Absolution and Omission (multiple questions)

[peary1]

Peary,

I certainly agree on both counts.

But the Church teaches, and gives good reasons for the teaching, that one cannot receive forgiveness for one mortal sin while holding on to another. Absolution must be received with empty hands.

Forgiveness is an all or nothing proposition.

VC

**I stand by my former statement(s). Sorry. **

 

[The_Otaku]

Uh oh, it seems we have some dissension in the ranks between you two. I was worried I’d get people on both sides, and that that would make it harder for me to make a final decision.

If the bottom line is none of my sins are forgiven if I don’t confess to a mortal sin (whether it’s one or many), or I confess but know I will commit it again, not out of habit or attachment, but in this case, out of necessity for using the programs for my art, then I’d NEVER be in a state of grace, assuming I lied to the priest (sin of omission) or was not truly repentant (confessed and was sorry, but knew I’d use the programs again).

My whole thing was whether I can go to confession to confess the venial stuff as well as the mortal, and at least get the venial sins absolved and that it would somehow be enough to receive communion worthily, but thinking about it, I don’t believe it does when the aftermath of a mortal sin lingers. If confession is truly absolute as the catechism says, then there’s no loophole or room for argument and I cannot pretend to pick and choose what I want to believe.

On the other hand however, there’s what the law says and there’s how God will actually deal with you personally. I believe God deals with each of us on a case by case basis, knowing full well what the priest does not and cannot. For me, I’m not trying to do something illegal, I don’t revel in it being illegal, I don’t con anyone with the programs, and while I take commissions here or there for projects that might be done in these programs, I don’t make any profits using them except for those.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still conflicted (especially when so much is on the line for me), but I believe the right thing to do is confess this and see what the priest says. If he says I can keep them, use them, be absolved and therefore be in a state of grace, then that’s that. If he says I cannot or that I shouldn’t, and that he cannot absolve me as long as I have the programs, or that he will only do so if I promise to delete them, that that’s that also.

Whatever the case is, I want to be in a state of grace over anything else and to be able to worthily receive our Lord in Holy Communion with a clear conscience, not how I am now.

Thanks again, everyone for responding. I appreciate it.

 

[The_Otaku]

UPDATE:

A couple online friends suggested that I try the program GIMP. Gimp is a totally free program offered by the creators of the program, for anyone to download and use, and all updates, upgrades, plug-ins, etc, are also free! God bless these people!

I just now installed it and gave it a test run and it seems to have all the same basic features that photoshop and painter have, and it’s even a bit more user friendly! It’s going to take some getting used to, but Ishould be able to do everything I was doing in the other programs with this one!

Praise the Lord, for He is good and my prayers have been answered!

Now I can delete these other programs without worry, go to confession on saturday, be in a state of grace again and put this whole mess behind me forever! You were right Betsy, the Lord would provide a way! And in such short a short amount of time! He must really love me! ^_____^

Well, that concludes this thread, then, I guess. Thank you everyone for your help and posts. They are very much appreciated.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Otaku,

I’m glad that you are on your way to a resolution of your problem.

My part in this discussion was to steer us toward what the Church *actually *teaches regarding the necessity of confessing all true mortal sins (of which one is aware) in order to be forgiven any sin.

Since I knew this to be true, it would have been uncharitable of me not to point it out, especially considering that it deals with the state of one’s soul.

I want to also point out that this isn’t simply a matter that is left to “opinion” or even something based solely on Church “law.” This is something that is at the heart of our relationship with God, and what He requires of us.

The Council of Trent in Canon 7 of Session 14 says:

If any one saith, that, in the sacrament of Penance, it is not necessary, of divine right, for the remission of sins, to confess all and singular the mortal sins which after due and diligent previous meditation are remembered. . . let him be anathema.

Now there may be instances where what you are omitting is not actually a mortal sin, and there may be instances where what you are omitting is due to forgetfulness, but when one omits a mortal sin deliberately – it is impossible to receive sacramental absolution. Contrition, whether perfect or imperfect, must be, among other things, universal (i.e. touching all mortal sins).

This is common Church teaching, for instance:

Catholic Encyclopedia on Contrition

There is no forgiveness without sorrow of soul, and forgiveness is always accompanied by God’s grace; grace cannot coexist with sin; and, as a consequence, one sin cannot be forgiven while another remains for which there is no repentance. (“Contrition,” Edward Hanna, The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1914 (San Diego, Catholic Answers, 2007)

Baltimore Catechism #3:

Q. 759. What do you mean by saying that our sorrow should be universal?
A. When I say that our sorrow should be universal, I mean that we should be sorry for all our mortal sins without exception.

Q. 760. Why cannot some of our mortal sins be forgiven while the rest remain on our souls?

A. It is impossible for any of our mortal sins to be forgiven unless they are all forgiven, because as light and darkness cannot be together in the same place, so sanctifying grace and mortal sin cannot dwell together. If there be grace in the soul, there can be no mortal sin, and if there be mortal sin, there can be no grace, for one mortal sin expels all grace.

Even the PARSON’S TALE in Chaucer’s *The Canterbury Tales *makes reference to this common teaching:

Now shall a man understand in what manner shall be his contrition. I say, that it shall be universal and total; that is to say, a man shall be truly repentant for all the sins that he has done . . .for truly, the repentance for a single sin, unaccompanied by repentance for all other sins, or else repentance for all other sins and not for a single sin, shall not avail.

VC