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Hi Sue,
Thanks for the question.
If the priest said during the Confession, "I absolved you" of your sins (which he probably did), yes, your sins are absolved and your soul is in a state of grace. If the Confessor cut you off and said, "It was OK." don't sweat it, he's culpable, not you. : )
If you have just returned to the Church, we welcome you with open arms.
It's important to try to find a ministry within your local Catholic parish where you feel called to serve.
When one goes to Confession, it is extremely important that you tell the Confessor everything without holding anything back, or lying to him. Lying to the priest in Confession makes the sacrament invalid.
In this answer, at the end, I asked the following question:
- If an American soldier is brought down by a terrorist in Pakistan resulting in 5 deadly pieces of shrapnel in the soldier, if the doctor removes one piece, will he still live?
Of course he won't. For the same reason the soldier won't be fully healed, the penitent in Confession won't be fully healed if you don't tell the Confessor all the sins you have committed. Embarrassing? Yes, but the seal of Confession ensures that whatever you say in Confession remains in the Confessional, plus I guarantee you, the Confessor has heard it all before. : )
Finally, the term "General Confession" is a phrase that can be very confusing to the ordinary Catholic parishioner in the pew.
This web posting should help you understand the term better.
I hope this helps,
Mike
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