Confession of mortal sin

[irom]

Can mortal sin like killing someone be forgiven in confession ? And is sacrament of confession valid if is someone is forgiven and doesn’t repent ? How it all works ?

And do we have examples of saints killing people ? I think Saint Paul ordered and witnessesed stoning of Saint, do we have more examples ? I’m sure we have, I need a few more.

 

[Shlomey]

Can mortal sin like killing someone be forgiven in confession ? And is sacrament of confession valid if is someone is forgiven and doesn’t repent ? How it all works ?

And do we have examples of saints killing people ? I think Saint Paul ordered and witnessesed stoning of Saint, do we have more examples ? I’m sure we have, I need a few more.

No sin - if repented - cannot be forgiven through the ministry of the Church.

Requirements for Confession

Under normal circumstances only a baptized Catholic can receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, this restriction can be lifted in the case of grave circumstances (such as imminent death of a non-Catholic Christian). For Catholics, three things are required for a valid sacramental confession. First, the Catholic must examine his conscience honestly and thoroughly and must not withhold confession of any mortal sins (CCC 1456). Second, the confessor must be contrite and repentant (CCC 1451). A contrite person will seek the Sacrament of Confession because he is sorry for his sins. Love for God is the best motivation for seeking God’s forgiveness, but even if the confessor is not perfectly contrite (and seeks forgiveness out of simple fear of hell) the Sacrament of Reconciliation will still remain valid (CCC 1453). **However, if a person enters the Sacrament with the intention of committing the sin later, then this person is not sorry for his sins and the sin will not be forgiven. ** Finally, the confessor must complete the penance assigned to him by the priest as soon as possible (CCC 1494).

 

[teachccd]

No sin - if repented - cannot be forgiven through the ministry of the Church.

In other words, ALL sin can be forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation if one repents and has a firm purpose of amendment. It makes no difference how “big” you feel your sin is, God will forgive you. All you have to do is ask, be sorry, and promise not to do it again. Then, if we fall, we can always go back…

 

[irom]

Do you remember men who killed someone, repented and were recognized by church later as saints ?

 

[Timbothefiveth]

I thought St Paul killed some people, and he killed them for being Christian. The Lord still turned his life around.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Can mortal sin like killing someone be forgiven in confession ? And is sacrament of confession valid if is someone is forgiven and doesn’t repent ? How it all works ?

And do we have examples of saints killing people ? I think Saint Paul ordered and witnessesed stoning of Saint, do we have more examples ? I’m sure we have, I need a few more.

Maybe the scriptures concerning David ( 1 Kings 1-2 or 2 Samuel 11 ) would display your answers? David had Uriah setup to be killed after David had already stolen and impregnated his wife (enough sin?) yet god forgave him. God also refused to allow David to build the Temple because of his sins.

I think what maybe missing is god already knows your sins, so your repentance brings god no knowledge. The repenting is for you not god, also god imposes temporal punishment for that sin (in purgatory). So the sin is not free. Does that helps.

 

[Alindawyl]

Before his conversion when he was still called Saul, St. Paul witnessed and silently permitted if not outright encouraged the stoning to death of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen.

King David was a murderer and adulterer.

Both are honored by the Church as saints. Before they died, both repented of the evil they had done. That holds true for us as well, no matter how heinous the sin. Seek forgiveness from the heart, not merely the lips, and God will grant it.

 

[Bailey2]

I don’t know names in particular except for Francis of Assisi but I suspect any of the Saints who were soldiers first probably did their share of killing. And if you count abortion, Dorothy Day is up for consideration at present though she hasn’t made it yet.

 

[AndyF]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I read that the prerequisite is that the person be a baptized Christian. He still needs to repent of his sin.

Andy