Guide

Confession Preparation Checklist: Examination of Conscience

Traditional Catholic moral theology · Free printable · For adults

The examination of conscience is not a formality. It is the work of bringing the soul into honest confrontation with God before approaching the tribunal of mercy. The questions below are drawn from traditional moral theology — the Ten Commandments, the precepts of the Church, and the capital sins — not from contemporary pastoral softening.

Take this seriously. Sit with it. A general confession after years of inadequate confessions begins here.

Before you begin: Ask the Holy Spirit for light to see your sins clearly, courage to name them honestly, and sorrow that comes from love of God rather than fear of punishment alone. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

The First Commandment — I am the Lord thy God

Have I doubted or denied any defined doctrine of the Catholic faith?
Have I practiced or been present at non-Catholic worship, séances, fortune-telling, or occult practices?
Have I placed excessive trust in horoscopes, superstitions, or lucky charms?
Have I neglected prayer for extended periods — weeks without speaking to God?
Have I received Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?
Have I made a bad confession — deliberately concealing a mortal sin?
Have I despaired of God's mercy or presumed upon it?
Have I treated my faith as a private preference rather than objective truth?

The Second Commandment — Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

Have I used God's name, Christ's name, or the names of the saints as profanity?
Have I taken oaths falsely or broken solemn promises made to God?
Have I cursed — calling down evil on persons, animals, or things?
Have I blasphemed — speaking irreverently about God, Our Lady, or the saints?

The Third Commandment — Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath

Have I missed Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation without serious cause?
Have I arrived habitually late to Mass or left early without necessity?
Have I been distracted at Mass by phone, conversation, or deliberate inattention?
Have I done unnecessary servile work on Sundays?
Have I caused others to miss Mass through my actions?

The Fourth Commandment — Honor thy father and thy mother

Have I been disrespectful, disobedient, or ungrateful to my parents?
Have I neglected aging parents who need my care?
Have I failed in my duties as a parent — failing to catechize my children, allowing them to miss Mass, ignoring their spiritual formation?
Have I been disobedient to legitimate civil authority in matters that bind in conscience?
Employers: Have I treated workers unjustly — underpaid, overworked, humiliated?
Employees: Have I been lazy, dishonest, or negligent in my work?

The Fifth Commandment — Thou shalt not kill

Have I taken human life — through abortion, euthanasia, or murder?
Have I cooperated formally with abortion — through advice, assistance, or funding?
Have I harbored hatred, resentment, or the desire for revenge against anyone?
Have I physically harmed another person?
Have I abused alcohol or drugs to the harm of my health or others?
Have I endangered my life or the lives of others through recklessness?
Have I given scandal — led others into sin through my words, actions, or example?

The Sixth and Ninth Commandments — Chastity

Have I engaged in sexual relations outside of marriage?
Have I used contraception, deliberately sterilized myself, or pressured a spouse to do so?
Have I viewed pornography?
Have I committed the sin of self-abuse (masturbation)?
Have I engaged in or entertained desires for homosexual acts?
Have I committed adultery — in act or in sustained deliberate desire?
Have I engaged in immodest dress, speech, or behavior that provoked impure thoughts in others?
Have I entertained impure thoughts, deliberately dwelling on them?
Have I consumed or shared sexually immodest material short of explicit pornography?
Married couples: Have I used Natural Family Planning for selfish reasons, avoiding children without serious cause?

The Seventh and Tenth Commandments — Justice and Property

Have I stolen, shoplifted, or taken what is not mine?
Have I defrauded employers, employees, or the government?
Have I failed to make restitution for past thefts or damages?
Have I coveted what belongs to others — land, possessions, relationships?
Have I been excessively attached to wealth, withholding just wages or charitable giving?
Have I gambled in ways that harmed my family's material security?

The Eighth Commandment — Thou shalt not bear false witness

Have I told deliberate lies?
Have I damaged another's reputation through calumny (lies) or detraction (true but unnecessary disclosure)?
Have I gossiped — spoken of others' sins or failures to those with no need to know?
Have I flattered sinfully — praising what deserves condemnation?
Have I violated secrets or confidences entrusted to me?
Have I failed to defend the reputation of an innocent person when I could?

Precepts of the Church

Have I failed to confess at least once a year?
Have I failed to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season?
Have I failed to observe the prescribed fasting and abstinence (Ash Wednesday, Fridays in Lent, Good Friday)?
Have I failed to contribute to the support of the Church according to my means?

The Seven Capital Sins

These are not separate sins but the roots from which all sins grow. Examine which of these dominates your spiritual life.

Pride — Excessive self-esteem, refusal to submit to God or legitimate authority, contempt for others
Covetousness — Disordered love of wealth, withholding what is owed
Lust — Disordered desire for sexual pleasure outside its proper end
Anger — Disordered desire for revenge, habitual irritability, hatred
Gluttony — Excessive eating and drinking; by extension, excessive consumption generally
Envy — Sorrow at another's good; desire that others should fail
Sloth — Negligence about spiritual goods; the refusal of effort in the spiritual life

Act of Contrition (Traditional)

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Notes on Making a Good Confession

Mortal sin requires three conditions: grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent. If all three are present, the sin must be confessed by kind and number (e.g., "I missed Mass three times"). Venial sins should also be confessed but are not strictly required.

Integrity means confessing all mortal sins you remember. Deliberately concealing a mortal sin makes the entire confession invalid and adds the sin of sacrilege.

Firm purpose of amendment does not require certainty that you will never sin again — that is presumption. It requires a genuine will to avoid the sin and its occasions. If you are not willing to give up a proximate occasion of sin, ask the priest for guidance.

After confession: Complete your penance promptly. If you fall again, return. The sacrament is not withheld for frequency of sin but for absence of contrition.

This examination of conscience is drawn from traditional Catholic moral theology. It is intended as an aid to personal reflection, not as a substitute for the guidance of a confessor. For persistent sins or scrupulosity, consult a traditional Catholic priest.