Invalid Confession?

[TLM424]

I understand that lying during confession invalidates the confession. However, what about if during confession the priest asks if you committed a certain type of sin in the past that is totally out of the blue and unrelated to any of the sins you are currently confessing? What if you answer no but actually had done that sin in the past, previously confessed it to another priest, and we're absolved of the sin? Would this type of "lying" during confession invalidate the current confession? This happened to my husband and the priest's question truly came out of the blue and was completely unrelated to all of the other sins that my husband was confessing. My husband was thrown off because it was for a sin he is especially remorseful for and wasn't expecting the priest to ask about it out of nowhere. And again, he already confessed that sin in the past to another priest and was absolved of the sin. My husband is worried that his current confession was invalid since he "lied" during confession.

[Non Nobis]

Maybe you (I know this isn't about you personally) should tell the priest the total truth about what happened next time, and let him give advice about it.  Probably if you didn't think you were lying at the time it wouldn't invalidate the confession. There's no point to worrying; just go to confession again when you can.

But (to get to the point) my opinion (I'm no priest or theologian) is that this kind of direct untruth would objectively be lying; but sin (for which you are punished) also requires you (the subject) to understand what you are doing.

Perhaps the next time you're asked the same kind of question you could tell the priest that you've repented and been absolved for all the sins that you can remember, without directly mentioning this particular type of sin. The priest might then know that you committed the sin, but at least might not ask further about it.   .

A further thought. We probably shouldn't be embarrassed to have a priest in confession know about any of our sins,  present or past. Confession requires some humility and confidence on our part, and being aware that confession is ABOUT sins, not hiding them.

[Stubborn]

I understand that lying during confession invalidates the confession. However, what about if during confession the priest asks if you committed a certain type of sin in the past that is totally out of the blue and unrelated to any of the sins you are currently confessing? What if you answer no but actually had done that sin in the past, previously confessed it to another priest, and we're absolved of the sin? Would this type of "lying" during confession invalidate the current confession? This happened to my husband and the priest's question truly came out of the blue and was completely unrelated to all of the other sins that my husband was confessing. My husband was thrown off because it was for a sin he is especially remorseful for and wasn't expecting the priest to ask about it out of nowhere. And again, he already confessed that sin in the past to another priest and was absolved of the sin. My husband is worried that his current confession was invalid since he "lied" during confession.

Very good question.

Though the question asked was by a different priest, that does not matter one iota, the reason for this is because every time we enter the confessional, it is at that moment that we should convince ourselves that it is Christ Himself sitting on the other side of that wall, so that when we speak, we are confessing our sins and speaking directly to Christ Himself, not to a priest. 

I think this should hopefully answer your husband's question.

 

[Miriam_M]

Though the question asked was by a different priest, that does not matter one iota, the reason for this is because every time we enter the confessional, it is at that moment that we should convince ourselves that it is Christ Himself sitting on the other side of that wall, so that when we speak, we are confessing our sins and speaking directly to Christ Himself, not to a priest. 

Elaborating on Stubborn's reply:

Confession is only partly a technical, jurisdictional event.  Mostly, it is a sacrament in the fullest sense, and in that fullest sense, if we want to benefit from any sacrament, we open our hearts and minds entirely to it, not holding back.  The floodgates of grace open inasmuch as we allow those to, regardless of surprises.  Unless a question is truly inappropriate (not concerned with the state of our souls or the history of that soul but something private/personal that is not matter for confession), then we should answer the priest's questions fully, spontaneously, honestly.

Or, to put it in a different light, if the priest asks us a legitimate spiritual question -- which is information he has a right to --  then we are bound to provide the truth.  We have no permission to lie or hedge on the truth by proudly assuming that he doesn't know what he's doing but rather we, the penitent, know the kinds of questions he should and should not be asking.  So if we lie because we're overthinking what his job is (what his supposed restrictions are in asking questions), then we have committed at least a venial sin, which would not invalidate that confession but would diminish the graces that were available during that confession.

Anything spiritually related might be matter for the priest to know.  For example, a while back, when returning from an absence from the sacraments, I of course disclosed that to the confessor, and he asked me a bunch of questions about my past that were not "strictly" related to that confession.  However, they were very important background information both for me and for him.  His probing about that proximate past (sins that were not immediate to that confession) helped me deepen my subsequent confessions, and he had every right to ask them.

If you need more information I can share that in a PM, but I have to leave now.

Never withhold answers about one's spiritual past from a confessor. If I were truly troubled by a particular question -- thought it was too intrusive or off-topic -- I would simply say, "Father, would you tell me, please, why you ask me that question."  And if the answer was sufficient, I would humbly tell him the truth.

[Xavier]

We are to just open our hearts in the confessional as we would to Christ Himself, as others have said. Hold nothing back but freely disclose everything; remember for the simple duty of confessing, we are pardoned from all mortal sins and delivered from hell itself by the Sacrament. Not once but again and again. What a great benefit that is! Imagine if we were indebted to someone a trillion dollars because of our mistakes, and they just chose to freely remit that for such a simple act. So imho to always disclose any sins the Priest asks about is best practice. And for our consolation, we can remember that the Priest is always strictly bound by the Seal of Confession and will never disclose it to anyone. Your sins are for Christ's ears alone; the more we confess frequently, the more grace we will have to overcome sin. And then we will be able not to commit mortal sin again. In every confession, we should hate and detest all our previous sins to a greater and greater degree. In this way, we will grow in grace and become more secure in preserving it for longer and longer periods. Finally, we will receive the grace of perseverance and of never committing mortal sin again through frequenting this Sacrament.

God bless.

[St.Justin]

There are Priest with the Gift of reading souls..

But I am not sure how the OP affects 1. confess your sins. 2. Receive absolution 3. penance

[TLM424]

Thank you so much everyone!