G
gloraykid
Guest
My husband and I just attended a pre-first reconcilation program at our church with our 2nd grader. The priest presenting the program stated that too many people don’t receive communion because they feel they have have mortal sins on their souls, but assured us that there is “hardly ever a valid reason not to receive the eucharist at mass” because there are “really only 3 sins that you have to worry about that would prevent you from receiving communion: murder, adultery and if you’ve done something that seriously renounces the faith (as in joining another church).”
My husband raised his hand and asked, “What about mortal sins?”
The priest replied, “Those are the mortal sins!” (referring to 1) murder; 2) adultery and 3) renunciation of the faith.) He said the magesterium had long ago changed its position on sin and “we haven’t done a good enough job on getting the word out” and that the venial/mortal classifications are not really helpful or used anymore.
After the formal presentation, both my husband and I spoke to the priest separately. My husband asked him whether missing mass was a mortal sin if you just didn’t want to go/out of laziness. The priest said, no, because it’s not that seriousand the Catechism only requires you receive communion once a year.
I asked him to identify the names of the magesterial documents he was referring to that backed up his statements on mortal sins, and he referred me to the Rite of Penance documents (from the Vatican website), which he said would reference other documents, including Vatican II documents.
How can this priest be correct that the Church no longer uses the terms venial and mortal as those terms are contained in the Catechism (which itself is a fruit of Vatican II?)
Is he right that the 3 sins he mentioned are the only ones that would prevent someone from receiving the eucharist?
Hasn’t the Church always taught intentionally missing mass is a mortal sin- a knowing violation of the third commandment?
Also, doesn’t the Church believe a young person who is 7 or 8 years old (receiving reconciliation for the first time) can commit a mortal sin? If not, why worry about sacramental confession at this age, when all venial sins are forgiven at mass anyway???
My husband raised his hand and asked, “What about mortal sins?”
The priest replied, “Those are the mortal sins!” (referring to 1) murder; 2) adultery and 3) renunciation of the faith.) He said the magesterium had long ago changed its position on sin and “we haven’t done a good enough job on getting the word out” and that the venial/mortal classifications are not really helpful or used anymore.
After the formal presentation, both my husband and I spoke to the priest separately. My husband asked him whether missing mass was a mortal sin if you just didn’t want to go/out of laziness. The priest said, no, because it’s not that seriousand the Catechism only requires you receive communion once a year.
I asked him to identify the names of the magesterial documents he was referring to that backed up his statements on mortal sins, and he referred me to the Rite of Penance documents (from the Vatican website), which he said would reference other documents, including Vatican II documents.
How can this priest be correct that the Church no longer uses the terms venial and mortal as those terms are contained in the Catechism (which itself is a fruit of Vatican II?)
Is he right that the 3 sins he mentioned are the only ones that would prevent someone from receiving the eucharist?
Hasn’t the Church always taught intentionally missing mass is a mortal sin- a knowing violation of the third commandment?
Also, doesn’t the Church believe a young person who is 7 or 8 years old (receiving reconciliation for the first time) can commit a mortal sin? If not, why worry about sacramental confession at this age, when all venial sins are forgiven at mass anyway???