EDITED: Confession deferred is perfect contrition enough?

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flightkid

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If i made an attempt to go to confession due to mortal sin but the priest due to time constraints and a long line could not get to everyone to absolve them before mass can I take communion if my intent is to go to confession in a proper amount of time after since they were conditions outside of mine and the priest control? I thought this would be a case of “perfect contrition” like the cathecism talks about? Can you please explain and tell me your thoughts? Thank you and God bless!
 
flightkid said:
If i made an attempt to go to confession due to mortal sin but the priest due to time constraints and a long line could not get to everyone to absolve them before mass can I take communion if my intent is to go to confession in a proper amount of time after since they were conditions outside of mine and the priest control? I thought this would be a case of “perfect contrition” like the cathecism talks about? Can you please explain and tell me your thoughts? Thank you and God bless!
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No.

(such I would say would NOT be usually one of those exceptional circumstances…)

One needs to go to confession first and confess and be absolved.

CCC 1385…Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

(Grave sin= mortal sin)

(PS: one need not wait though for confession time to go to confession …but can contact a Catholic Priest at any other time…for example after Mass…or give a call and drop by)
 
Even if you have perfect contrition and your sin is forgiven, ordinarily you still have to abstain from the Eucharist until you have confessed the sin(s) sacramentally.
 
**Even if you have perfect contrition and your sin is forgiven, ordinarily you still have to abstain from the Eucharist until you have confessed the sin(s) sacramentally. **

The above is absolutely correct.
However, if you HAVE confessed all known mortal sin, and have been receiving communion, and are in the communion line and confession time is over,
and suddenly remember a mortal sin that you sincerely FORGOT to confess,
or didn’t realize until that moment was probably a mortal sin,
I understand that you are allowed to receive communion (someone correct me,
with documentation, if I am wrong about this, please),
but that
you should confess that forgotten mortal sin at your next Confession.
You do NOT want to be receiving sacrilegious communions.
 
Also, following up on the above comment,
if you remember a long forgotten sin, and you suspect it might be a mortal sin,
or might be an “aggravating factor” to a previously confessed mortal sin,
then EVEN IF YOU ARE SCRUPULOUS,
you should confess it at your next confession.
The reason is, that you do not want your conscience driving you crazy
(and if the Devil knows you are worried about something,
he will play it up to the hilt by putting guilty thoughts into your head, too).

If your priest gets irritated because you confess an aggravating factor
to a previously-confessed sin, well that is just too bad and it’s HIS problem.
He is not the one who has to suffer from your guilty conscience, it is his job
to hear your confession, absolve you, and give you a penance.
God bless you,
Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
 
Jaypeeto4 said:
**Even if you have perfect contrition and your sin is forgiven, ordinarily you still have to abstain from the Eucharist until you have confessed the sin(s) sacramentally. **

The above is absolutely correct.
However, if you HAVE confessed all known mortal sin, and have been receiving communion, and are in the communion line and confession time is over,
and suddenly remember a mortal sin that you sincerely FORGOT to confess,
or didn’t realize until that moment was probably a mortal sin,
I understand that you are allowed to receive communion (someone correct me,
with documentation, if I am wrong about this, please),
but that
you should confess that forgotten mortal sin at your next Confession.
You do NOT want to be receiving sacrilegious communions.
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flightkid said:
If i made an attempt to go to confession due to mortal sin but the priest due to time constraints and a long line could not get to everyone to absolve them before mass can I take communion if my intent is to go to confession in a proper amount of time after since they were conditions outside of mine and the priest control? I thought this would be a case of “perfect contrition” like the cathecism talks about? Can you please explain and tell me your thoughts? Thank you and God bless!
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Even if you have made an act of perfect contrition you may NOT receive Communion prior to Confession unless there is a grave reason to do so. I wouldn’t think sitting in the Confession line and the priest not being able to hear everyone’s constitutes a grave reason.

CCC Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession,** unless there is a grave reason** and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.
 
thistle said:
Even if you have made an act of perfect contrition you may NOT receive Communion prior to Confession unless there is a grave reason to do so. I wouldn’t think sitting in the Confession line and the priest not being able to hear everyone’s constitutes a grave reason.

CCC Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession,** unless there is a grave reason** and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.
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I think the grave reason refers to a priet who is guilty of a grave sin and must say mass. A priest must receive communion at any mass he celebrates. The rest of us are only obliged to receive once a year, which should provide abundant opportunities to confess before receiving.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I think the grave reason refers to a priet who is guilty of a grave sin and must say mass. A priest must receive communion at any mass he celebrates. The rest of us are only obliged to receive once a year, which should provide abundant opportunities to confess before receiving.
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I suppose grave reason could also be danger of death of the penitent.

What we all agree on is that even making an act of perfect contrition (and how could anyone be sure they had done that) receiving Communion is not permitted without going to Confession first.
 
I am not so sure James Akin agrees in his latest podcast in regards to refraining from communion in circumstances beyond our control…I would invite everyone to listen to his blogcast…I respect his insight, but I have been many places in the world where confession lines are SO long that not all priest can get to everyone…if you have perfect contrition and made the attempt (you are already forgiven) and why should you refrain from communion if you will go to confession ASAP after…how do protestants receive forgiveness for mortal sin? I think James Akin has some great points…
 
I just want to be clear I would NEVER go receive communion without making an attempt to go to confession. I have been many places around the world and even in my own parish where there are so many people and not enough priest to hear every persons confession before mass…and I have even stood in line for hours before and than the priest has to leave to say mass and I could not make my confession…i had always wondered if I should refrain from communion or wait till I go to confession again…I just had always thought christ knew my heart and my attempt and it was beyond my control and I really want to receive him in the eucharist, but did not know proper thing to do. God bless!
 
