Absolution with out a priest?

[igator99]

I listen to Archbishop Sheen every morning on the way to work on EWTN. He said that if you can’t find a priest to make a confession then it was possible to get absolved on your own? He made a big point about true remorse with the key is to be sorry for having offended God and not because of the fear of hell. He then said you should see a priest at the first available chance. Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Methodi]

I listen to Archbishop Sheen every morning on the way to work on EWTN. He said that if you can’t find a priest to make a confession then it was possible to get absolved on your own? He made a big point about true remorse with the key is to be sorry for having offended God and not because of the fear of hell. He then said you should see a priest at the first available chance. Has anyone ever heard of this?

I have, its on the inside cover of The missal the church provides, rules for receiving communion . Maybe ur missal has it in it too

 

[Dauphin]

I listen to Archbishop Sheen every morning on the way to work on EWTN. He said that if you can’t find a priest to make a confession then it was possible to get absolved on your own? He made a big point about true remorse with the key is to be sorry for having offended God and not because of the fear of hell. He then said you should see a priest at the first available chance. Has anyone ever heard of this?

It’s called a perfect act of contrition. If you can’t reach a priest, perfect contrition (remorse at having offended God, not fear of hell) will absolve your sins, given that you get to confession as soon as possible.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

It is called making a perfect act of contrition.

It is **not **easy.

Making a perfect act of contrition involves not only being completely and truly sorry for your sins, it means that you have no attachment to your sins **and **(the hardest part of all) being sorry not because you fear hell, but solely because your sins offend God and are sorry for hurting him, without any thoughts of your own ‘danger of hell’.

Further, one cannot do this ‘on demand’. This is something for extraordinary circumstances, not for the ‘ordinary Catholic’ who can get to confession because it is offered regularly, or who can call his local parish and schedule a confession time in the next few days – not unless he is in real danger of death.

And as the bishop mentioned, should you for example be in a situation where you’re about to step onto a transAtlantic flight, no priest around, you had committed a mortal sin a couple of hours ago. . . and you do make that perfect act of contrition. . .well, when you (safely, God willing) land at your destination, you look up the nearest parish, and you call the priest and make an appointment for confession ASAP, and tell him your sins.

Bottom line: The ‘usual’ way to receive absolution is through confession to a priest. In His mercy, God has given us, through the Church, a possibility for those who truly cannot physically go to confession with a priest, to still receive absolution under specific and well-considered circumstances.

 

[JuanCarlos]

The Baltimore Catechism says to make the Act of Contrition immediately after committing a mortal sin- saying it while meaning what you are saying is sufficient-

“Oh My God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee…”

 

[Methodi]

The Baltimore Catechism says to make the Act of Contrition immediately after committing a mortal sin- saying it while meaning what you are saying is sufficient-

“Oh My God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee…”

I didnt know anyone still had a Baltimore Catechism, I have mine from many many yrs ago

 

[igator99]

It’s called a perfect act of contrition. If you can’t reach a priest, perfect contrition (remorse at having offended God, not fear of hell) will absolve your sins, given that you get to confession as soon as possible.

This was the reasonable alternative that I was looking for to make since of things. Priest are not as easy to find as they use to be. Around here there is no excuse not to make confession on Saturday. All the church’s have confession on Saturday evening. The other days of the week only one has confession and I can’t make the time. I can at least feel better that all my prayers have not been in vain because of time problem. I will be making confession Saturday.

The hard part is developing that love for God. I can say I love him a billion times and I do but I’m searching to strengthening that love like a father for a son. If I’m getting this right the shame and sorrow for the sin should be like that when I was a boy and I did something that displeased him. I was more sorry for the pain I caused my father than the belt to my rear that was coming. Am I correct in this?

 

[Methodi]

This was the reasonable alternative that I was looking for to make since of things. Priest are not as easy to find as they use to be. Around here there is no excuse not to make confession on Saturday. All the church’s have confession on Saturday evening. The other days of the week only one has confession and I can’t make the time. I can at least feel better that all my prayers have not been in vain because of time problem. I will be making confession Saturday.

The hard part is developing that love for God. I can say I love him a billion times and I do but I’m searching to strengthening that love like a father for a son. If I’m getting this right the shame and sorrow for the sin should be like that when I was a boy and I did something that displeased him. I was more sorry for the pain I caused my father than the belt to my rear that was coming. Am I correct in this?

meditate on the Passion Of Christ to see Just how much he suffered & died for our sins because he Loved us. This could make U love him more

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Just a minor point, but it is called an act of perfect contrition. Perfect contrition is sorrow for sin arising out of love for God.

Of course, you should still not receive communion until after confessing a mortal sin.

 

[thistle]

Claire is correct. Even if you make an act of perfect contrition (and frankly how can anyone be sure they have been able to do that) you are not allowed to receive Communion until you have been to Confession.

 

[choirnut]

Confession should be appropriate at any time. It shouldn’t be something where one has to save his/her “list of sins” for the end of the week, and then tell them to a priest to receive absolution.
Hanging onto things I have done wrong through the week keeps my guilt level high and offers less communication with God.

