[ebb tide]

If one confesses all the grave sins that one has committed since one’s last putative confession, the faux confession will be covered if one was not aware that it was faux.

I have not heard of that before. Do you have a source?

[Hieronymus]

A very good seminary professor.

One is obliged to confess all the sins that one is aware of since one’s last good confession. Sins that are forgotten by accident (as opposed to deliberately omitted, or not touched upon due to a non-thorough examination of conscience) are covered by the act of contrition—one is sorry for all one’s sins, those mentioned, venial sins and faults not explicitly mentioned, those that one has forgotten, AND THOSE THAT ONE DIDN’T EXAMINE (or mention) BECAUSE ONE THOUGHT THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ABSOLVED.

Sorry for shouting, but that is the key point.

The Sacramental System is well-designed, and many flaws end up not having quite as big of ramifications as one might think.

That said, if I were on the jury and the deacon were turned over to the civil arm and burning at the stake were an option . . . one shouldn’t mess with sacraments.