Is My Confession Valid if the Priest Doesn't Hear My Sins? | Tim Staples

A caller went to confession with a priest who was hard of hearing and when asked if the priest heard his sins, the priest respond, no. What happens when a priest doesn't understand your confession and gives you absolution? Should you go again? Tim Staples answers this question.

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[mementomori]

Good to know. I had a similar experience living in a foreign country. The priest didn't speak English and early in my stay, my speech was still very broken, so I did my best. At the end, I asked him if he understood what I said. He smiled and said, "No, but God did, and that's what's important."

[jonnylawless]

I always figured as long as you unloaded in front of a priest, it didn't matter if they heard you or not. Thanks for the clarification though.

[kevinrhatigan]

I was actually wondering about this today, since I went to Confession this morning and I wasn't sure if the priest understood every word I said. Must be providential.

[jordand]

My wife once had a priest fall asleep on her while they were in the confessional (obviously not face to face), she woke him up by saying “father?”(sort of like, ya there?). He woke up after that and asked if she was done and then absolved her. I was next in line and he stopped his confession time after her because it was disastrous haha.

[angelitafarias]

what is a priest chooses not to listen to the sins because they are " too busy ", and just gives an absolution

[GranMaese]

Many people seem to forget that you are not confessing to the priest himself, but to God, via the priest [who has in return the faculty to concede absolution -or not- in His name].

[JudeMichaelPeterson]

This would fall under a similar situation as confessing to a priest who barely understands your language, if at all. I've had this situation and the hard of hearing situation. It makes for a less than ideal confession, but still valid.

[veenapaul]

When we keep hearing something bad, we tend to be influenced by it. Will not the priests who hear confessions be influenced since they too are humans ?

[mineistruth]

what if the Priest absolved me of my Sins before i could confess my Sins? This Priest could not hear me clearly then absolved me before i could confess...i had every intention of confessing though...

[Missjess-qc]

I went to confession today and the priest gave me a penance but no blessing or absolution. Is my confession valid? This has never happened to me before. I hope you can help me with this. God bless 🙏🏼

[leonardstefanyshyn]

The confession of all liberal modernist priests is under question as they endorse sin.

[lyndavonkanel]

When Deaf people have to confess to a hearing priest they write their sins on paper and show him the paper. In this case it seems the hearing people need to write down their sins for the Hard of Hearing (HOH) priest.

[MrMarcodarko]

Can I not just confess to God rather than go through a priest? I never go to confession but will to God himself. Some people I see at confession everyday....like geez

[eddyrobichaud]

None of this is biblical, a preist doesn't need to hear your sin, God needs to hear your repentance and who ever you sinned against that's all.

[johng.]

Toooo much, The one true church, Really? You basically admitted that the priest has no real purpose, he doesn't even need to hear you. What a Joke! Maybe you should just ask God directly for forgiveness. Better question is - Is catholicism valid?