Confession but no penance?

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Stradabolt

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I wasn’t quite sure what category to post this under. It’s also kind of a silly scenario but I was curious about it anyway.

Suppose a person goes to confession and receives absolution for one or more mortal sins, as well as a penance to perform. Then, just after leaving the confessional, but before he/she can carry out the penance, dies instantly. Is this person’s confession “complete,” in that they are still eligible for heaven, or does the absolution “not count” because they didn’t complete the penance?
 
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Is it therefore an absolute necessity to perform the penance given by the priest, or is it just a “good idea to do it?”
 
You are forgiven the moment the priest prays the words of absolution. That said, we are bound to fulfill our penance out of obedience. To deliberately refuse to complete our penance would be another, new sin (the previous sins you confessed would still be forgiven). If you died before you completed your penance, there would be no sin…though perhaps you would have to “compensate” for the unfulfilled penance during your purgatory.
 
Stradabolt said:
Is it therefore an absolute necessity to perform the penance given by the priest, or is it just a “good idea to do it?”
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Sounds like you’re searching for a loophole. 🤣

So, let’s say it like this: absolution brings forgiveness, and if you’re able to perform the penance to which you agreed in the confessional, then you need to do everything that you can, in order to actually do fulfill the penance.

See? No loopholes. 😉
 
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What do you think? Is God waiting to strike you down before penance so He can send you straight to hell?

Not.
 
On a lighter note, when I was in RCIA I went to my second confession and was such a nervous shaking wreck the priest said, when it came to penance, “well, I think coming here today was penance enough.” 😁
 
Stradabolt said:
I wasn’t quite sure what category to post this under. It’s also kind of a silly scenario but I was curious about it anyway.

Suppose a person goes to confession and receives absolution for one or more mortal sins, as well as a penance to perform. Then, just after leaving the confessional, but before he/she can carry out the penance, dies instantly. Is this person’s confession “complete,” in that they are still eligible for heaven, or does the absolution “not count” because they didn’t complete the penance?
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused.62 Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins. This satisfaction is also called “penance.”
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Definitely not looking for a loophole. Merely just curiosity.
 
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