Examination of Conscience for Adults

-Making an oath in a secret society

This examination of conscience is not intended merely as a checklist to
be used prior to confession. The purpose of this examination is to -Telling a lie or withholding a serious sin in confession -Blasphemy
help souls to know what actions or attitudes are sinful and the gravity of (words of hatred, reproach or defiance toward God; speaking ill of
the particular sin. The hope is that this knowledge will serve to keep God)
people from committing these sins. -Perjury (lying under oath) -
* Three things are necessary for a sin to be mortal: 1. Serious matter Swearing false oaths
(things listed on this sheet); 2. Knowledge or firm belief that the act
is seriously wrong prior to committing the act; 3. Full consent to the 3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
will. -Missing Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation without a
All three of these conditions must be present simultaneously for a sin serious reason
to be mortal. This means that if you did not know the act was seriously -Doing unnecessary work on Sunday for a long period of time, i.e.,
wrong, then you are not guilty of having committed a mortal sin. If you more than several hours
did not will the act, e.g., if you were forced or if it was in a dream, you -Intentional failure to fast or abstain on appointed days -
are not guilty of having committed a mortal sin. Requiring employees to work on Sunday in non-essential
All mortal sins committed since your last confession must be occupations
confessed by both type and number, i.e., the title of the sin and how
many times it was done. If there is a mortal sin from the past that was 4. Honor your father and mother.
forgotten and has not been confessed, it should be confessed at your -Serious failure to care for aged parents
next confession. -Serious neglect of the duties of one's state in life
It is not necessary to confess venial sins, but it is a good and pious -Serious disrespect for or disobedience to parents, superiors or
practice. authorities
-Wishing death or evil on parents -
1. l am the Lord your God, You shall not have strange gods Abuse or serious neglect of children
before me.
-Involvement in occult practices, e.g., witchcraft, Ouija boards, -Failure to baptize children in a reasonable time (within a few
seances, palm reading, tarot cards, hypnotism, divination, astrology, months) after birth
black magic, sorcery, etc. -Serious neglect of the religious education or upbringing of
-Involvement in or adherence to New Age or Eastern children
philosophies, atheism or agnosticism -Failure to carry out the last will of deceased parents
-Apostasy (leaving the Church)
-Adherence to a schismatic group 5. You shall not kill.
-Putting faith in superstition, e.g., horoscopes, good luck charms, etc. -Murder, homicide or manslaughter -
-Joining the masons or other secret society Procurement of an abortion
-Receiving Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin -Promoting, counseling or paying for an abortion -
-Receiving the sacraments of confirmation or Matrimony while in the Knowingly voting for someone who is pro-abortion -
state of mortal sin Willfully injuring or trying to hurt another person -Willfully
-Willful Participation in illicit (non-emergency) "General leading another into serious sin -Driving dangerously or
Absolution" services recklessly -Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
-Being married by a Justice of the Peace or by a minister of -Willfully harboring hatred for another -Taking or selling
another denomination (without dispensation) -Involvement in illegal drugs -Willful drunkenness
false or pagan worship -Willfully denying the Faith of the -Self mutilation -Excessive
Catholic Church -Despair of God's grace or mercy tattoos -Excessive body
-Presumption (committing a mortal sin with the idea that you can just piercing
go to confession) -Piercing of the nipples or sexual organs -
-Hatred of God Sterilization
-Simony (buying or selling spiritual things) -Promotion of or involvement in euthanasia -
-Failure to receive Holy Communion at least once per year (if Serious entertainment of suicidal thoughts -
possible, during the Easter Season) Attempting or intending suicide
-Desecration of the Holy Eucharist -Willful failure to bury the body or ashes of the dead -
