The Confiteor (“I confess”) is the Church’s general prayer of confession of sin. Catholics pray it at the beginning of Mass, in night prayer and before confession, striking the breast at the words “through my fault.” It confesses our sins not only to God but before the saints and our brothers and sisters, and asks them to pray for us.
Below is the traditional English Confiteor from the Baltimore Catechism, the Latin text, the form used at Mass today, and the meaning of each part.
The Confiteor (traditional English)
This is the form printed in the Baltimore Catechism and prayed by generations of Catholics:
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary, ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
May the Almighty God have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.
May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen.
The Confiteor in Latin
The Latin form said by the faithful in the traditional Mass (1962 Missal), addressed to the priest (“et tibi, pater”):
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Ioanni Baptistæ, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et tibi, pater: quia peccaui nimis cogitatione, uerbo et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Ioannem Baptistam, sanctos Apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes Sanctos, et te, pater, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.
The Confiteor at Mass today
In the Mass of Paul VI the Confiteor is one of the forms of the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass. It is shorter than the traditional form: it confesses sin to God and to “my brothers and sisters,” keeps the threefold “through my fault,” and asks the Blessed Virgin, the angels and saints, and the whole assembly to pray for us. The priest then prays for God’s mercy on all. The full current text is in the Roman Missal and in any missalette.
What the Confiteor means
- “I confess to almighty God…” Sin is first an offense against God, so we confess to him.
- “…to blessed Mary… to all the Saints” (traditional form), or “and to you, my brothers and sisters” (current form). Sin also wounds the Church; we confess before the whole communion of saints.
- “…that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed” (the current form adds sins of omission): sin includes thoughts, words, actions and failures to do good.
- “Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa). We take personal responsibility, without excuses, and strike the breast three times as a sign of sorrow, like the tax collector in the Temple (Luke 18:13).
- “Therefore I beseech…” We ask Mary, the angels, the saints and one another to pray for us.
The Confiteor does not itself forgive mortal sins; that is the work of the sacrament of Penance. But it expresses sorrow and, with the priest’s prayer, obtains forgiveness of venial sins for those who pray it sincerely.
When to pray the Confiteor
- At Mass, in the Penitential Act.
- In night prayer, after the examination of conscience. See Catholic night prayers.
- Before confession, to prepare the heart. See how to go to confession.
- Before Holy Communion outside Mass and in the rite for the sick.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Catholics strike their breast during the Confiteor?
As a sign of repentance, following the tax collector in Jesus’ parable, who “struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
What does “mea culpa” mean?
“Through my fault.” The phrase has entered everyday English as an admission of guilt.
Is the Confiteor the same as the Act of Contrition?
No. The Confiteor confesses sin before God and the Church and asks for prayers; the Act of Contrition expresses sorrow for sin and a firm resolution to amend, especially in confession.
Why are St. Michael and St. John the Baptist named in the traditional Confiteor?
St. Michael is the leader of the heavenly host who defends us; St. John the Baptist preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. With Sts. Peter and Paul and all the saints, they represent the whole Church in heaven praying for us.
More prayers
- The Penitential Act
- Catholic prayer for forgiveness
- The Act of Contrition
- How to go to confession
- The Gloria
- Catholic prayers in Latin
- Examination of conscience (Catholic)
Texts and sources
- Traditional English: A Catechism of Christian Doctrine No. 3 (Baltimore Catechism, ed. Kinkead, 1891), Prayers, public domain (Project Gutenberg).
- Latin: Latin Wikisource, “Confiteor (1962),” text of the Roman Missal of 1962.
- Current form: Roman Missal, third typical edition, Order of Mass, Penitential Act (described, not reproduced).
- Scripture: Luke 18:13, Douay-Rheims Bible.