§ II. On the Manner of Making General Confession

General confession can be made in multiple ways; but, generally speaking, it will be more expedient if it is made according to the following rules:

Rule I. Before confession, the confessor ought to strive explicitly to know the state of the penitent and the various circumstances from which he can be directed toward questioning prudently and fruitfully. Hence:

1°. He should examine whether it is to be a question of a necessary confession or not; for if it is necessary, the penitent will have to be heard, questioned, and helped with much greater diligence and care. But if it is not necessary, the penitent ought certainly to be warned that diligence of this sort is not required, indeed that he is free to keep silent about the sins he wishes; nor ought he afterward to be anxious because from forgetfulness he omitted more or fewer things.

2°. He should inquire, prudently however, about the condition of the penitent, about his age, state, occupations and duties, and finally about his family.

3°. He should ask from what time the penitent has confessed? whether he was absolved? whether here and now he is entangled in some depraved custom or depraved affection of soul? whether he has frequently approached the sacraments? whether he confessed piously or sacrilegiously? whether he ever concealed sins; at what time? how long? whether he afterward confessed them or repeated sacrilegious confessions?

These preliminary notions will serve the confessor very much; but he will urge these questions more or less according to the quality of the one confessing and the character of the responses.

Rule II. As to the order of confession: the accusation and questions in the confession itself ought to be made in a certain order, lest all things be mixed together with disturbance of the one confessing and danger of defect of integrity, etc. But the shorter and easier way is if the declaration of sins is made according to the order of the commandments of God, of the Church, and of the special obligations proper to each one's state.

Rule III. As to the manner of confession: if the penitent is sufficiently instructed, the confessor should kindly induce him to set forth his sins according to the aforesaid order, promising that he will help him and, as often as there will be need, will question him, so that all things may be rightly completed.

But if the penitent is uneducated, the confessor should assume almost the whole burden of the confession upon himself, should question in order about all things which penitents of a similar condition are accustomed to commit, and after individual sins should inquire from the penitent whether he knows anything to be added. But before he begins the questions, he should carefully admonish the one confessing that he has nothing to fear for himself as to the difficulty of uncovering sins: "Be quiet and of good courage," he will say; "I will carry out your confession; I certainly know all the sins which you could have committed: I will uncover all these for you; it will be yours only to respond clearly and sincerely to my questions, and to conceive true sorrow for your sins." - Thus Salvatori, Practical Instruction for New Confessors.

First let the penitent say what he knows, unless he prefers to be questioned at once. Before all else the penitent is to be asked whether he is joined in matrimony or not? - Then:

I. Whether there has been no sacrilegious confession? Whether at some time you did not dare to say something? how often? Whether in such a state you received Holy Communion? whether in Paschal time? how often? Whether you culpably did not fulfill the penance?

II. Concerning the theological virtues: Whether at times you elicited an act of Faith, Hope, and Charity? Whether you know the principal mysteries necessary to be known, namely that God exists, and is the rewarder of good and evil; the mysteries of the Most Holy Trinity, of the Incarnation and Death of Jesus Christ? Whether perhaps you denied the faith? Whether you doubted concerning some truth of Religion? or denied it? Whether you spoke against Religion? Whether you read prohibited books? sold them? lent them?

Whether perhaps you despaired? Why? (Let the Confessor inject hope: because the good God, if he had wished to damn you, would not today have ...). Whether you presumed?

Whether from human respect you neglected the precepts of God and of the Church?

Whether you gave scandal, depraved counsels, or examples to your neighbor?

Whether you sought occasions of sinning?

III. Concerning the precepts of God: 1st. Superstition? divination? vain observance? magic? idolatry? the habit of never or scarcely ever praying?

2nd. Oath? vow? blasphemy?

3rd. Working on a Sunday or feast day? Omission of Mass or bad hearing of it?

4th. Toward parents, master, Pastor: disobedience? murmurings? insults? blows? wishing death upon them?

Toward children, servants, or other subjects: education? instruction? care of salvation, proximate occasions of sin? vigilance concerning duties of religion? scandal? anger?

5th. Harms inflicted on neighbor in body or soul? hatred? desires of revenge? imprecation? quarrels? beatings? homicide? duel? abortion? abuse of matrimony? But here and concerning the following precept one must question sparingly, cautiously, chastely.

6th and 9th. Thoughts? morose delectation? desires? what kind? with what kinds of persons? Words? whether you uttered immodest words, jokes, songs ... or listened willingly? whether you read obscene books? - Works? with yourself? by touches? by pollutions? by sight? with others? with unmarried persons? with married persons? with relatives? with those bound by vow? of the same sex? Whether here and now you are still in a proximate occasion? Wives can be asked whether they were obedient to their husbands in all lawful things?

7th and 10th. Harm? theft? fraud? wages due to workers retained, or defrauded, or diminished? Restitution? small thefts?

8th. Pernicious lies? rash judgments? detraction? calumny? (reparation of reputation and of further harm perhaps inflicted).

IV. Concerning the precepts of the Church: Fast? abstinence from flesh on forbidden days? - Confession? Paschal Communion?

V. Concerning the capital sins: Drunkenness? pride? sloth? envy? anger? avarice?

VI. Concerning the duties of state: Husband; wife; master; civil magistrate; advocate; merchant (weight and measure).

N. B. At the end let him ask whether anything else still holds him anxious.