Step1
Background. The confession of and penance for sins in the modern Church can be traced back to the expiatory sacrifices offered by Jews in Old Testament times. Confession of sins was part of the Church from early days, but individual, private confession was started in the Middle Ages in Ireland. The confessional box, where a penitent speaks to a priest through a screen, was introduced in the 16th century by St. Charles Borromeo. Nowadays confession can take place in a traditional confessional box, or in a private room, face to face with a priest. There are also communal prayers and ceremonies of confession for an entire congregation but they should not be considered as substitutes for the private confession of individual sins.
It is recommended that Catholics confess at least once a month. “Cradle Catholics” usually make their First Confession right before their First Communion.
Step2
Renamed. The Sacrament of Confession and Penance is now referred to as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as the focus now is less on punishment and more on getting the sinner right with God and man.
Step3
Sin. The Catholic Church divides sin into two categories—mortal and venial. Someone who has committed a mortal sin of which he is aware and for which he has not confessed nor received absolution, will go to hell when he dies. Also, this person with an unconfessed, unabsolved mortal sin is forbidden to receive the Eucharist, which is the central act of Catholic life. Confession and Penance wipe the sinner's slate clean again.
Step4
Examination of Conscience. Prior to confessing, the penitent engages in an “examination of conscience,” that is, he searches his mind to try to remember all of the sins he has committed and not yet confessed. For him to do this properly he must have had an adequate “formation of conscience”--instruction in the Church's standards of right and wrong.
Many authorities recommend that penitents use the Ten Commandments as a guideline for determining and remembering their sins. For example, the Sixth Commandment, the prohibition of adultery, can be seen to forbid not only adultery but also fornication, masturbation, bestiality, homosexual acts, prostitution, rape, artificial insemination, incest, transvestitism, human cloning, and cohabitation, among other activities. Needless to say, anyone who engages in a thorough examination of conscience will almost certainly come up with a sizable list of sins.
It is required to confess all mortal sins in the confessional, and it is recommended that you confess as many venial sins a possible. If you lie to the priest and willingly withhold mention of a mortal sin, you make a “bad confession,” which is itself a mortal sin. And if you partake in the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin, that also is a mortal sin. If on the other hand you forget to mention a mortal sin, that gets covered in your final confessional prayer, though if you remember that sin later you should mention it the next time you go to confess.
Step5
The Procedure. When you enter the confessional, you kneel, cross yourself, and say, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It's been [however many days/months] since my last confession.” Then you list all the sins you've committed. The priest may interrupt you and ask you to explain certain points or he might offer advice. When you finish listing your sins, you offer a prayer asking forgiveness for these sins and any you may have forgotten. The priest might read from the Scriptures or offer further advice. Then he will give you your penance, which might be a certain number of prayers you are to pray, some good work to do, or points to think over. Then he will pronounce absolution over you as you cross yourself, and tell you to go in peace. Most penitents then go into the church sanctuary to pray, especially if they have been given prayers as penance.
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