Can I go to communion without confession in this case?

[timmyo]

I know that if a past specific mortal sin, even many years ago comes to light in your head, that you should confess it before you receive communion. My sin involves not honoring my mother and father, willful drunkenness and placing temptation before the weak and providing an opportunity for others to sin. Now in the past, I have done a whole life confession where I confessed all of the times that I willfully got drunk and all of the numerous times I placed temptation before the weak. I lost count so I just said I did both of these numerous times. Now, I don’t believe I ever mentioned not honoring my mother and father or providing an opportunity for others to sin, however. Thus I think I covered two of my sins in my previous confession, but two of them I had never really thought about before and therefore never confessed. Also, I did not know that these sins were mortal when I committed them. I knew I was doing wrong, but I was in high school and thought they were no big deal in the vast scheme of things. Do I have to confess this? Thank you in advance.

 

[coralewis]

timmyo, I’m not a priest - I’m just a housewife. In other words, take my post with a grain of salt.
I don’t see how not honoring your parents is a mortal sin. As far as I know, most (if not all) teenagers do that. If you killed one of them it would definitely be mortal. I hope you’re not getting scrupulous here. If you don’t feel that you can receive our Lord this Sunday in good conscience, go ahead and confess it.

God bless you,
Corinne

 

[Seeks_God]

I think you are forgiven if you made an honest attempt at examining your soul at the last time of you confession. However, confession never hurts when in doubt. I would go to confession, if you doubt you can receive communion. Are you in a situation where you can not make confession before attending mass? Usually you can make a special appointment to have your confession heard.

SG

 

[Seeks_God]

coralewis:

timmyo, I’m not a priest - I’m just a housewife. In other words, take my post with a grain of salt.
I don’t see how not honoring your parents is a mortal sin. As far as I know, most (if not all) teenagers do that. If you killed one of them it would definitely be mortal. I hope you’re not getting scrupulous here. If you don’t feel that you can receive our Lord this Sunday in good conscience, go ahead and confess it.

God bless you,
Corinne

I think violating any of the Ten Commandments is considered a mortal sin if you did it with complete knowledge that it is wrong.

 

[bogeyjlg]

Whenever you go to confession you are forgiven of all your sins up to that point in time. If you inadvertantly forget a sin, don’t worry, it is forgiven. If it still bothers you anyways, go to confession and be done with it.

 

[the_Hatter]

Seeks God:

I think violating any of the Ten Commandments is considered a mortal sin if you did it with complete knowledge that it is wrong.

Sorry to sound fluffy, or spiritually lazy, or whatever, but I have to disagree. For one thing, most (if not all) the commandments have numerous ways in which they can be violated. Some of these violations, obviously, are more serious than others. In the case of honoring your father and mother, for example, refusing to help support them in old age is far more serious than giving them lip as a teenager. Both are violations, but one is mortal and one is venial.
If violating any of the Ten Commandments in any way is a mortal sin, then how can there be such thing as a venial sin?

 

[Pug]

You made a good confession in the past, and you tried to mention it all. Finito. Done. That’s it. Period. Any new sin you dream up that you forgot to say has already been forgiven. Go to mass and receive Eucharist.

If you recall a sin that you know was mortal when you did it, mention it in your next confession if you are positive you have never mentioned it. If your confessor thinks you are going overboard about previous sins from long ago, just do whatever he tells you to do about it. If you doubt whatever you have recalled was a mortal sin, just drop it and forget about it. If it bugs you, talk to a priest about it at confession. He’ll help.

You can’t turn an old sin from being venial into being mortal by later on getting more knowledge and knowing in hindsight that the action was grave.

 

[turboEDvo]

Seeks God:

I think violating any of the Ten Commandments is considered a mortal sin if you did it with complete knowledge that it is wrong.

I dunno about that one. I don’t think that a white lie or an exaggeration in a story completely severed my relationship with God.

Though I may have opened Pandora’s Box because of the term, “white lie.”

Eamon

 

[Seeks_God]

turboEDvo:

I dunno about that one. I don’t think that a white lie or an exaggeration in a story completely severed my relationship with God.

Though I may have opened Pandora’s Box because of the term, “white lie.”

Eamon

I don’t think the scriptural texts concerning lies distinguished between “white” lies and “bold-faced” lies. A lie is a lie…and mortal sin only condemns you if you don’t go to confession.

 

[Seeks_God]

the Hatter:

Sorry to sound fluffy, or spiritually lazy, or whatever, but I have to disagree. For one thing, most (if not all) the commandments have numerous ways in which they can be violated. Some of these violations, obviously, are more serious than others. In the case of honoring your father and mother, for example, refusing to help support them in old age is far more serious than giving them lip as a teenager. Both are violations, but one is mortal and one is venial.
If violating any of the Ten Commandments in any way is a mortal sin, then how can there be such thing as a venial sin?

CCC #2052 states: Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" To the young man who asked this question, Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the “One there is who is good,” as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus tells him: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” And he cites for his questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor: “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.” Finally Jesus sums up these commandments positively: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."1

 

[Church_Militant]

Hi timmyo.
I suggest that you post that question to Fr. Vincent Serpa in the AAA forum
( or by PM) and get a definitive answer even though the advice you’ve gotten is pretty sound so far as I can tell. If it was on the forum it might help others with a similar question.

I do agree with those who say that since you intended to confess it you are probably fine, but I wouldn’t want to misdirect another in a matter of their soul.
Pax vobiscum,

 

[Seeks_God]

the Hatter:

Sorry to sound fluffy, or spiritually lazy, or whatever, but I have to disagree. For one thing, most (if not all) the commandments have numerous ways in which they can be violated. Some of these violations, obviously, are more serious than others. In the case of honoring your father and mother, for example, refusing to help support them in old age is far more serious than giving them lip as a teenager. Both are violations, but one is mortal and one is venial.
If violating any of the Ten Commandments in any way is a mortal sin, then how can there be such thing as a venial sin?

In discussing the Decalogue CCC #2072 also says: Since they express man’s fundamental duties towards God and towards his neighbor, the Ten Commandments reveal, in their primordial content, grave obligations. They are fundamentally immutable, and they oblige always and everywhere. No one can dispense from them. The Ten Commandments are engraved by God in the human heart.

Notice the use of the word “grave”
CCC #1855 states: Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.

& CCC #1858: Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.

I really wasn’t stating my opinion, I was referring to the Church’s Teaching on the matter.

SG

 

[KCT]

timmyo:

Also, I did not know that these sins were mortal when I committed them.

There’s your answer. A mortal sin requires full knowledge. —KCT

 

[chevalier]

In case of any doubt, it’s better to go to confession and mention the problem.