Can Catholics only ask God for forgiveness and not a priest?

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hanspi02 said:
If we ask only God and Jesus for forgiveness will our sins be forgiven or do we need to see a priest?
I am asking because all sacraments and Holy mass have been cancelled to the public until unknown date.
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One has to realize the difference between mortal and venial sins. Only mortal sins are required to be confessed to a priest. As for the forgiveness of mortal sins, one has to know the difference between imperfect and perfect contrition.

It is one thing to be sorry for sinning out of fear of going to hell; it’s quite another thing to be sorry for sinning out of sorrow for having offended God. Perfect contrition means being sincerely sorry for having offended God out of a perfect love of God. above all things.

A Sacramental confession (through a priest), a mortal sin is forgiven even if the sorrow is out of imperfect contrition (out of fear of going to hell). But the sorrow and purpose of amendment must be sincere. The great gift of a sacramental confession is that we know for sure that our sins are forgiven through the authority of the Church.
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After the resurrection Jesus appeared to the apostles and instituted the sacrament of confession:

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” -John 20:21-23
 
The confessional is not about the reality of forgiveness; the confessional is about KNOWING you actually are forgiven by God.
You are guessing when you approach God on your own. You have officially authorized word when you confess to your priest, no longer needing to wonder, “Does God really hear me in heaven and forgive me in heaven?”
 
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Wait wait there is no “confession by desire”.
The Act of Perfect Contrition is possible but since we are a poor judge of ourselves it is safer to assume that we did the Act of Contrition AND go to confession as soon as is available to us and the Church gives us the assurance that we will be OK if the worse happens.
We deceive ourselves all the time, it is due to our fallen nature.
Peace!
 
sudy said:
We seem to agree that it’s not prayer alone …I think.
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I think so, because the passage you gave me said God will hear you but because of sin He will turn from you, so that shows confession is important, but that prayer isnt enough. Just that you should be clean of sin when speaking to God… never disagreed with that.

Glad we agree. 🙂
 
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Where do you reach that conclusion?
If you have resolved in good conscience to go to confession as soon as available and instead die do you think that GOD will abandon you?
No since HE loves you. HE knows your heart better than you.
Peace!
 
If one dies with a mortal sin, he will go to Hell. Even my priest told me that when we were preparing for Confirmation
 
Indeed you will and if you cannot go to confession because of COVID-19 you follow mother Church advise. Make and Act of Contrition and also take the resolution of going to confession as soon as possible. And pray that everything works out for the best. Most of all have faith in GOD who will not abandon you.
Peace!
 
The best we could do in that situation is hope that god has mercy on us.
This is why regular examination of conscience is recommended as well as, frequent confession and avoiding mortal sins and sin altogether. Without confession there is no guarantee of absolution of sins.
 
hanspi02 said:
Guess if I die right now I will go to Hell. Well played God
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Why would you refuse the forgiveness God wants to give you?

If you are lying, dying in your bed… its just God and you, no human is around, no human can get to you, no human even knows you are dying or cares… why wouldn’t you pray, talk to Him… ask Him for forgiveness? Do you think He will not hear you because you are alone?
 
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This is why many are up in arms about the sacraments, especially confession, baptism and last rites being shut down by certain bishops.
 
Anything protestants “can” do, Catholics “can” do. But, when we confess to one of God’s priests, we ought to be realizing that we’re confessing to Him through the priest; and this is the normal means of receiving forgiveness for mortal sin.

In times like this, where it is either impossible or unnaturally difficult to have your confession heard, a perfect act of contrition will suffice until you can make your next confession. If you die after having made this act of contrition but before having a sacramental Confession, you have died in God’s friendship (assuming you have kept away from grave sin). If you have the opportunity to receive sacramental confession again and do not do so, this is a problem, because one of the conditions of the act of contrition is that you will confess your sins as soon as you can. From the Catechism:

1451 Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again.”

1452 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.
 
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I mean just 1 mortal sin (masturbation for ex.) and that is a straight ticket to Hell?!?!?!
 
hanspi02 said:
I mean just 1 mortal sin (masturbation for ex.) and that is a straight ticket to Hell?!?!?!
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Everyone here has been telling you, if you can not make it to confession to confess directly to God, then go to confession as soon as possible.

If you do not do that then you are denying God’s ability to forgive you, Why would do that… only God knows weather or not you are going directly to Hell… and only you can choose to go there… Don’t choose to go there, PRAY TO GOD ask HIM TO FORGIVE YOU then when you can GO TO CONFESSION.

sorry for yelling 🙂

Do Catholic believe God wont hear our prayers, unless a priest is present? (yes I’m Catholic but haven’t been practicing for a long time, just started again last year… so I’m still trying to understand what it means to be Catholic… in case you are wondering why I don’t already know the answer to my question)
 
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My friend
If you go to your Bible, read Ephesians 2:8,9 and 1 John 1:9. You can pray to God in the name of Jesus asking for forgiveness, He promises in His Word ((Bible) to forgive.
 
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