the answer to any of these questions is no, the confession might be invalid.

Disposition: According to forums.catholic.com where I took a comment and adapted it for this post, this essentially means that the confessor needs to be a priest, and the person confessing must be Catholic.

“Even if there is some question about the validity, remember that Ecclesia supplet (the Church provides): if a priest accidentally forgets some of the words of the ritual or changes them, the Church recognizes the good faith of those gathered and their right to valid sacraments. She provides sacramental validity in the case of a human error or priestly malpractice.”

- Niko

(Adapted from a comment on Forums.Catholic.com)

Not at all!

While we should make a sincere effort to remember everything, absolution is not invalid because we legitimately forgot something. (As the last confession post shows, there’s a difference between genuinely forgetting, and deliberately concealing.)

However, it is our duty to remember it for next time, and confess it then. (Some priests will tell you that’s unnecessary, but that is inconsistent with the teaching of the Church. If we are conscious of a sin we have never confessed, it is our duty to confess it.)

Refraining from admitting a sin in Confession is actually committing another sin. 

I first learned this from Nuns when I was in CCD and I didn’t want to believe them. But when you think about it..who are you going for Confession? You’re confessing to God! If you refrain from admitting a sin you are still trying to hide from God. Does He know your sin? Well yes of course He does. He also knew Adam’s sin, but Adam still hid:

The Lord God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you?

He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked so I hid”.

Genesis 3:9-10

God went looking for Adam even though He knew Adam sinned. It is just for us to go before God and admit we failed so that He can smile at us and say “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more”.

-Javi

Although it is encouraged to go to Confession after any type of sin, being able to receive the Eucharist depends on whether or not the sin was mortal or venial.

If you are in a state of grace (ie: have not committed a mortal sin), then you may receive communion. The Confiteor at the beginning of Mass (like any Act of Contrition) forgives all venial sins, as does receiving the Eucharist Itself. 

If you have committed a mortal sin, then you must not receive Holy Communion until after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. (Receiving the Eucharist while in a state of mortal sin is in itself a mortal sin. It is a grave offence against the Blessed Sacrament.)

1 Corinthians 11:27-29: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgmenton himself.” 

Well, confession can only be done by a priest, but you can give a perfect act of contrition, which means that you can honestly say you are sorry for your sins, not just because you fear hell but because you love God and are sorry for offending him, then that is as effective as confession.

-Niko

Code of Canon Law 844 §4 says:

If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

If you’re a baptised Christian (baptised with water and in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), you may licitly receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation provided it is a grave circumstance (it’s usually the case that death is imminent) and you truly believe in the Sacrament (i.e. you must believe that the priest who is hearing your confession has the authority to forgive sins in persona Christi, and that forgiveness only comes with true guilt and a resolve to sin no more). 

God bless.

-Olivier

Praise God! In order to return to full communion all that’s necessary is to go to Confession. It would help if you scheduled one by calling your local parish priest; that way you wouldn’t be restricted by time restraints. Then, lead a regular sacramental life!

Be holy! Be happy!

- Phillip

Re: “Why is a priest necessary for confession?”

Olivier did a great job of answering, but I wanted to add:

Because Jesus said so! :) He instituted the priesthood and the sacrament of confession. 

Further recommended reading:

Confession is not a private affair in the Bible 
More Scriptural Basis for Confession
Confession 
The Forgiveness of Sins 
The Question of Confession 

- Q