Question: I live in a spanish speaking island (Tenerife). I do not speak spanish and my confessor does not speak english. I hand my confession which has been translated to spanish (Google Translate). We manage to communicate a bit. He gives me council and I understand the penance he gives me. Are my confessions valid?
Answer: I believe they are! The Holy Spirit is present when we confess, and its action goes a long way. I have been into situations like yours. I have confessed without knowing the language - in Poland and in Serbia, for example, where people always confess. Yet, despite the language barrier, I always felt the action of the Holy Spirit. I felt that way even when I was confessing before a French-speaking priest and did not know a word in French. It is always like that as long as you trust your confessor and also understand that you speak to God through him and God delivers you from your sins through your confessor. And so be it. Google can help, as it did in your case. We use these worldly aids and devices, too. We film and transmit images across the world with them, so people can watch us in Tenerife and beyond. Recently, someone wrote to me from Taiwan, “We have just seen you on video!” Amazing!It is nice to use the modern means of communication, as long as it is for a good cause. You are fortunate to have your priest. It is nice that he has so much patience. I imagine that talking through Google is difficult, slow and sometimes awkward, so you are lucky. Your priest deserves great praise for all his work. Still, if you have plans to stay on this Island, consider investing at least some effort into learning Spanish, at least on some basic level. It might help you in your future.
