Sacraments of Healing — A Complete, Printable Guide

How to Make a Good Confession

Everything you need to prepare for the Sacrament of Penance in one place: what mortal and venial sin actually are, a full examination of conscience organized by the Ten Commandments, the capital sins, what happens step by step in the confessional, and every prayer you'll need. Check off what applies to you, then print it or save it as a PDF to bring along.

Examination of Conscience & Guide to Confession

Catholic Academy — Veritatis et Fidei

Prepared by: Date:

What is Confession?

Confession — also called Penance, Reconciliation, or "going to confession" — is one of the two Sacraments of Healing (alongside the Anointing of the Sick). In it, a baptized Catholic confesses sins committed after Baptism to a priest, who absolves them in the person of Christ, restoring the sinner to full communion with God and the Church.

The sacrament's power comes directly from Christ. On the evening of His Resurrection, He breathed on the apostles and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, and if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22–23). The priest does not forgive sins by his own authority — he acts in persona Christi, as an instrument of Christ's own mercy, exercising the "ministry of reconciliation" St. Paul describes (2 Corinthians 5:18).

The seal of confession

Everything said in confession is protected by the absolute seal of confidentiality. A priest may never reveal anything he learns in confession, for any reason, to anyone — not to protect his own life, not under subpoena, not even to the Pope. Violating the seal carries automatic excommunication. You can say anything in that room.

Mortal sin vs. venial sin

Not all sin is equal. The Catechism distinguishes two kinds, and the difference matters a great deal for how you examine your conscience and what you must confess.

Three conditions for mortal sin

A sin is mortal — meaning it destroys charity in the soul and severs one's communion with God — only when all three of these are true together (CCC 1857):

1. Grave matter	The act itself is seriously wrong — the kind of thing specified by the Ten Commandments (murder, adultery, theft, and so on).
2. Full knowledge	The person clearly understood, at the time, that the act was seriously wrong.
3. Deliberate consent	The person freely chose to do it anyway — not under grave fear, compulsion, or diminished capacity.

If even one condition is missing — the matter is minor, or the person didn't fully realize the gravity, or didn't fully consent — the sin is venial, not mortal, even if the act looks serious from the outside. Only God judges the soul with certainty; our own job is to be honest, not to become an amateur judge of our own culpability.

Venial sin is any sin that falls short of those three conditions — a lesser matter, or a grave matter done without full knowledge or full consent. Venial sin wounds and weakens charity without destroying it; it doesn't cut off sanctifying grace, but left unchecked it disposes a person toward more serious sin (CCC 1863).

Why the distinction matters practically: a Catholic conscious of unconfessed mortal sin should not receive Holy Communion, and should seek confession as soon as reasonably possible (Canon 916); the Church's minimum requirement — the "Easter Duty" — is to confess mortal sin at least once a year. Venial sins do not bar someone from Communion, but confessing them regularly is one of the great ordinary ways Catholics grow in holiness (CCC 1458).

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8–9

Preparing well

How to examine your conscience

A good confession begins before you ever enter the confessional. Set aside quiet time and:

Pray first. Ask the Holy Spirit for the honesty to see yourself as God sees you — neither excusing yourself nor despairing over yourself.
Recall the time since your last confession and go through it deliberately, rather than trying to remember everything all at once.
Use a mirror for your conscience — the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the two Great Commandments, or the checklist below — rather than relying only on whatever comes to mind.
Name sins concretely. "I was unkind" is a start; "I mocked my sister in front of her friends" is a confession.
Note the approximate number for any serious (mortal) sin, as best you can recall — this is part of confessing it completely.
Don't stop at actions. Also consider sins of omission — good you failed to do — and the habits and attachments underneath your actions.

How often should I go?

The Church's binding minimum is once a year, and always before Communion if you're aware of mortal sin. But most saints and confessors recommend far more — monthly confession is a common, healthy rhythm even for those not conscious of grave sin, since it is one of the ordinary ways grace is given to fight venial sin and grow in virtue.

The roots beneath the branches

The seven capital sins

Traditional spiritual teaching, going back to the Desert Fathers and refined by St. Gregory the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas, names seven "capital" (from the Latin caput, "head") sins — not because each is always mortal, but because each is a root from which many other sins grow. Naming which of these tends to dominate you is often more useful in confession than listing individual acts alone.

Capital sin	What it looks like	Opposing virtue
Pride	Excessive love of one's own excellence; refusing correction; wanting credit and control	Humility
Greed (Avarice)	Disordered desire for money or possessions; hoarding; stinginess	Generosity
Envy	Sadness at another's good, or joy at another's misfortune	Kindness / Brotherly love
Wrath (Anger)	Uncontrolled anger; desire for revenge; harboring resentment	Patience / Meekness
Lust	Disordered desire for sexual pleasure apart from its proper place in marriage	Chastity
Gluttony	Excessive or disordered desire for food, drink, or comfort	Temperance
Sloth (Acedia)	Spiritual laziness; neglect of prayer and duty; despondency about growing in holiness	Diligence / Zeal

