A protstant asks for Confession on his deathbed

[DavidFilmer]

I have a friend (a Baptized protestant) with whom I have talked religion for years. Today we talked about salvation, and I told him (again) about Confession. I don’t know if he will ever be persuaded to convert to Catholicism, but he can perceive the logic of Pascal’s Wager as well as the next guy.

It would not surprise me if, given the opportunity from his deathbed, he asked for Confession. I doubt he would have a last-minute change of heart and wish to actually convert, but - hey, it can’t hurt, and it might help (a lot).

What is the duty of a priest when confronted with such a situation?

 

[pablope]

I have a friend (a Baptized protestant) with whom I have talked religion for years. Today we talked about salvation, and I told him (again) about Confession. I don’t know if he will ever be persuaded to convert to Catholicism, but he can perceive the logic of Pascal’s Wager as well as the next guy.

It would not surprise me if, given the opportunity from his deathbed, he asked for Confession. I doubt he would have a last-minute change of heart and wish to actually convert, but - hey, it can’t hurt, and it might help (a lot).

What is the duty of a priest when confronted with such a situation?

Well…it just so happens I was with a priest and I asked him your situation…he said he would go hear what he had to say…and hear confession if need be.

 

[ClaireS]

Any caring person would listen to the words of a dying person and pray with and for him but a priest can forgive his sins. That would make a big difference to me. Of course God’s forgiveness isn’t limited to the sacraments but I hope that Our Lord gives me the opportunity to be supported by the sacraments of the Church at the end.

 

[po18guy]

1401 When, in the Ordinary’s judgment, a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and possess the required dispositions.241

Canon Law

844 §1-4

1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers with due regard for parts 2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and can. 861, part 2.
2. Whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose churches these sacraments are valid.
3. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned.
4. If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.

 

[DavidFilmer]

1. If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.

Thanks, guy.

In my friend’s case, then, it seems his confession would not be heard. There is no reason why he could not call upon his own protestant minister, although that minister can offer only prayer, not Sacramental absolution, and, if my friend has forfeited his Baptismal Grace through mortal sin (and I’m not saying he has, but we never know), the protestant minister’s prayers offer no guarantees. And, in fact, the Bible tells us not to bother to pray for someone who has committed mortal sin, because it won’t do any good (presumably because Sacramental Confession is the only effective remedy):

If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin is not mortal. There is a sin that is mortal. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal. [1John 5:16-17, emphasis mine]

I suppose that anyone could have his confession heard under a false pretense of feigning proper faith and disposition. I am sure that my friend is rational enough to not attempt such subterfuge (it would be a crazy thing to do - telling lies on his deathbed - it would be sinning to obtain absolution from sin). I am quite sure that he would be honest with the priest, and the priest would thus be canonically restrained from offering him absolution.

Alas. Please pray for my friend’s conversion. I do, every day.

 

[deaconjohnO]

I would hope that anyone–priest or not–who was in the room with a dying man or woman would listen to any confession he or she would want to make.
It’s the humane and caring thing to do.

.

Baptism is the gateway to the other sacraments. This is a very interesting scenario. A deathbed confession would imply that the dying individual assented to the sacramental nature of grace. If this were true confessing and then being received into the church on the deathbed would be the obvious outcome.

I am wondering though, if a person asked for confession but did not wish to become Catholic due to the fact that they didn’t see it as the one true faith…would the confession be sacramentally valid? I dunno.

DCNJ

 

[FrDavid96]

Baptism is the gateway to the other sacraments. This is a very interesting scenario. A deathbed confession would imply that the dying individual assented to the sacramental nature of grace. If this were true confessing and then being received into the church on the deathbed would be the obvious outcome.

I am wondering though, if a person asked for confession but did not wish to become Catholic due to the fact that they didn’t see it as the one true faith…would the confession be sacramentally valid? I dunno.

DCNJ

No. It would not be a valid absolution. Priests can only absolve Catholics (and Orthodox).

In certain circumstances, priests can absolve non-Catholics, but only in case of grave necessity, and only if the person manifests the Catholic faith with regard to the sacraments, including belief in the necessity of a a validly-ordained priest. These pre-conditions must be present, and not even the diocesan bishop is competent to dispense from them.
These conditions, from which no dispensation can be given, must be carefully respected, even though they deal with specific individual cases, because the denial of one or more truths of the faith regarding these sacraments and, among these, the truth regarding the need of the ministerial priesthood for their validity, renders the person asking improperly disposed to legitimately receiving them. And the opposite is also true: Catholics may not receive communion in those communities which lack a valid sacrament of Orders.
St John Paul the Great Ecclesia de Eucharistia 46

A priest could receive such a person into the Church, on his deathbed. Most certainly yes. But one who not only does-not-want to become Catholic, but who does not believe in the full Catholic dogma of Confession cannot be absolved.

Might some priest simulate an absolution? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. But no priest can validly absolve in that situation.

 

[FrDavid96]

I would hope that anyone–priest or not–who was in the room with a dying man or woman would listen to any confession he or she would want to make.
It’s the humane and caring thing to do.

.

There is a difference between “hear someone’s confession” and “absolve.”

Anyone can hear a confession. Only a priest can absolve, and he can only do so under the conditions that the Church stipulates because Confession is a juridic (legal) act of the Church.

The more humane thing to do would be to offer such a person one last chance to make himself right with God; to become Catholic and accept God’s mercy. In a deathbed situation, that would take only a moment, if the dying person is willing.

It would be more wrong for a priest to fail to give that opportunity than it would be to offer the pretense of Confession and allow him to die without a valid absolution.

 

[DavidFilmer]

Neither does the priest’s prayers. There are no guarantees as to what is going to happen after one dies.

The priest’s prayers, if done within the context of Confession, carry with them Sacramental absolution, which is a guarantee of forgiveness.

It does? Where is that quote,please? That sounds rather harsh. Are you sure about this?

I quoted it right after I said it.

Even if your friend is not Catholic, I sure would hope a priest who is present–who would consider himself a man of God–would listen to your friend’s “confession” and pray with him, whether or not it would officially be considered a sacrament.

Of course the priest would pray with him. But the fact that he is a priest doesn’t add anything without the Sacrament. Anybody can pray with/for him, but only a priest (or Bishop) can offer absolution.

It may not be “sacramentally valid” as per the Catholic church, but it may valid enough for God’s ears.

Indeed. There is always hope that protestants could obtain absolution (if they are in need of it) in some other way that God has not revealed to us. Are prayers alone sufficient? The Church has never taught that, and it is not a Biblical idea – but that doesn’t mean it cannot work. There is always hope.

But I still don’t get why this friend wouldn’t just have his own Protestant priest do it?
Is he actually requesting a Catholic priest?.

It’s a hypothetical situation. If a protestant is informed about Sacramental confession, he may desire to receive it on his deathbed “just in case” it is really the proper way to obtain absolution. It’s an application of Pascal’s wager - it doesn’t cause any harm (even if it doesn’t “work”), and it may be of great benefit, so why not ask for it?

Protestant ministers cannot offer absolution because they have forsaken the Sacramental ministry if their forefathers. They can offer prayers, but not Sacramental Grace (other than Baptism).