3 questions regarding Confession

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I’m a brand new Catholic, and admit I still have a lot to learn. I was asked 2 questions by a Protestant that I honestly didn’t know the answers to. The 3rd question is my own. Hope you all can help me.

First question- My friend states that in Revelations it is said that we will have a chance to stand before judgment in front of Jesus after we die, and will have a chance to confess sins we are sorry for to Him at that time. Is this true?

Second question- I learned in RCIA that if we die with unconfessed mortal sins, we go to Hell. What happens if it is our intention to go to Confession but it’s a Monday and we don’t have confession until Saturday. Will we be saved because our intention was to go to Confession?

Third question- I forgot to mention a mortal sin at my last Confession, and took Communion on Sunday. On Monday I remembered the sin I committed. Does this mean that I took Communion in a state of sin, or was I in a state of grace because I sincerely forgot, and I just need to mention it at my next Confession?
 
DoxieMama said:
First question- My friend states that in Revelations it is said that we will have a chance to stand before judgment in front of Jesus after we die, and will have a chance to confess sins we are sorry for to Him at that time. Is this true?
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I am not sure what your friend is referring to. Which is not to say that it is not there, because my knowledge of scripture is very far from perfect. Revelation 20:11-15 also says this, however:
The Judgment of the Dead
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11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
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DoxieMama said:
Second question- I learned in RCIA that if we die with unconfessed mortal sins, we go to Hell. What happens if it is our intention to go to Confession but it’s a Monday and we don’t have confession until Saturday. Will we be saved because our intention was to go to Confession?
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Possibly.
Contrition
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1451 Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again."50
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1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.51
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1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52
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Perfect contrition along with the intention to go to confession as soon as possible remits mortal sin. So if one is perfectly contrite and dies while intending to go to confession, they will not go to hell.

In one sense it is possible to go to confession during the week even if one’s parish only has confessions scheduled on the weekend, since one can contact the parish’s priest to schedule a time for private confession. I would say that doing so is not necessary to have perfect contrition, however. (It’s also “possible” to go banging on the priest’s door in the middle of the night. So “as soon as possible” is based on what is reasonable–and if a parish offers weekly confession, intending to go as soon as one’s parish offers it seems to reflect a genuine intention to confess “as soon as possible.”)
DoxieMama said:
Third question- I forgot to mention a mortal sin at my last Confession, and took Communion on Sunday. On Monday I remembered the sin I committed. Does this mean that I took Communion in a state of sin, or was I in a state of grace because I sincerely forgot, and I just need to mention it at my next Confession?
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The sin was forgiven because you sincerely forgot to bring it up and would have brought it up if you remembered. You did not receive communion in a state of mortal sin. You may mention the sin next time you make a confession, but you don’t have to.
 
Catholics believe when we die we either go to heaven hell or purgatory.

Most Protestants say we are judged and either go to heaven or hell

Purgatory is kind of a longer time if being judged , Protestants point to Corinthians etc using the word “day” (I don’t bother with remembering particular lines of scripture for debating as I simply accept what the Catholic Church says which is a process of purgatory is required).

Anyway as always their logic is always flawed , a day is a period of time so judgment “day” could last more than 24 hours.

I am no expert so I’ll leave to one that is but would like to know if this makes sense and if I am the right track to argue this myself.

Ps had Jehovah Witnesses on my doorstep last week and they use all these experts to prepare answers to anything that is at odds with their religion, they say for instance purgatory is not mentioned in the bible , which is a bit like baptists Sola Scripts ie if the term does t exist then it doesn’t exist, but I don’t see any problem with calling purgatory zurgatory or anything else it is only a term defining a process that DOES EXIST in the bible.
 
DoxieMama said:
First question- My friend states that in Revelations it is said that we will have a chance to stand before judgment in front of Jesus after we die, and will have a chance to confess sins we are sorry for to Him at that time. Is this true?
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No, not according to Catholic teaching. We are judged immediately at our death. There is no more time left.

CCC I. The Particular Judgment

1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.590 The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. the parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul -a destiny which can be different for some and for others.591

1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification592 or immediately,593-or immediate and everlasting damnation.594
Second question- I learned in RCIA that if we die with unconfessed mortal sins, we go to Hell. What happens if it is our intention to go to Confession but it’s a Monday and we don’t have confession until Saturday. Will we be saved because our intention was to go to Confession?
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Only God can ultimately judge that. But, one possibility is to request confession from your priest before that. The priest should hear you if it is a reasonable request. I think that God in His mercy would consider your true and sincere intentions.
Third question- I forgot to mention a mortal sin at my last Confession, and took Communion on Sunday. On Monday I remembered the sin I committed. Does this mean that I took Communion in a state of sin, or was I in a state of grace because I sincerely forgot, and I just need to mention it at my next Confession?
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Since you were unaware at the time you received communion, it is not a mortal sin. You must be aware of mortal sin to be guilty of it. Tell God how sorry you are and go to Confession as soon as you can.
 
123me said:
Purgatory is kind of a longer time if being judged
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Not exactly. Purgatory is after judgment. It is a time for reparation.

For example, If I broke your window, you would forgive me. But, I would still be required to make reparations to you- pay for the repair.

After we die, if we have no mortal sin, we would likely be sent to heaven, but we still have reparations to make for all of our sins to perfect us for heaven. These reparations take place in purgatory. 🙂
 
polytropos said:
The sin was forgiven because you sincerely forgot to bring it up and would have brought it up if you remembered. You did not receive communion in a state of mortal sin. You may mention the sin next time you make a confession, but you don’t have to.
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The mortal sin must be told at the next confession. You are conditionally forgiven since you sincerely forgot and you are no longer in a state of mortal sin, but the “condition” is that you confess it to a priest.
 
polytropos said:
You did not receive communion in a state of mortal sin. You may mention the sin next time you make a confession, but you don’t have to.
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Actually one is* obliged *to confess a forgotten mortal sin when one returns to confession.
 
Thanks chefmomster2

I actually realised my error and tried to delete the post but for some technology reason system didn’t delete!

I realised that we are judged immediately and purgatory is what takes the time (correct me if I’m wrong)

I have been reading a Protestant book all about this and it temporarily has screwed up my thought processes!

Perhaps. Someone can delete my thread … Glad though that this thread was created as it has helped me to realise I just need to stop analysing so much if only Martin Luther had stayed catholic! And debated it all out in the CC.
 
chefmomster2 said:
The mortal sin must be told at the next confession. You are conditionally forgiven since you sincerely forgot and you are no longer in a state of mortal sin, but the “condition” is that you confess it to a priest.
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It is not that the sin is conditionally forgiven. One was contrite etc and intended to confess all ones mortal sins. The person just forgot one. It was absolved. Indirectly with the rest.

There would be a new sin if one did not confess it though it one remembers the mortal sin.

(I will add quickly that some readers struggle with scruples in their confessions -they need to have a regular confessor to direct them and may be in a different boat for they can have various fears that are unfounded.)
 
Bookcat said:
It is not that the sin is conditionally forgiven. One was contrite etc and intended to confess all ones mortal sins. The person just forgot one. It was absolved. Indirectly with the rest.

There would be a new sin if one did not confess it though it one remembers the mortal sin.

(I will add quickly that some readers struggle with scruples in their confessions -they need to have a regular confessor to direct them and may be in a different boat for they can have various fears that are unfounded.)
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Thanks for the clarification! 🙂
 
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