Willful engagement in unjust lawsuits -Bigotry (hatred
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. – for persons of other races) -Intentionally placing
Using God's name intentionally as a curse -Seriously wishing evil temptation before the weak
upon another
-Serious slander or insult of a sacred person or object 6. You shall not commit adultery.
-Adultery
-Fornication (intercourse prior to marriage) -
Masturbation or other impure acts with self
 Examination of Conscience for Adults
-Homosexual acts -Serious gossip, detraction (revealing the faults of another without
-using a contraceptive serious reason), or calumny (harming the reputation of another by
-Dressing or acting in a manner intended to cause arousal in falsities)-Violation of a conscience without good reason
another (spouses excepted) -Being an accomplice to another's grave sin
-Kissing or touching another passionately for the purpose of
arousal (Spouses exempted) 9. You shall not desire your neighbor's wife.
-Allowing another to kiss of touch you in a sexual manner -Viewing pornography in books, magazines, movies, the internet, etc.
(spouses exempted) -Reading sexually explicit materials
-Intentionally causing a sexual climax outside of intercourse - -Dwelling on impure thoughts or fantasies for the purpose of
Onanism, i.e. intentional withdrawal and non-vaginal arousal
ejaculation -Willfully lusting after another
-Flagrant immodesty in dress
-Bestiality (sexual acts with animals)
-Oral, anal or other degrading sex practices -
Prostitution 10. You shall not desire your neighbor's goods.
-Rape -Serious and willful greed or avarice
-In-vitro fertilization or artificial insemination - -Intention to steal or destroy the goods of another
Surrogate motherhood
"Selective reduction" of babies in the womb Types of
fertility testing that involve immoral acts -Involvement List of Sins that are ordinarily Venial
in or support of human cloning -OWillfull divorce or ...including those which may be merely imperfections. No distinction is
desertion made on this sheet between venial sins and imperfections because it is
-Incest not always easy to make the distinction. Some things are imperfections
-polygamy or polyandry (Many wives/husbands) - because they are very small, other things are imperfections because
Cohabitation prior to marriage they are dispositions of the soul and not willful actions or failures, still
-Destroying the innocence of another by seducing or introducing others because they are habitual.
them to immorality
1. 1 am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
-Lust in the heart ("If I could I would")
- Failure to pray on a daily basis
-"Swinging" or wife swapping
-not trying to love God with my whole mind,
and strength.
7. You shall not steal. -Trying to control things rather than seek God's
-Stealing a large amount of money or a valuable item will
-Willfully destroying or defacing another's property -Entertaining doubts against the Faith -Failing to
-Stealing something consecrated to God or from a holy place -Buying, seek out or learn the teachings of
selling, receiving or concealing items known to be stolen -Willful failure the church
to make restitution -Indifference or ingratitude to God
-Excessive gambling -Luke warmness in the relationship with God -
-Defrauding workers of their wages Not trying to grow spiritually; being content -
-Serious failure to fulfill work requirements with mediocrity
-Padding expense or per diem accounts -Acedia (spiritual sloth )
-Taking advantage of the poor, simple, inexperienced or the less -Putting other things or people before God, e.g., TV,
fortunate radio, sports, hobbies, etc. -Attachment to human
-Denying help to the poor, needy or destitute when able to help them respect or affection, i.e., caring more about what
easily others think than what God thinks in order to fit in
-Defrauding creditors or be liked -Not trusting God
-Bribery or taking bribes -Failure to fulfill the duties of one's state in life -
-Blackmail Playing Dungeons and Dragons or similar
-Fraud or embezzlement games
-Price fixing -Tempting God -Being angry at God -
-Tax evasion Embarrassment of being Catholic -
-Forgery Failure to defend the Church when
-Excessive waste or expense ridiculed
-Slavery -Failure to support the work of the Church
-Serious cruelty to animals

