The question:

After being away from the church for 8 years, I went to confession a couple of months back. I did a full examination of my conscience, was truly sorry for my sins, sincerely confessed them all, and did my assigned penance. Since I was away for so long and I was 8 months pregnant at the time of my confession, I was really emotional/scared about the whole thing. I mentioned to the priest early on that I recently suffered 2 miscarriages which is true. But now looking back I had no real reason to mention it, other than hoping that by having this information the priest might go a little easier on me. Did I invalidate my confession by giving the priest unnecessary background information with the hopes of gaining his sympathy?

 Response from: Fr. Jim

Thanks for your question. It is always wonderful to hear when someone returns to confession after a lengthy absence. God loves all of us and always welcomes us back and continues to offer us His forgiveness through the sacrament of confession. I am truly sorry to hear of your loss of two children through miscarriages. May our Lord offer you continued comfort and healing. Informing the priest that you had miscarriages in no way invalidates your confession, since it would have been a continued worry for you throughout your pregnancy. I do pray that your child is healthy and that you will continue to come to confession and the Church throughout your life. God Bless you!