Can it be Forgiven?

Can I ask a question about the forgiveness of sins?

Well, it is because I am confused. If absolution forgives all of the sins.

for example:

A student cheats on his class. Feeling sorry for what he has done, he went to confession and gets absolved by his confessor.

Does he still need to confess to the school?
If he did not confess to the school will he be forgiven by absolution only?

God Bless.

Then he’s absolved, period.

The priest in the confessional cannot require a penitent to “turn himself in”, as it were, as a condition of the absolution. If you’re absolved, you’re absolved.

Sure. But… should he also admit to the cheating to the proper authorities? That’s a different question, isn’t it?


Confession acquires God’s forgiveness, but not necessarily the forgiveness of the human who was offended.

So, if I were ride to my mother, my sacramental Confession would not help restore our relations; I would also have to apologize to my mother.

OTOH, imagine I cheated years ago on an exam. If I hadn’t cheated on that exam, I wouldn’t not have gotten into the college I did, I wouldn’t have been able to go to med school, and would not have become a huge saver of lives.

Should I go back and throw all my work into question by confessing that cheating? Maybe not.

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But what does OTOH mean? sorry not updated hehehe

On the other hand.
You could have googled it yourself. :relieved:

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Sorry about that! Anarakyr is correct: on the other hand.

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Your question is an important one that many miss about the nature of sin. Yes when we sin we break our relationship with GOD and also create ripple effects on those around us. When the Priest absolves us he restores the relationship with GOD, remember he does so under the power of Jesus Himself. However the ripples are still there, if we harmed someone that harm is not removed since GOD will not act unjustly by “forgiving” someone else’s pain caused by us.
So we will have to somehow repay that debt sometime in our future of if we are deemed worthy at our death perhaps in purgatory.

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No, he does not need to confess to the school.
The priest cannot make you confess your sin to the school, your parents, your spouse or even the police as a condition of giving you absolution.

The priest may tell the person to perhaps consider telling the school. But the priest cannot say, “You must tell the school or I won’t absolve you.” If the person is repentant and promises to avoid the sin in future, the priest must absolve them.


The priest cannot require you to reveal your sins to another.

As advice from an old person, cheating in school harms you. It robs you of the knowledge that you could have gained in the class, and later in your life or career, you may need that knowledge.
