W
Wowbagger
Guest
I have a friend who was raised Catholic but is in open dissent from the Church on the usual modern issues–masturbation is fine, pornography is only bad if someone gets hurt, contraception is a duty of responsible sex partners, homosexuality is natural and should be treated the same as everything else, the Church has no right to keep people from going to communion despite these sins… you know the drill.
Now, I am in conversation with her about Catholic teaching on sex, and I’ve got my George Weigel and my Christopher West and my JPII, and, together, the four of us are making inroads in her dissent. She’s honestly open to arguments on behalf of the Church, and I do think that the truth will win her over in the end.
However, in the meantime, Easter is coming on, as is the annual duty of confession. Should I advise her to go to confession, even knowing that she will not confess her dissent or any of her related sins, or should I advise her to stay home until she’s worked herself back into a good relationship with the Church? On the one hand, the graces of the sacrament of Reconciliation are always good, and the absolution of other sins can only bring her closer to Christ. On the other hand, I worry that going to confession without confessing the most serious sins, even out of honest dissent, would only compound her sin and make the problem bigger.
Is there a specific teaching on this? If not, what do ya’ll think about it, as a matter of prudential judgement?
Now, I am in conversation with her about Catholic teaching on sex, and I’ve got my George Weigel and my Christopher West and my JPII, and, together, the four of us are making inroads in her dissent. She’s honestly open to arguments on behalf of the Church, and I do think that the truth will win her over in the end.
However, in the meantime, Easter is coming on, as is the annual duty of confession. Should I advise her to go to confession, even knowing that she will not confess her dissent or any of her related sins, or should I advise her to stay home until she’s worked herself back into a good relationship with the Church? On the one hand, the graces of the sacrament of Reconciliation are always good, and the absolution of other sins can only bring her closer to Christ. On the other hand, I worry that going to confession without confessing the most serious sins, even out of honest dissent, would only compound her sin and make the problem bigger.
Is there a specific teaching on this? If not, what do ya’ll think about it, as a matter of prudential judgement?