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

-False witness (not under oath) or perjury (under oath) -
Telling large or premeditated lies
 Examination of Conscience for Adults

Monetarily and/ or with time and ability -Not -Failure to teach children adequately about God and the
taking part in the work of evangelization -Being Spiritual life
willfully distracted at Mass or in prayer -Putting off -Lack of gratitude toward parents -Nagging spouse
confession needlessly -Failing to accept or offer up or children -Treating adult children like minors -
suffering -Refusing or denying the mercy of God - Meddling in the affairs of married children -Too strict
Not trying to practice recollection or the with rules, boundaries and discipline -Breaking just civil
Frequent remembrance of God's presence - laws without serious reason -Being ashamed of or
Failure to pray when tempted -Failure to embarrassed about parents
examine one's conscience daily
-Giving into depression, self pity or self deprecating 5. You shall not kill
thought -Pride, arrogance
-Vanity
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. -using -Stubbornness without good reason
the Lord's name lightly, in surprise or in anger (habitual, not -Rudeness
thinking) -Failure to apologize
-Cursing thoughtlessly -Fighting or arguing over slight matters
-using the names of Mary, a Saint, the Pope or -Anger
-other sacred persons irreverently -Prejudice -Harboring
-using vulgar or inappropriate language a grudge
-Telling bad jokes about sacred persons or object - -Seeking revenge or retaliation -
Speaking badly of the Church Wishing evil upon another -
-Inappropriate or irreverent use of Scripture Impatience
-Selfishness
3. Remember to keep the Lord's Day holy. -Listening to bad music -Excessive
-Doing unnecessary work on Sunday watching of television -Excessive playing
-Failing to keep Sunday as a day for family and of computer games -Excessive use of the
recreation. internet
-Failing to spend extra time on Sunday in prayer -Watching TV or movies that promote sex or violence -
and study of the faith Refusing to forgive another -Intemperance (overeating or
-Allowing sports or other schedules to dictate the the drinking too much) -Driving carelessly
Sunday schedule -Failure to care for one's health -
-Being irreverent in church Smoking or chewing tobacco -
-Not paying attention or participation at Mass - Abusing medications -Sloth
Coming late to Mass or leaving early without a (laziness) -Procastination
serious reason -Failure to respect the dignity of self or others -
-Desecrating the day by sinful amusements, bad Giving scandal to another -Treating another
company, inappropriate entertainment, etc. unjustly
-Failure to take medications if such are necessary -
4. Honor your father and mother. - Doing things willfully to anger others -Violating
Fighting with siblings friendships
-Disobedience to parents or authorities - -Failure to pray for deceased parents or relatives -
Failure to give proper respect to parents or Using the "silent treatment" on others -Failure to
those in authority pray for sinners
-Treating those under one's authority dis-
respectfully 6. You shall not commit adultery.
-Failure to respect the dignity of children - Lack of custody of the eyes (looking inappropriately at others) -
-Speaking badly about parents -Speaking badly Allowing the heart to stray from one's spouse -Dressing somewhat
about children -Speaking badly about one's immodestly -Treating others as objects
spouse -Neglecting duties toward spouse or -Failure to respect persons of the opposite sex -
children -Failing to give to example to one's Seeking wrongful attention from another -
family -Not trying to cultivate peace in the family Selfishness in marital intimacy
-Taking one's spouse for granted -Failure to be open to life without serious reason -
-Making fun of or failing to help the elderly or handicapped -Not Keeping bad company
praying for those entrusted to your care -Failing to pray for those
in authority over you, e.g. Parents, teachers, employers,
government officials, etc.
 Examination of Conscience for Adults
7. You shall not steal. 7. The Penitent makes an act of contrition in these or similar words: 0 my
-Attachments to persons or things -Theft of God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all of my
small or inexpensive items -Willful failure to sins because of Thy just punishments. But, most of all because they
return borrowed items -Wasting time offend Thee my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I
-Failure to pay debts promptly firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, and to avoid the
-Failing to practice charity or to help the poor - near occasions of sin. Amen.
Squandering money on needless things or pursuits -Not 8. The Priest will give you absolution, (The words necessary for
keeping a promise forgiveness are "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.")
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Lying
-Gossiping
-Spreading rumors or tale bearing
-Talking behind another's back
-Being negative, critical or uncharitable in thought regarding
others
-Making rash judgments
-Bing unjustly suspicious
-Failure to seek to restore the good name of another whom you
have injured through speech -Cheating
in games, school work, etc. -Speaking
unkindly to or about others -
Exaggerating the truth -Bragging or
boasting -Flattery
-Complaining, whining or attention seeking

9. you shall not desire your neighbor's goods.

-Telling or listening to impure or vulgar jokes or stories -
Brief entertainment of impure thoughts or fantasies -Not trying
to control the imagination -Curiosity or playing with
temptation -Seeking out or looking at persons or pictures
which are immodest

10. You shall not desire your neighbor's goods..

-Envy (sadness or anger at the good fortune of another) -
Jealousy (desire for the goods of another) -Greed
-Materialism
-Not trusting that God will provide for all material and spiritual needs
-Attachment to riches or material goods

HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION

1. The Priest will begin with the Sign of the Cross.

2. The Penitent begins by saying, "Bless me Father for I have
sinned, it has been _(number of days, weeks, months, etc.) since my
last confession. These are my sins. "
3. Confess all mortal sins committed since your last confession by kind
and number. You may also confess any venial sins.
4. At the end of your confession say these or similar words: "For these
and all the sins of my life I am sorry." 5. The Priest may ask
questions for clarification of give you some counsel on a point from
your confession. 6. The Priest will give you a penance.