About ConfessIt

ConfessIt is a Roman Catholic examination of conscience for computers, tablets, and phones. It's designed to be simple and easy to use, and it can help you remember your sins when you go to confession. There's also a confession walkthrough that tells you exactly what the priest will say and how you should respond - a great resource if you haven't been to confession in a while! The examination of conscience is based on fundamental Catholic church teachings, is easy to understand, and is relevant for modern Catholics.

About Confession

Confession is the holy sacrament by which Catholics obtain pardon from God's mercy for their sins, and are thus reconciled with the Church, the community of believers, the Body of Christ.

It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father (Cf. Mk 1:15; Lk 15:18) from whom one has strayed by sin.

It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.

It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man.

It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace" (Ordo paenitantiae 46 formula of absolution).

It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:20). He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother" (Mt 5:24).

Conversion to Christ, the new birth of Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Body and Blood of Christ received as food have made us "holy and without blemish," just as the Church herself, the Bride of Christ, is "holy and without blemish" (Eph 1:4; 5:27). Nevertheless the new life received in Christian initiation has not abolished the frailty and weakness of human nature, nor the inclination to sin that tradition calls concupiscence, which remains in the baptized such that with the help of the grace of Christ they may prove themselves in the struggle of Christian life (Cf. Council of Trent, DS 1545; Lumen Gentium 40). This is the struggle of conversion directed toward holiness and eternal life to which the Lord never ceases to call us.

Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1:15). Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion, but then Christ's call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, "clasping sinners to her bosom, (is) at once holy and always in need of purification, (and) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal" (Lumen Gentium 8). This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a "contrite heart," drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first (Ps 51:17; Jn 6:44; 12:32; 1 Jn 4:10). St. Ambrose says of the two conversions that, in the Church, "there are water and tears: the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance" (epistle 41).

— Catechism of the Catholic Church 1423-1424,1426; cf. 1427-1429

Confession times are listed in your local parish bulletin, and you can find them online at your parish website or at masstimes.org. You can also schedule a confession at any time you'd like by contacting your local parish.

When you go to confession, typically, you will have the choice of kneeling anonymously behind a screen or sitting face-to-face with your confessor.Don't be nervous about going to confession! Whatever you confess, your priest has heard it before. Remember, he is there to help you.

About This App

This app is designed to help Roman Catholics prepare for the sacrament of confession by examining their conscience. It is NOT a substitute for confession.

Please be respectful of those around you when you use this app. I recommend that you turn your phone off when you're inside your church, and use this app before you arrive. If you do use this app inside your church or during confession, please ensure your phone is in silent mode.

This website, ConfessIt.app, is based on the ConfessIt Android App (created in 2012 by the same developer). While it's not (yet) a complete reproduction, it aims to make the app available to a wider range of users on a broader range of devices. (This site works on iOS, Android, tablets, and computers!)

If you find this app useful, please consider sharing it with your friends and family. Tell people about it on Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, at your church, or in your Bible study group to help spread the word!

Privacy

Information you enter into this app is only stored on your device. It is not sent over the internet. We are able to do this using a technology provided by your web browser called local storage. We do not run Google Analytics or any other data collection mechanism on this site. Data you enter will be saved on your device until you hit Clear even if you close the window or refresh the page.

Open Source

ConfessIt is open source. We develop the app on GitHub and we collaborate in the Open Source Catholic community on Slack.

Can I help with translations?

ConfessIt is translated into multiple languages. If you'd like to help with this effort by adding a new translation or improving an existing translation, please read about how to do so on GitHub or get in touch with us on Open Source Catholic Slack.

Can I help write code?

We welcome new contributions. If you'd like to contribute to ConfessIt, the best way to begin is by reading about how to do so on GitHub.

About the Developer

Mike Kasberg develops ConfessIt in his free time, as a way of giving back to the church. He is also involved in a few other small projects to support Catholic organizations with technology.


Bible quotes in this app come from the Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible, Second Catholic Edition. Information from the Catechism of the Catholic Church was also used.