A person should not stay from confession because he thinks he has no
sin to confess, for the Sacrament of Penance, besides forgiving sin,
gives an increase of sanctifying grace, and of this we have always need,
especially to resist temptation. The Saints, who were almost without
imperfection, went to confession frequently.

Q. 784. Should a person go to Communion after confession even when the
confessor does not bid him go?
A. A person should go to Communion after confession even when the
confessor does not bid him go, because the confessor so intends unless
he positively forbids his penitent to receive Communion. However, one
who has not yet received his first Communion should not go to Communion
after confession, even if the confessor by mistake should bid him go.

Q. 785. {210} Which are the chief qualities of a good Confession?
A. The chief qualities of a good Confession are three: it must be
humble, sincere, and entire.

Q. 786. {211} When is our Confession humble?
A. Our Confession is humble when we accuse ourselves of our sins, with a
deep sense of shame and sorrow for having offended God.

Q. 787. {212} When is our Confession sincere?
A. Our Confession is sincere when we tell our sins honestly and
truthfully, neither exaggerating nor excusing them.

Q. 788. Why is it wrong to accuse ourselves of sins we have not
committed?
A. It is wrong to accuse ourselves of sins we have not committed,
because, by our so doing, the priest cannot know the true state of our
souls, as he must do before giving us absolution.

Q. 789. {213} When is our Confession entire?
A. Our Confession is entire when we tell the number and kinds of our
sins and the circumstances which change their nature.

Q. 790. What do you mean by the "kinds of sin?"
A. By the "kinds of sin," we mean the particular division or class to
which the sins belong; that is, whether they be sins of blasphemy,
disobedience, anger, impurity, dishonesty, &c. We can determine the kind
of sin by discovering the commandment or precept of the Church we have
broken or the virtue against which we have acted.

Q. 791. What do we mean by "circumstances which change the nature of
sins?"
A. By "circumstances which change the nature of sins" we mean anything
that makes it another kind of sin. Thus to steal is a sin, but to steal
from the Church makes our theft sacrilegious. Again, impure actions are
sins, but a person must say whether they were committed alone or with