Can mortal sins be forgiven outside confession?

[Kita]

I have always heard that if you die with an unrepented mortal sin on your soul that you will go to hell. I have also always heard that if you repent your mortal sins, even if just before your death, then your sins are forgiven. So my question is can your mortal sins be forgiven without actually going to confession?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Kita:

I have always heard that if you die with an unrepented mortal sin on your soul that you will go to hell.

This is correct.

Kita:

I have also always heard that if you repent your mortal sins, even if just before your death, then your sins are forgiven.

This is also correct.

Kita:

So my question is can your mortal sins be forgiven without actually going to confession?

Sacramental confession is normatively required for the forgiveness of mortal sins; it is not absolutely required. What this means is that, in extraordinary circumstances, mortal sins can be forgiven outside of sacramental confession. For a Catholic who knows that he should go to confession for forgiveness of his mortal sins, what this means is that if he is dying without access to sacramental confession a Catholic may be forgiven his mortal sins if he repents with true contrition (i.e., sorrow for sin) and has at least the implicit intention to go to sacramental confession should the opportunity be made available.