Confession after mass?

[lefty22]

Hopefully a quick and easy question –

Yesterday I had an appointment with our priest after mass to go to confession and discuss some other things. I have been struggling with masturbation and after I confessed it, the priest ask me if I was receiving Communion after masturbating and before going to Confession. I told him yes. He knows me and my situation well enough to know that it’s not exactly my fault, so he told me when I get in that situation and can’t get to Confession before mass, I should say an Act of Contrition before receiving Communion and find him or our other priest after mass to go to confession.

There are usually a lot of people around after mass, talking to the priests or one another, so my question is this: can you just walk up to the priest after mass and tell him you need to go to Confession? I mean, he knows me and he’ll know why, but I’m just not sure how exactly it would work with people around and everything. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it something that is ever normally done after mass? Also, would I need to make a full confession, or just confess the masturbation and any other mortal sins?

I probably should have asked at the time, but I was focused on trying to remember the other things he was telling me. Please don’t tell me I shouldn’t be receiving Communion in the first place; I know that, and I very much appreciate that the priest understands my situation and is willing to help me work around it like this. Thank you very much!

 

[Cristiano]

Hopefully a quick and easy question –

Yesterday I had an appointment with our priest after mass to go to confession and discuss some other things. I have been struggling with masturbation and after I confessed it, the priest ask me if I was receiving Communion after masturbating and before going to Confession. I told him yes. He knows me and my situation well enough to know that it’s not exactly my fault, so he told me when I get in that situation and can’t get to Confession before mass, I should say an Act of Contrition before receiving Communion and find him or our other priest after mass to go to confession.

There are usually a lot of people around after mass, talking to the priests or one another, so my question is this: can you just walk up to the priest after mass and tell him you need to go to Confession? I mean, he knows me and he’ll know why, but I’m just not sure how exactly it would work with people around and everything. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it something that is ever normally done after mass? Also, would I need to make a full confession, or just confess the masturbation and any other mortal sins?

I probably should have asked at the time, but I was focused on trying to remember the other things he was telling me. Please don’t tell me I shouldn’t be receiving Communion in the first place; I know that, and I very much appreciate that the priest understands my situation and is willing to help me work around it like this. Thank you very much!

There is nothing wrong walking to a priest and asking him to hear your confession. I think that it is the right thing to do. However, it is wrong to be upset if the priest says no because he has to get ready to celebrate the Mass. If someone is not in immediate danger of death it is unreasonable to expect priority over the Mass schedule.

It is normal for people to go to confession after Mass. However, that does not allow an individual to receive communion just because they will to go confession within 15 minutes.

The requirement for a full confession is the confession of all the mortal sins that you are aware of. You do not need to confess venial sins.

I think that the priest was wrong in saying that the sin is not your fault. Your sins are only your fault, however habitual sin could have diminished culpability but that does not mean that they are not mortal any more. Your confessor knows you better than I do and I am not the one telling you if you are in a state of mortal sin or not. However my suggestion is to use discipline and to avoid rationalizations to make yourself feel better. Sometime we need to renounce Communion and to feel really embarrassed to be able to break our sinful habits.

 

[laszlo]

I think that the priest was wrong in saying that the sin is not your fault. Your sins are only your fault, however habitual sin could have diminished culpability but that does not mean that they are not mortal any more. Your confessor knows you better than I do and I am not the one telling you if you are in a state of mortal sin or not. However my suggestion is to use discipline and to avoid rationalizations to make yourself feel better. Sometime we need to renounce Communion and to feel really embarrassed to be able to break our sinful habits.

2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action."138 “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved."139

To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a6.htm

 

[Cristiano]

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a6.htm

Thanks for providing a quote about diminished culpability. I think that a lot of people ignore it and always consider that sin as mortal sin while others over-emphasize the reduced culpability and dwell in the sin with the excuse that is not mortal.

 

[johns58w]

I myself have attended a Saturday morning Mass where Confession would be after the Mass. I was in mortal sin and refrained from Holy Communion even though I have prayed Act of Contrition. I attended Confession after Mass and was permitted to receive Holy Communion at the next Mass, whether it would be the Vigil that evening or Sunday.

1 Corinthians 11: 17-32 explains why we just don’t receive Communion at our own leisure. We must examine our conscience before we receiving Holy Communion.

Canon Law such as 915, 1367, 1376 for example explain prohibtion from receiving the Holy Eucharist. Canon 915 has been sent forth to Catholic politicians especially on issues of abortion.

Catechism of the Caholic Church 1385,1415, 2120 also explains reception fo the eucharist unworthily.

 

[baltobetsy]

Thanks for providing a quote about diminished culpability. I think that a lot of people ignore it and always consider that sin as mortal sin while others over-emphasize the reduced culpability and dwell in the sin with the excuse that is not mortal.

I don’t think we get to decide for ourselves whether or not our culpability is diminished by these causes. In my opinion, that’s for our confessor to determine. It’s very easy to fool oneself; less so if one’s confessor is doing the judging.

 

[lefty22]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Perhaps I should clarify – my wording was a bit unclear in my original post. The priest did not say the masturbation is not my fault, it very much is. Yes, habit has a lot to do with it, but in my opinion, I do commit a mortal sin when I masturbate. What the priest understands is that I am pressured into going to Communion. If I were not, I would not receive after I masturbated and before going to confession. I’m not going to go into all the details, but my current family situation (I’m 16) would make it very difficult to not receive and also makes it difficult to get to Confession before mass (and in some cases, after, as well).

Is that a bit clearer now? Sorry for the confusion.

~Lefty22

 

[johns58w]

I myself have attended a Saturday morning Mass where Confession would be after the Mass. I was in mortal sin and refrained from Holy Communion even though I have prayed Act of Contrition. I attended Confession after Mass and was permitted to receive Holy Communion at the next Mass, whether it would be the Vigil that evening or Sunday.

1 Corinthians 11: 17-32 explains why we just don’t receive Communion at our own leisure. We must examine our conscience before we receiving Holy Communion.

Canon Law such as 915, 1367, 1376 for example explain prohibtion from receiving the Holy Eucharist. Canon 915 has been sent forth to Catholic politicians especially on issues of abortion.

Catechism of the Caholic Church 1385,1415, 2120 also explains reception fo the eucharist unworthily.

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2041- 2043 explains the Precepts of the Church. Reception of the Eucharist is required at least during the Easter season. Confessing of sins once a year is a requirement. This is a reason why parishes have more numerous confession dates and times during the Lenten season.

Yes we are required to receive Holy Eucharist a minimum of once a year (Church history to refute the heresy of Jansenism), which means we must examine our conscience and attend Confession to be worthy to receive Holy Communion.

Frequent Communion is a blessing and grace if we follow the requirements of examination of conscience and Confession as neccessary. Otherwise we put condemnation and curse on ourselves on Sacrilege of the Holy Eucharist.

 

[laszlo]

I don’t think we get to decide for ourselves whether or not our culpability is diminished by these causes. In my opinion, that’s for our confessor to determine. It’s very easy to fool oneself; less so if one’s confessor is doing the judging.

Yes. The Catechism is direction for the priest’s judgment, not excuse for the penitent.