Are unbelieved (not FORGOTTEN, but UNBELIEVED) mortal sin forgive during confession?

[Sir_Knight]

Instead of hi-jacking an already lengthy topic, I decided to ask the question in it’s own thread. A little background. I asked the following question …

I tell my sister-in-law that the church teaches that it is a serious matter to miss mass on Sunday without a very good reason. She replies by saying that she doesn’t believe it to be a mortal sin despite what the church says.

If she doesn’t attend mass without a valid reason, has she committed a mortal sin? If the answer is ‘no’, then just about anybody can rationalize that just about anything is not a mortal sin despite church teaching on the matter and not worry about being in a state of mortal sin.

… and was told …

In the example you gave, as your sister-in-law knows its the Church teaching (and you reminded her) she would be committing a mortal sin by missing Mass deliberately. She might even be committing a further mortal sin by deliberately rejecting a Church teaching.

… taking it a step further – What happens when such a person goes to confession? Meaning that the person doesn’t confess missing mass because the person doesn’t THINK in their own mind that it is a mortal sin.

Are all the sins forgiven? Is the unconfessed mortal sin treated as a forgotten sin or are none of the sins forgiven because a mortal sin was withheld even though the person didn’t BELIEVE that it was a mortal sin and therefore not INTENTIONALLY withheld?

 

[thistle]

Sir Knight:

Instead of hi-jacking an already lengthy topic, I decided to ask the question in it’s own thread. A little background. I asked the following question … … and was told … … taking it a step further – What happens when such a person goes to confession? Meaning that the person doesn’t confess missing mass because the person doesn’t THINK in their own mind that it is a mortal sin.

Are all the sins forgiven? Is the unconfessed mortal sin treated as a forgotten sin or are none of the sins forgiven because a mortal sin was withheld even though the person didn’t BELIEVE that it was a mortal sin and therefore not INTENTIONALLY withheld?

On the other hand you have clearly pointed out to her it is a mortal sin and a teaching of the Church. As Catholics we are not free to pick and choose what to believe in matters of faith and morals. Even if she does not fully understand all the teachings of the Church she is obliged to accept ALL of them. Like you I’m not a priest so this is only my opinion but she knows it is a teaching but refuses to accept it. Therefore I would tend to think that if she deliberately fails to mention such a sin at Confession then any absolution is invalid and she should not be receiving the Eucharist. It will be interesting to get other posters views on this.

 

[Texan_in_DC]

To put is simple, she is not in full communion with the Church.
Therefore she should not recieve the Eucharist.

If she does not feel the need to attend Mass weekly then I wonder if she prays often, I would think not.

All faiths, all churches where members stop going eventually lose their true christian purpose, also some that just show up to be there and when they leave are done until next sunday also happen lose their true christian purpose but at the end of the day it is what you do in your own privacy not in the public forum that shows your true faith.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Texan in DC:

If she does not feel the need to attend Mass weekly then I wonder if she prays often, I would think not.

Actually, she prays the rosary daily and usually has one in her hand most of the time when she’s home. We ring the bell, she opens the door with a rosary in her hands.

 

[Lazerlike42]

The answer is that only God knows. It is more than possible to “rationalize” away some sin and remain culpable. If a person obstinantly does so, she would most certainly be culpable and it would be a mortal sin. It’s possible that she could be so ‘confused’ in her mind that she isn’t really culpable, but it’s not something one ought to count on.

 

[Texan_in_DC]

I find it intersting that she is so devoted to pray the rosary daily, yet has not the same drive and passion to want to attend Mass, if only for the Eucharist, but to each it to their own.

On whether she should confess something that she does not believe in her heart to be error the answer is simply no. There is no reason to confess something just for the sake of confessing something if it is not weighing down her heart, or just becaause the church says so, because if she has no intention of repenting the sin than then confession is void anyways.

Besides her disagreeing with the Church on the issue of having to attend Mass each sunday or it is a mortal sin, what is the reason she does not go all them time, I assume she hardley ever goes? But again that is an assumption.

While in RCIA we asked if attending a Mass via TV works and the answer was no, unless one is sick, or could not get to a Mass due to other circumstances that would not allow that individual to go.