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seanom
Guest
So Im 16 and i feel I committed a grave sin and my parents wont let me go to confession. Would it be okay to disobey and go to confession?
- Status
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mfrances
Guest
Do you mean that they are not willing to give you a ride to church during confession hours?
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Slowride
Guest
Hi, just wondering - were your parents involved? Did you come on your own and confess it to them, or did they catch you? The reason why I ask is, I wonder if there was a reason you just didn’t go to confession first?
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R_C
Guest
Well, assuming your parents fulfill their duty and take you to Sunday Mass, you will get a chance to confess then. It would be better to be subject to their authority given your young age, and wait until the ordinary time for confession arrives. In this, you will show two very important things:
- humbleness before your superiors, which pleases the Lord who does nothing on his own, but only what He sees the divine Father doing and who was subject throughout his youth to his parents on Earth;
- contrition for your sins manifested by an act of will to do reparation, which, if motivated not by fear of Hell but by sorrow of having offended God, and united with the intention of confessing as soon as possible, suffices to remit mortal sins (while still binding you to confess those mortal sins as soon as possible) and restore sanctifying grace in your soul.
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VirtusTransitus
Guest
Maybe I’m dense, but I cannot imagine a legitimate justification for parents forbidding a child to confess. Anything I come up with seems centered on the parents’ own feelings, and not the child’s best interest.
Guidance is one thing. For instance, if the parents think the child is being overly scrupulous. But that would only require discouragement from confessing something that is not a sin, not forbidding it.
After all - if the priest doesn’t think the confession rises to the point of actual sin, isn’t this a great time for pastoral instruction?
To the OP: if you can manage to do it without causing harm to your parents, I’d confess and let the priest know if you need clarity on whether the issue is grave matter or not.
Perhaps find a church that is different than the one you normally attend so that your parents don’t have to worry about their reputation with the priest, if that is the driving issue. Because other than that, I’m not sure I understand the compunction to forbid confession.
Guidance is one thing. For instance, if the parents think the child is being overly scrupulous. But that would only require discouragement from confessing something that is not a sin, not forbidding it.
After all - if the priest doesn’t think the confession rises to the point of actual sin, isn’t this a great time for pastoral instruction?
To the OP: if you can manage to do it without causing harm to your parents, I’d confess and let the priest know if you need clarity on whether the issue is grave matter or not.
Perhaps find a church that is different than the one you normally attend so that your parents don’t have to worry about their reputation with the priest, if that is the driving issue. Because other than that, I’m not sure I understand the compunction to forbid confession.
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Linusthe2nd
Guest
Your parents cannot refuse to allow you to go to confession unless it is physically very difficult to get you to confession on time. Is that the problem? Only a priest can judge whether or not you are worried over something really serious or if your imagination is working overtime. If you can walk to Church or take a bus, I would just go and not say anything. Some parents are not very " active " in their faith and so feel odd when another member of the faimly wants to practice their faith. I hope this is not the case. Linus2nd
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bolinstephen
Guest
What do you mean your parents won’t let you go?
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Southern
Guest
Obedience is to God first. The Commandment says “Thou shall honor your father and mother.” Suppose they demanded you to kill some one. Would you do it? I should hope not! If they tell you not to like or pray for some one because they don’t like them. Should you obey? I should hope not. Believing and following God will get you in a lot of trouble with the world. Parent against child brother against sister neighbor against neighbor, so on and so forth. God should be first in everything, even before your family. God Bless!
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R_C
Guest
Ok, let’s face it: your son shows up randomly and asks you to take him to confession. It’s Friday. There are a billion reasons they may simply say: nope.
After all, last time I checked, most Parrishes in the area have confessions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and sometimes you show up and they smile and tell you: come back on Saturday
Do I like it? No. One should confess as soon as possible, and probably in all Parrishes if you insist they will connect you with a priest that is canonically bound to confess you
But it does make sense that this could happen
After all, last time I checked, most Parrishes in the area have confessions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and sometimes you show up and they smile and tell you: come back on Saturday
Do I like it? No. One should confess as soon as possible, and probably in all Parrishes if you insist they will connect you with a priest that is canonically bound to confess you
But it does make sense that this could happen - Status