Scripture's own warnings

Sins that cry to heaven for vengeance

The Catechism (CCC 1867) recalls four sins the Bible describes as crying out to God directly:

Willful murder — "the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10)
The sin of the Sodomites — grave sexual sin and abuse of the vulnerable (Genesis 18:20; 19:13)
Oppression of the poor, the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan (Exodus 3:7–10; 22:20–22)
Defrauding a worker of a just wage — "the wages of the laborers... which you kept back by fraud, cry out" (James 5:4; Deuteronomy 24:14–15)

Refusing the very help that forgives

The six sins against the Holy Spirit

Traditional catechesis (following St. Thomas Aquinas) names six ways a person can obstinately refuse God's mercy itself — not sins God cannot forgive, but a stance that refuses the forgiveness offered:

Despair of one's own salvation
Presumption on God's mercy without conversion
Resisting the known truth
Envy of another's spiritual good or grace
Obstinacy in sin
Final impenitence — refusing to repent, even at the end of life

The necessary minimum

The precepts of the Church

Alongside the Ten Commandments, the Church names five specific precepts meant to guarantee the bare minimum of prayer, sacramental life, and moral effort every Catholic owes God and the Church (CCC 2041–2043).

1	Attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, and rest from unnecessary work.
2	Confess your sins at least once a year (more often if conscious of mortal sin).
3	Receive Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.
4	Observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
5	Help provide for the material needs of the Church, according to one's ability.

Walking through it

Step by step: what happens in the confessional

Confession follows a simple, unchanging shape. Most parishes offer both a screened, anonymous option and face-to-face confession — either is fully valid; choose whichever helps you be most honest.

Enter and make the Sign of the Cross

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The priest will greet you, and may read a short verse of Scripture.

Open with the traditional formula

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [amount of time] since my last confession." If it's been years, or this is your first confession, just say so — the priest will gently walk you through it.

Confess your sins

State your sins honestly and specifically. Mortal sins should be named by kind and approximate number; venial sins don't require that precision, but naming a few is a good and common practice. Close with: "For these and all the sins of my past life, I am truly sorry."

Listen and receive a penance

The priest may offer brief counsel or ask a clarifying question, then assign a penance — usually a prayer or a small act of charity — meant to begin repairing the harm sin has done.

Pray an Act of Contrition

Express sorrow for your sins aloud, using any of the forms below (or your own words, as long as they express true sorrow and a resolve to amend your life).

Receive absolution

The priest extends his hand over you and prays the prayer of absolution, concluding: "...I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." You respond, "Amen."

The dismissal

Priest: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good." You: "His mercy endures forever." Priest: "The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace." Go and do your penance promptly, and rejoice — your sins are truly, completely gone.

Words to carry with you

Prayers for confession

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Confiteor

I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Act of Contrition — Traditional

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

Act of Contrition — Contemporary

O my God, I am sorry and repent with all my heart for all the wrong I have done and for the good I have failed to do, because by sinning I have offended you, who are all good and worthy to be loved above all things. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid the occasions of sin. Through the merits of the Passion of our Savior Jesus Christ, Lord, have mercy.

A Simple Act of Contrition

Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Any of the forms above is fully valid — even this one-line prayer of the tax collector (Luke 18:13), prayed with real sorrow, is enough.

The prayer of absolution (said by the priest)

God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Act of Contrition texts: Order of Penance, nos. 45 and 92, as given by the USCCB.

Common questions

Tips for a good confession & FAQ

QWhat if I forget a sin?+

Nothing to worry about — the confession is still valid and complete. If a forgotten sin was serious and later comes to mind, simply mention it the next time you go.

QDo I have to confess venial sins?+

No — only mortal sins must be confessed, in kind and approximate number, for a confession to be complete. But confessing venial sins too is strongly encouraged (CCC 1458); it's one of the Church's ordinary ways of growing in holiness.

QIt's been years (or this is my first confession) — what do I do?+

Just say so: "It has been [however long] since my last confession, and I could use some help." Priests are genuinely glad to see someone return, not shocked or annoyed — this is one of the most common things they hear.

QScreen or face-to-face — which should I choose?+

Both are equally valid forms of the same sacrament. Choose whichever helps you be completely honest — many people find the anonymity of the screen easier, especially for something difficult to say out loud to a face they know.

QIs anything I say ever repeated to anyone?+

No, never, under any circumstance — this is the absolute seal of confession, described above. You can trust the room completely.

QWhat if the priest asks me to come back another time?+

This is rare, and never a punishment — it happens only if genuine sorrow or a real intention to change seems to be missing. It's pastoral care, aimed at helping you make a good confession, not turning you away.

QI'm nervous. Is that normal?+

Completely normal, even for people who go regularly. Remember that you are talking to Christ through the priest, who wants to give you mercy, not judgment — and that every priest sitting in that chair has walked into one himself.

A word of Scripture

"I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.'... But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:18, 20

Sources & further reading

Go deeper

This guide is offered for catechetical and devotional use. It doesn't replace the pastoral guidance of your own priest or pastor — if anything here raises a question specific to your situation, ask him directly.