Confession = State of Grace?

[steve975]

I recently had a question answered on the “Ask an Apologist” section. Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to get an answer to my specific question so perhaps I worded it poorly.

At any rate, my understanding is that a valid confession requires the confession of all known mortal sins. I also understand that if one honestly forgets to confess a mortal sin, the sin is absolved but the person needs to confess it at his next confession. So if the forgotten sin is absolved, the person should be in a state of grace after the confession even though he is obligated to confess the forgotten sin at the next confession.

I also understand that in order to receive Communion, a person has to have no knowledge of any unconfessed mortal sins. So here is where I am getting confused.

Let’s say a person goes to confession, has his sins absolved, therefore putting him in a state of grace. But then let’s say that after the confession, the person remembers a mortal sin he forgot to confess. Can he then not receive Communion until going back to confession again, despite the fact that he is in a state of grace? Or is the state of grace immediately removed once a person remembers an unconfessed mortal sin?

I don’t understand how it can be the case that a mortal sin can be absolved even if it was forgotten, yet the person still can’t receive Communion once he remembers it.

 

[LilyM]

I recently had a question answered on the “Ask an Apologist” section. Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to get an answer to my specific question so perhaps I worded it poorly.

At any rate, my understanding is that a valid confession requires the confession of all known mortal sins. I also understand that if one honestly forgets to confess a mortal sin, the sin is absolved but the person needs to confess it at his next confession. So if the forgotten sin is absolved, the person should be in a state of grace after the confession even though he is obligated to confess the forgotten sin at the next confession.

I also understand that in order to receive Communion, a person has to have no knowledge of any unconfessed mortal sins. So here is where I am getting confused.

Let’s say a person goes to confession, has his sins absolved, therefore putting him in a state of grace. But then let’s say that after the confession, the person remembers a mortal sin he forgot to confess. Can he then not receive Communion until going back to confession again, despite the fact that he is in a state of grace? Or is the state of grace immediately removed once a person remembers an unconfessed mortal sin?

I don’t understand how it can be the case that a mortal sin can be absolved even if it was forgotten, yet the person still can’t receive Communion once he remembers it.

I think the requirement would actually be that a person should have no knowledge of any unabsolved mortal sins, or any deliberately unconfessed ones. It may not be strictly defined thus, but that would be the meaning of the phrase in this context.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

In the situation you describe, you would be absolved and returned to the state of grace when you made the confession. You could continue receiving Communion until you have the opportunity to confess the sin you forgot to confess, since it is already forgiven. You don’t “lose” the state of grace when you remember a sin. (This assumes that you did not deliberately conceal it.)

 

[thistle]

I recently had a question answered on the “Ask an Apologist” section. Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to get an answer to my specific question so perhaps I worded it poorly.

At any rate, my understanding is that a valid confession requires the confession of all known mortal sins. I also understand that if one honestly forgets to confess a mortal sin, the sin is absolved but the person needs to confess it at his next confession. So if the forgotten sin is absolved, the person should be in a state of grace after the confession even though he is obligated to confess the forgotten sin at the next confession.

I also understand that in order to receive Communion, a person has to have no knowledge of any unconfessed mortal sins. So here is where I am getting confused.

Let’s say a person goes to confession, has his sins absolved, therefore putting him in a state of grace. But then let’s say that after the confession, the person remembers a mortal sin he forgot to confess. Can he then not receive Communion until going back to confession again, despite the fact that he is in a state of grace? Or is the state of grace immediately removed once a person remembers an unconfessed mortal sin?

I don’t understand how it can be the case that a mortal sin can be absolved even if it was forgotten, yet the person still can’t receive Communion once he remembers it.

If you sincerely confess all the sins you remember at Confession and the priest gives you absolution then you are reconciled to God and the Church (i.e. in a state of grace) and may receive Communion. If, before receiving, you remember a mortal sin you had forgotten at Confession that does not change anything because the forgotten sin was also forgiven. You may receive Communion and simply mention the sin at next confession.