Confession

Confession is the voluntary and sincere disclosure of the sins that have been committed – without shame or hesitation, but with self-censure and contrition – before the person appointed by the Church to forgive sins.

For it to be real and effective, it must be voluntary and sincere, because hasty and insincere confession is pointless, since it’s not a genuine dictate of the heart, an expression of remorse and a manifestation of the desire to be cured.

Confession has to take place without shame and hesitation, but rather with courage and self-condemnation, because courage is an expression of our rejection of sin, whereas shame demonstrates a lack of courage.

» Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis