Dementia and Confession

[puzzleannie]

Having just had these discussions with those parishioners and staff who take communion to the sick in the nursing homes, they for their part wish the priests themselves would visit more often as even patients with obvious dementia often express a wish to confess or talk to the priest. Just the fact that they draw comfort from what they remember of the sacrament is enough to justify it. Any Catholic who asks for the sacrament has a right to confess to a priest. And of course that gives the priest the chance also to anoint those who need it. I have to say the 3 priests in this town are doing a much better job of getting to the hospitals and nursing homes in this city on a regular than they were when I came here, but there are also twice as many patients in twice as many facilities as there were 8 years ago.

 

[FrDavid96]

Interestingly, I have heard (from a quite traditional priest) that the shift was made because “extreme” carries a somewhat more, well, extreme connotation in modern English than in Latin, and as a result too many people would hold off on the Sacrament, or on calling a priest for someone, because, although an illness was very grave and life-threatening, it could probably still get even worse, so it wasn’t truly “extreme” yet. Obviously that’s not what the Church intends.

That’s right.

“Extreme” whether in English or Latin is merely an adjective which might or might not apply to the situation. Pre-Vatican II, the Sacrament was more or less limited to extreme situations (the only time it was administered was to the dying or to soldiers before battle), so the adjective was almost always used. If it’s not an extreme situation, naturally we shouldn’t add the adjective.
On the other side of the word Unction, Vatican II added “of the sick” which wasn’t necessarily used before because there was no need to use it (of course, he’s sick, that’s why he’s being anointed!) Vatican II did add it because in fact a need arose–the need to emphasize that it is “of the sick” and not limited to “of the dying.”

 

[FrDavid96]

i see. my understanding was that because a person had (probably severe) dimentia, they may not be able to make a proper confession and therefore not get absolution. so anointing is the only other way to gain forgiveness of sins through the Sacraments. but you’ve cleared that up that they can still receive absolution in that condition. thanks!

If the circumstances call for it, a person can be absolved without actually confessing sins. This is similar to what would happen if the person is unconscious. If a priest happens upon a car accident, and the person is unconscious, he can still impart absolution without auricular confession. The same principle applies here, even though the element of time is not there.

 

[Bookcat]

Can a person with significant dementia participate in the sacrament of confession and receive a valid absolution? What if the no longer fully comprehend the sacrament or are even capable of remembering of identify potential mortal sins that only they would (pre-dementia) know about.

If they cannot remember their sins…they can confess any sin they can remember …even from years ago…even already forgiven …and add ‘and all the sins of my life’…

for it is not their fault they can not remember…and even if they had moral sin…it would be like any forgotten and never remembered mortal sin of another…who does not hide such…

not sure on the ‘what if they do not fully comprend’ but i am sure the priest will know what to do …
]

 

[Sonic]

if the person cannot give a good confession because of a medical condition or illness, then the Anointing of the Sick will forgive their sins

CCC 1532
The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:

• the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church;
• the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age;
  **- the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of Penance; **
• the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
• the preparation for passing over to eternal life.

I’m curious… concerning confessions…

Would this also apply for someone that is suffering from delusions or hallucinations?

For example, in The American Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 134, No. 10. Octorber 1977 there is the case of a 49 year old woman who believed she was a wolf (psychosis). During her episodes, she engaged in some very strange and sinful behavior. She experienced strong compulsive urges for twenty years before finally completely breaking from reality. The case says she continued to believe she was a wolf even after being treated for nine weeks with neuroleptic medication.

 

[choy]

I’m curious… concerning confessions…

Would this also apply for someone that is suffering from delusions or hallucinations?

For example, in The American Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 134, No. 10. Octorber 1977 there is the case of a 49 year old woman who believed she was a wolf (psychosis). During her episodes, she engaged in some very strange and sinful behavior. She experienced strong compulsive urges for twenty years before finally completely breaking from reality. The case says she continued to believe she was a wolf even after being treated for nine weeks with neuroleptic medication.

follow my conversation with Fr. David
he said that a priest can give absolution even without a confession IF the situation calls for it. in the case you pointed out, the woman would be unable to make a confession, and definitely be unable to commit sin in the future (unless of course she regains her senses). a priest can give her absolution in this case

 

[Sonic]

…and definitely be unable to commit sin in the future (unless of course she regains her senses). a priest can give her absolution in this case

Sort of like being in a spiritual stasis chamber until her senses return. That would make sense. Thanks!

It seems like an odd case to bring up, but I’ve been doing research into the behavior of certain online communities. I’ve noticed a similarity in this case and the behaviors of certain people. It’s interesting this has popped up in the 21st century, and closer study might help in the conversion of the people I’m studying. If a person believes they are an animal, then it might help to understand that a psychological issue is taking place. Naturally, the question of forgiveness and sin is something that is important in this area. How a person with a delusion should approach the sacraments is important, as well. Hence, my interest in this topic.

 

[choy]

Sort of like being in a spiritual stasis chamber until her senses return. That would make sense. Thanks!

well, to commit sin you must have free will and choose to commit sin freely. if someone has a mental condition that prevents free will and free thought, then surely the ability to commit sin is gone. the same way a baby cannot commit sin because their capacity to know whats right and wrong hasn’t developed yet. so they’re basing their actions on instincts, of mimicking something which they don’t fully understand yet.

It seems like an odd case to bring up, but I’ve been doing research into the behavior of certain online communities. I noticed a similarity in this case and the behaviors of certain people. It’s interesting this has popped up in the 21st century, and closer study might help in the conversion of the people I’m studying. If a person believes they are an animal, then it might help to understand that a psychological issue is taking place. Naturally, the question of forgiveness and sin is something that is important in this area. How a person with a delusion should approach the sacraments is important, as well.

well, we should not forget that if a person was sane at some point in time, then they had the capacity to sin during that time. they would definitely need absolution. they might not understand it at that point in time, but their soul still needs it. that is why priests can still give absolution even without a confession in cases where the person has lost the capacity to make a confession. as Fr. David pointed out, if he drives by a car accident and a person is unconscious, he can still give absolution to that person. that person is not aware of anything, so he has no awareness of the Sacrament at all. but he still should receive it because his soul needs it, especially being in his state that he could die.