Dying without Confession

[thistle]

Attrition is, in my opinion, made perfect by overwhelming desire to go to Confession.
The beauty of the sacrament of Confession is that it is an act of exposing yourself such that God may have mercy upon you. If you do not fully trust in God’s mercy, then receiving any sacrament, especially Reconciliation, would be absolutely pointless!
This translates into the distinct difference between attrition and contrition.
**If you are going to Confession, are you not wanting God above all things and thus performing an act of contrition? It is an outward sign of their contrition (already made) by motive and will.**A person cannot want the sacrament of Confession for the purpose of themselves, otherwise it would not be reconciliation with the Church. It would be reconciliation with themselves, and for what they desire-- lack of fear. If the person wants to be reconciled with the Church, they want what God wants–love (because the Church is an outward sign of God’s love), and thus their will (for forgiveness) AND motive (for love) is in tandem with God’s.
If the person lacks the motive or the will, they are not in tandem with God, and thus attrition.

Perfect contrition means the motivation for your contrition is primarily love of God and sorrow for offending him. This is why it forgives mortal sins prior to getting to Confession although there still has to be a firm intention to get to Confession as soon as possible (without this intention the act is not perfect).

Imperfect contrition means the motivation for your contrition is primarily fear of going to Hell. That is why it does not forgive sins. Completion of the imperfect contrition is only through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and absolution.

Both the above require Confession but only perfect contrition will save you if you die before getting there. The fact a person is going to Confession does not mean they are doing so because they are mainly sorry for offending God. Imperfect contrition prompts someone to go to Confession but does not save them if they die before getting there.