Confessing Mortal Sins

[tuopaolo]

JustSomeGuy:

out of the reasons you list here, the Church only considers the danger of death as valid. i don’t want to nit pick, but the others are incidental and cannot be allowed to impede the form of the sacrament.

No, the Church considers all of them valid because she teaches that whenever there is a moral impossibility, not just a physical impossibility, the obligation ceases. This is also the teaching of traditional moral theologians approved by the Church.

 

[Pug]

I disagree with you on what the indirect thing is supposed to cover, no surprise there. It’s neat that you know Latin. We are still left with that concept of indirect in both the old and the new canon.

I offer three witnesses on my side of this issue, Germain Grisez (a modern and orthodox moral theologian):

But if in good faith one receives absolution for a mortal sin without confessing it – for example, having forgotten to mention some mortal sin in confession – that sin must be confessed at the next opportunity.

pg 211 Living a Christian Life, and he footnotes to DS 2031/1111 and also the canon in the new CIC that I gave.

Also, online there is Father Mateo here. He inteprets the directly/indirectly thing as I have. Or the online Catholic encyplopaedia in the article on confession which also supports that the forgotten sins go with the word indirectly:

If, however, the sin be omitted, not through any fault of the penitent, but through forgetfulness, it is forgiven indirectly; but it must be declared at the next confession and thus submitted to the power of the keys.

We could summon some of the deacons that post on CA to see what they have to say on the topic. I don’t think many priests post here, however. They’re probably too busy hearing confessions.

 

[turboEDvo]

Fergal:

Lying is always a sin. A lie is the deliberate telling of an untruth for the purpose of deception. It is intrinsically immoral no matter what its color.

I agree with that as well. So, say, for example, that you tell a lie in Confession, and then receive absolution for your sins. You are absolved of that sin as well, correct? (I am not suggesting this, just throwing out a hypothetical)

Eamon

 

[Fergal]

In one situation yes in another no.

If the lie leads to a venial sin then yes of course.

If the lie leads to a mortal sin then no unless you apologise to Father and confess that fact that you have just lied to him!!!

God Bless Eamon.