Act of contrition necessary for validity of confession?

I have a question.....is the act of contrition necessary for the validity of confession?

You have to BE contrite, but saying an official Act of Contrition is not necessary. Sometimes when lines are long, priests ask penitents to say their 'act of contrition' in the pew before reciting their penance. It is not one of my favorite practices, but it does not invalidate a Confession.

MarianLibrarian wrote:You have to BE contrite, but saying an official Act of Contrition is not necessary. Sometimes when lines are long, priests ask penitents to say their 'act of contrition' in the pew before reciting their penance. It is not one of my favorite practices, but it does not invalidate a Confession.

At first I used to not like that, but I kind of like it better than doing it when they are giving absolution, because then you can concentrate on the words of absolution--hearing them.

Confession is really the abused sacrament. I mean of course the Mass is the center of everything but I think confession has suffered the most.
Its hard to find a good confessor and I don't think priests are trained well on how to be a good confessors. Even St. Padre Pio seemed a little too harsh, to me.
I like what one saint said, which one I forgot but it was like this: "Lion in the pulpit and lamb in the confessional."
People have to sense the priest feels compassion for those he absolves. I have gone to some trad. and Neo. Catholic priest that just came off too cold. On the other hand I don't like the "psychologist" priests that feels like he has to convince me I didn't sin or on and on advice.

It seems to be a lost art: To correct and encourage

duckbill wrote:

MarianLibrarian wrote:You have to BE contrite, but saying an official Act of Contrition is not necessary. Sometimes when lines are long, priests ask penitents to say their 'act of contrition' in the pew before reciting their penance. It is not one of my favorite practices, but it does not invalidate a Confession.

At first I used to not like that, but I kind of like it better than doing it when they are giving absolution, because then you can concentrate on the words of absolution--hearing them.

Confession is really the abused sacrament. I mean of course the Mass is the center of everything but I think confession has suffered the most.
Its hard to find a good confessor and I don't think priests are trained well on how to be a good confessors. Even St. Padre Pio seemed a little too harsh, to me.
I like what one saint said, which one I forgot but it was like this: "Lion in the pulpit and lamb in the confessional."
People have to sense the priest feels compassion for those he absolves. I have gone to some trad. and Neo. Catholic priest that just came off too cold. On the other hand I don't like the "psychologist" priests that feels like he has to convince me I didn't sin or on and on advice.

It seems to be a lost art: To correct and encourage

That's interesting. I never go into the confessional other than to hear the words of absolution. Maybe I've never been to a good confessor.

The specific reason I ask is that due to the problem of having been given incorrect forms of absolution in the past by Novus Ordo priests (and being advised by a trusted priest friend to then seek out another priest who lives in another state to give proper absolution) I have gotten into the habit of listening very carefully for the words "I absolve you...." when receiving absolution. The problem is that many priests have you say the act of contrition during the absolution which makes it hard to hear of they are using the proper formula and indeed giving absolution. Therefore occasionally I don't finish saying it for this reason . (Sometimes I say it when I get out of the confessional, but I think a few times I may have forgotten or neglected to do this due to the fact that the confession was during Mass etc.) I know this is a bad habit and I wish to remedy it

Roguejim wrote:

duckbill wrote:

MarianLibrarian wrote:You have to BE contrite, but saying an official Act of Contrition is not necessary. Sometimes when lines are long, priests ask penitents to say their 'act of contrition' in the pew before reciting their penance. It is not one of my favorite practices, but it does not invalidate a Confession.

At first I used to not like that, but I kind of like it better than doing it when they are giving absolution, because then you can concentrate on the words of absolution--hearing them.

Confession is really the abused sacrament. I mean of course the Mass is the center of everything but I think confession has suffered the most.
Its hard to find a good confessor and I don't think priests are trained well on how to be a good confessors. Even St. Padre Pio seemed a little too harsh, to me.
I like what one saint said, which one I forgot but it was like this: "Lion in the pulpit and lamb in the confessional."
People have to sense the priest feels compassion for those he absolves. I have gone to some trad. and Neo. Catholic priest that just came off too cold. On the other hand I don't like the "psychologist" priests that feels like he has to convince me I didn't sin or on and on advice.

It seems to be a lost art: To correct and encourage

That's interesting. I never go into the confessional other than to hear the words of absolution. Maybe I've never been to a good confessor.

well what happens to me with conservative /trad priests is they ask me to make an act of contrition and as I start to say it out loud they start to give me absolution, so yes, I do listen for those words but at the same time I am trying to say the act well too. It is kind of hectic at the most important time. Sorta like being distracted during consecration.

I think it was the practice for the priest to pronounce the words of absolution while the penitent made an act of contrition... the traditional priest here pronounces the words of absolution towards the end of the act of contrition (pretty much when I get to the words "I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace...") he starts with absolution in Latin ("Ego te absolvo...") which he does regardless of whether he's hearing them before an English or Latin Mass. It's never been distracting to me, but I guess it would be a lot harder for the priest to mess with the words of absolution in Latin.