To open up that continual walk with God, I need to ask God for forgiveness, almost immediately after. Though I have to acknowledge it to be of a sinful nature first. If I’m not sure, I will tell God anyway. I always apologize to God for things that may not even be sinful. But if I feel in my heart they are, then that’s what’s important.

But to experience His forgiveness and grace through confession and wherever and whenever that will be, we must always be heartfully sincere and know what we did was wrong, and not only that we did wrong to Him, but to another as well.

 

[DixitDominus]

“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.” (CCC 1452)

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

What Archbishop Sheen was talking about is “perfect contrition” That is not absolution. The two are not the same. Perfect contrition can forgiveness of mortal sin because of true sorrow for having offended God and for no other reason. Absolution is the Sacramental remission of sins through authority given to priests by Jesus. Absolution can remit sins even with imperfect contrition. Perfection contrition is difficult for humans, but not impossible. If true perfect contrition is had, mortal sin is forgiven
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B

 

[Rawb]

Confession should be appropriate at any time. It shouldn’t be something where one has to save his/her “list of sins” for the end of the week, and then tell them to a priest to receive absolution.
Hanging onto things I have done wrong through the week keeps my guilt level high and offers less communication with God.

To open up that continual walk with God, I need to ask God for forgiveness, almost immediately after. Though I have to acknowledge it to be of a sinful nature first. If I’m not sure, I will tell God anyway. I always apologize to God for things that may not even be sinful. But if I feel in my heart they are, then that’s what’s important.

But to experience His forgiveness and grace through confession and wherever and whenever that will be, we must always be heartfully sincere and know what we did was wrong, and not only that we did wrong to Him, but to another as well.

A pious practice, to be sure, but we have to remember that this does not replace the Sacrament of Confession, and we are not free to recieve Communion if we have only confessed to God informally, not Sacramentally.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

it means . . .being sorry not because you fear hell, but solely because your sins offend God and are sorry for hurting him, **without any thoughts of your own ‘danger of hell’. **

Hi Tantum ergo,

This is a common misunderstanding. While it is true that perfect contrition is sorrow out of love of God whom we offended, it is not true that perfect contrition excludes imperfect contrition or attrition. One may have both perfect and imperfect contrition at the same time.

The traditional act of contrition actually expresses both (and the act is, therefore, an act of perfect contrition): “I am heartily sorry for my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because I have offened you, my God. . .”

Further, one cannot do this ‘on demand’.

It depends on what you mean by “on demand.” Both types of contrition are supernatural acts, and thus only possible through grace and not by our natural powers. But one may certainly ask, and strive, for perfect contrition always. In fact this is encouraged by the Church. Furthermore, an act of perfect contrition is actually an obligation for a priest who is in mortal sin and unable to receive sacramental absolution prior to celebrating mass and receiving communion. So, in this sense, because the Church encourages us to strive for perfect contrition at every confession, and obliges priests to make the act in certain circumstances, it seems a bit misleading to say one cannot make acts of perfect contrition “on demand”, and hopefully have the interior disposition to match.

This is something for extraordinary circumstances, not for the ‘ordinary Catholic’ who can get to confession because it is offered regularly, or who can call his local parish and schedule a confession time in the next few days – not unless he is in real danger of death.

I don’t think that is quite right. The Church encourages her children to make an act of perfect contrition *immediately after falling into mortal sin. *Of course, as you point out , the normative means for forgiveness is sacramental absolution and one must receive such prior to communion (unless a grave circumstance arises).

And as the bishop mentioned, should you for example be in a situation where you’re about to step onto a transAtlantic flight, no priest around, you had committed a mortal sin a couple of hours ago. . . and you do make that perfect act of contrition. . .well, when you (safely, God willing) land at your destination, you look up the nearest parish, and you call the priest and make an appointment for confession ASAP, and tell him your sins.

It is true that perfect contrition always must include the intention to receive the sacrament of confession as soon as possible. However, I’m not sure that one would necessarily have to make an appointment to do so. I would think the first available confession would be sufficient, although other efforts may be laudable.

God has given us, through the Church, a possibility for those who truly cannot physically go to confession with a priest, to still receive absolution under specific and well-considered circumstances.

Strictly speaking (although its a nitpick, sorry. ), perfect contrition without the sacrament of penance does not result in absolution, but extra-sacramental forgiveness of sin.

What do you think?

VC

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

Strictly speaking (although its a nitpick, sorry. ), perfect contrition without the sacrament of penance does not result in absolution, but extra-sacramental forgiveness of sin.

What do you think?

VC

This is correct. Perfect contrition is direct forgiveness of mortal sin by God, because of the nature of the contrition i.e., sorrow for sin for having offended God and for no other reason. Absolution is the direct forgiveness of mortal sin by God because of a valid sacramental absolution of mortal sin administered sacramentally by a priest with proper form and faculties during confession Only the penitent who has only has perfect contrition is still required to obtain sacramental absolution.
Prayers a& blessings
Deacon Ed B

 

[Aramis]

To put it simply:

Without a priest granting absolution, you can not be certain you are contrite enough for the forgiveness of your sins.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

To put it simply:

Without a priest granting absolution, you can not be certain you are contrite enough for the forgiveness of your sins.

This is correct. This is why confession is still required
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B