Confessing to a sin that one has not made restitution for

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Naaru

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Facts:
  • John has road rage in traffic and “brake checks” Jane.
  • Partially as a result of John’s brake check and partially as a result of bad driving, Jane rear-ends John’s vehicle.
  • When questioned about the accident, John lies to the police, claims he was driving in the normal course of traffic, hit his brakes normally, and got rear-ended.
  • Jane’s insurance company ends up paying for John’s vehicle repairs to the tune of however many hundreds of dollars, because John did not admit fault to the police and otherwise rear-ending someone is pretty much an automatic fault in John’s state.
  • A few years later, John gives a valid confession, including this sin among others - of “brake checking” Jane and lying the police about it.
  • John has a firm purpose of amendment but forgets to ask Fr. Bob about making some kind of restitution.
  • Fr. Bob assigns John a nominal penance of however many Hail Marys and sends John on his way.
  • That same day, John tries to call Fr. Bob on the phone to ask him about it but can’t get ahold of him. (Fr. Bob is a busy man.)
  • John has not done anything in regards to his insurance company or the police for fear of the legal ramifications.
  • Nor has he made any attempt to contact Jane because he doesn’t know who Jane is or how to reach her.
Questions:
  • Is John’s confession valid?
  • Can John take Communion?
  • Should John be worried about making restitution?
  • At what point does not having made restitution become another mortal sin?
Thanks!
 
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A priest will never require a type of restitution that would force you to incriminate yourself. He might recommend that you make a donation to charity in the amount of damages done to the woman’s car.

You confessed the sin and received absolution so the sin is forgiven. If the priest wanted to discuss restitution he would have grouchy it up during your confession.
 
A confession cannot become invalidated after the fact - it was either valid at the time (presumably so) or it wasn’t (because something was deliberately done to prevent validity — lying, purposeful omission, etc.).

Feelings of guilt do not imply or equate to sin. However, you must decide if you can, in good conscience, not correct this when you have the ability to do so. Whether or not that inaction becomes mortal sin isn’t within the competence of Internet strangers to determine.

Finally, you’ve tried to justify your inaction, but the reality may be different. The police and your insurance company will certainly know how to contact Jane and/or her insurance company. The legal/financial ramifications - and prudence in general - however, may be moot if so much time has passed (here, it’s about two years on the legal side; not necessarily the same everywhere). This is where your conscience will have to be the determining factor.
 
The confession was valid.
John can receive communion.
John should be worried about making restitution because if he doesn’t it could prolong his time in Purgatory. It might be complicated in how John makes restitution if insurance is involved. Maybe John could make a comparable donation to a charity, Saint Vincent de Paul or some other charity that helps the poor.
 
I’m still trying to wrap my head around that fact that someone rear ending you is somehow a mortal sin. Even if you did hit your brakes.
 
This really brings up the two aspects of sin, guilt and consequences which I have heard discussed by Fr. Wade Menezes on EWTN. Confession deals with the guilt while purgatory deals with the consequences of the sin unless that person tries to do restitution by acts of charity, etc. while on earth.
 
The situation you describe sounds like one where insurance would end up paying anyway. As the previous poster said, John didn’t intend for Jane to rear end him. Jane was likely at least partially at fault for that, even if John was also partly at fault for reckless driving.

The confession was fine. Trust the priest.

If a person feels more restitution is needed, donate some money to St Vincents and have a Mass said for Jane (you can say “Special Intention” or call her Jane Doe, you don’t need to know her name). The insurance company has long since moved on from this, I reckon.
 
Clarification:
John did intend - to one degree or another - for Jane to rear-end him.
 
John wanted to wreck his own car because he got mad? John has problems and perhaps should spend that money on some anger management therapy for himself, if he hasn’t already. He would be doing a good thing for society by so doing.
 
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Yes, John had very bad road rage issues at the time. He since does not suffer from those issues so spending money on an anger management course would be fruitless.
 
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You guys can quit talking about me now! 😆

I intended to make restitution and so my absolution was valid. And if perhaps I didn’t understand the necessity of making restitution, or if the Priest didn’t even mention it, then I do now.

I’ve been paying restitution by giving extra money to the Church at the Offertory since I have no obligation to incriminate myself. I will be doing so over time because I am financially unable to do it all at once.
 
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If the mortal sins were truly confessed and the priest gave absolution the Confession was valid. Restitution is not absolutely required for a valid Confession if the priest sees fit to give absolution without. Feeling guilty about lack of restitution does not mean John is still in sin. If it still weighs on him, though, perhaps he should discuss his concerns with a priest.
 
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