Fr John Bartunek, LC: What Is A General Confession?

General Confession and Scrupulosity

Dear Father John: What is a general confession?  And, under what circumstances should one make a general confession?  Should a scrupulous person make a general confession?

Thank you for your question.  I hope I can shed a little bit of light on the nature of general confession.

What “General Confession” Refers to

Usually, the term “general confession” refers to going to confession and confessing all the sins of one’s past life (or of an extended period, like the past year) instead of just those sins committed since one’s previous confession.  Traditionally, making this kind of confession has been a recommended spiritual practice for moments of major life transition.  For example, young people often make a general confession before professing religious vows or before being ordained to the priesthood.  Some retreat directors will also recommend making a general confession when retreatants participate in serious retreats like the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.   ….