The Confiteor: the "I confess" prayer, with its meaning

The Confiteor is the prayer that begins "I confess to almighty God." Catholics say it together near the start of Mass, and many pray it at night. In a few lines you admit your sins to God and to the people around you, then ask Mary, the angels, the saints and everyone present to pray for you. Here is the full text, what each line means, and how it relates to Confession.

The "I confess to almighty God" prayer

This is the text of the Roman Missal used in English-speaking parishes since Advent 2011:

At "through my fault," everyone strikes their breast. Many people do it once for each of the three phrases. At Mass, the priest then says: "May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life." You answer, "Amen."

What does the Confiteor mean, line by line?

"I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters"

You confess to God first, and then to the people next to you. That second part surprises some people. It's there because sin is never completely private. The Catechism says sin damages, or even breaks, our communion with one another (CCC 1469). So you own it in front of the family you belong to.

"In my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do"

This covers every way we fall short. Thoughts: the resentment you rehearse, the lust you entertain. Words: the lie, the sharp reply, the gossip. Deeds: what you actually did. The last phrase is the one people forget. Sins of omission are the good you could have done and didn't: the call you never made, the help you held back, the prayer you skipped.

"Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault"

No excuses, no blaming anyone else. Striking your breast is an old gesture of sorrow. Jesus describes the tax collector in the Temple doing it as he prays, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13). It isn't meant to be dramatic. It's a small, honest admission: this one is on me.

"Therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me"

The prayer turns at "therefore." Having admitted your sins, you don't stay stuck in them. You ask for help, from heaven and from the people in the pews. And they're asking you for the same thing in the same breath. Every person in the church is praying for every other.

When do Catholics pray the Confiteor?

• At Mass. It's the first option for the Penitential Act, after the greeting. The priest may choose another form instead, such as the "Lord, have mercy" invocations, so you won't hear it every Sunday.
• At Night Prayer. Compline, the last prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, begins with a short examination of conscience. The Confiteor is one of the penitential prayers that can follow it.
• Before Confession. At a parish penance service, everyone often prays it together before going to individual confession. You can also pray it quietly in the pew while you wait your turn.
• On your own. It works well at the end of an evening examen, right before you go to sleep.

Does the Confiteor forgive sins?

It's a real prayer for mercy, and God hears it. But the Penitential Act at Mass is not the sacrament of Confession. The Church's own instructions for Mass say the priest's closing words lack the power of the Sacrament of Penance (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 51).

Everyday venial sins can be forgiven in many ways outside the confessional, through sorrow, prayer and acts of love. The Eucharist itself wipes away venial sins (CCC 1394). Mortal sins are different. They need to be confessed to a priest (CCC 1456), and someone aware of a mortal sin should go to Confession before receiving Communion (CCC 1457). The Confiteor is a good way to start. It doesn't replace the confessional.

The Latin Confiteor

In the current Latin Missal, the prayer reads:

"Mea culpa" means "through my fault." The older form, prayed at the Traditional Latin Mass, is longer. It also names St. Michael the Archangel, St. John the Baptist and Sts. Peter and Paul, and it doesn't mention omission. If you remember an English version without the triple "through my fault," that's the translation used from the 1970s until 2011. The 2011 translation brought the three phrases back, closer to the Latin.

Is the Confiteor the same as the Act of Contrition?

No. The Confiteor is a confession: it admits sin and asks others to pray for you. The Act of Contrition expresses sorrow and a firm intention to change, and it's the prayer you say in the confessional before absolution. They fit together well. Pray the Confiteor in the pew, make an honest examination of conscience, then go in. If you're not sure what happens once you're inside, here is how to go to Confession, step by step.