Q. 783.  Should a person stay from confession because he thinks he has no sin to confess?  A. A person should not stay from confession because he thinks he has no sin to confess, for the Sacrament of Penance, besides forgiving sin, gives an increase of sanctifying grace, and of this we have always need, especially to resist temptation.  The Saints, who were almost without imperfection, went to confession frequently.

Q. 784.  Should a person go to Communion after confession even when the confessor does not bid him go?  A. A person should go to Communion after confession even when the confessor does not bid him go, because the confessor so intends unless he positively forbids his penitent to receive Communion.  However, one who has not yet received his first Communion should not go to Communion after confession, even if the confessor by mistake should bid him go.

Q. 785. {210} Which are the chief qualities of a good Confession?  A. The chief qualities of a good Confession are three:  it must be humble, sincere, and entire.

Q. 786. {211} When is our Confession humble?  A. Our Confession is humble when we accuse ourselves of our sins, with a deep sense of shame and sorrow for having offended God.

Q. 787. {212} When is our Confession sincere?  A. Our Confession is sincere when we tell our sins honestly and truthfully, neither exaggerating nor excusing them.

Q. 788.  Why is it wrong to accuse ourselves of sins we have not committed?  A. It is wrong to accuse ourselves of sins we have not committed, because, by our so doing, the priest cannot know the true state of our souls, as he must do before giving us absolution.

Q. 789. {213} When is our Confession entire?  A. Our Confession is entire when we tell the number and kinds of our sins and the circumstances which change their nature.

Q. 790.  What do you mean by the “kinds of sin?” A. By the “kinds of sin,” we mean the particular division or class to which the sins belong; that is, whether they be sins of blasphemy, disobedience, anger, impurity, dishonesty, &c.  We can determine the kind of sin by discovering the commandment or precept of the Church we have broken or the virtue against which we have acted.

Q. 791.  What do we mean by “circumstances which change the nature of sins?” A. By “circumstances which change the nature of sins” we mean anything that makes it another kind of sin.  Thus to steal is a sin, but to steal from the Church makes our theft sacrilegious.  Again, impure actions are sins, but a person must say whether they were committed alone or with others, with relatives or strangers, with persons married or single, &c., because these circumstances change them from one kind of impurity to another.

Q. 792. {214} What should we do if we cannot remember the number of our sins?  A. If we cannot remember the number of our sins, we should tell the number as nearly as possible, and say how often we may have sinned in a day, a week, or a month, and how long the habit or practice has lasted.