As long as it is 1 hr before receiving the Eucharist, My old pastor use to eat breakfast between mass’s between the 8 am and 10 am.
 
flightkid said:
I am not so sure James Akin agrees in his latest podcast in regards to refraining from communion in circumstances beyond our control…I would invite everyone to listen to his blogcast…I respect his insight, but I have been many places in the world where confession lines are SO long that not all priest can get to everyone…if you have perfect contrition and made the attempt (you are already forgiven) and why should you refrain from communion if you will go to confession ASAP after…how do protestants receive forgiveness for mortal sin? I think James Akin has some great points…
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They don’t!
 
TrueLight said:
So God is bound by the sacraments then?
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If you are saying protestants can have their sins forgiven then you are saying they are correct when they maintain that Confession is not required and the Catholic Church is not the true Church.

There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church.
Not all Catholics are saved but everyone in Heaven is Catholic.
 
thistle said:
If you are saying protestants can have their sins forgiven then you are saying they are correct when they maintain that Confession is not required and the Catholic Church is not the true Church.
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I realized when I posted that it raises an interesting question; If you believe that all Protestants will go to hell, than everything is nice and simple.

However, if you believe that God will judge Protestant Christians individually according to their faith, then it makes more sense.

God instituted the sacrament of penance as the normal means for forgiveness and that is how we, as Catholics are forgiven.

It doesn’t mean if it is impossible for a Catholic to get to confession and dies, after having perfect contrition , he cannot be saved.

And it doesn’t mean a Protestant who has perfect contrition at the moment of death, cannot be saved.
 
thistle said:
If you are saying protestants can have their sins forgiven then you are saying they are correct when they maintain that Confession is not required and the Catholic Church is not the true Church.

There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church.
Not all Catholics are saved but everyone in Heaven is Catholic.
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While it may be possible that not all Catholics will be saved, it is not impossible for all Catholics to be saved. God’s mercy is infinite, after all. Likewise, if you are saying that everyone in Heaven was a Catholic here on earth, I’d have to disagree. The Orthodox saints are prime examples of non-Catholics that are in Heaven. St. Gregory Palamas is a perfect example of that, as he is recognized on both Orthodox and Catholic calendars as a saint.

The Catholic Church mentions the “no salvation” line in the catechism, and it can be found online here: www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#846.

This does not mean that we are saying Confession isn’t needed - it certainly is for Catholic Christians. However, God’s mercy and love doesn’t stop there, and He can choose to forgive since with his infinite wisdom and all-powerful love.
 
BusterMartin said:
While it may be possible that not all Catholics will be saved, it is not impossible for all Catholics to be saved. God’s mercy is infinite, after all. Likewise, if you are saying that everyone in Heaven was a Catholic here on earth, I’d have to disagree. The Orthodox saints are prime examples of non-Catholics that are in Heaven. St. Gregory Palamas is a perfect example of that, as he is recognized on both Orthodox and Catholic calendars as a saint.

The Catholic Church mentions the “no salvation” line in the catechism, and it can be found online here: www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#846.

This does not mean that we are saying Confession isn’t needed - it certainly is for Catholic Christians. However, God’s mercy and love doesn’t stop there, and He can choose to forgive since with his infinite wisdom and all-powerful love.
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Christ established the Catholic Church. He gave it authority. That means all Church teachings have the authority of God behind them. When the Church says baptism is necessary for salvation and there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church then that is it otherwise it would mean the Church teachings are wrong and Christ had lied.
It is naive and simplistic for people to always have the disclaimer that God can do anything he wants.
 
Thistle have read any of the Encyclicals of John Paul II? Do you know what he said when he entered and greeted World Youth Day in Denver? “Most of you are members of the Catholic CHurch, but others are from other Chrisitan Churchs and Communities, and I greet each one with sincere friendship. In spite of divisions among christians all those justified by faith through baptism are incoprorated into Christ…brothers and sisters in the Lord.”

I suggest you re read his enyclical “Ut unum Sint”:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint_en.html

As far as confession…we do as te cathecism states have the ability to make an act of contrition to ask for forgiveness of sins…if I were to die in a car crash and stated an act of contrition out of the honest desire of my heart for ocnfession…the Church teaches we can be saved since God is not bound to his sacraments since they are the “norms” of how we recveive grace as many have suggested.
 
flightkid said:
Thistle have read any of the Encyclicals of John Paul II? Do you know what he said when he entered and greeted World Youth Day in Denver? “Most of you are members of the Catholic CHurch, but others are from other Chrisitan Churchs and Communities, and I greet each one with sincere friendship. In spite of divisions among christians all those justified by faith through baptism are incoprorated into Christ…brothers and sisters in the Lord.”

I suggest you re read his enyclical “Ut unum Sint”:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint_en.html

As far as confession…we do as te cathecism states have the ability to make an act of contrition to ask for forgiveness of sins…if I were to die in a car crash and stated an act of contrition out of the honest desire of my heart for ocnfession…the Church teaches we can be saved since God is not bound to his sacraments since they are the “norms” of how we recveive grace as many have suggested.
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This is what the Church teaches:

- Baptism is necessary for salvation (but does not ensure it as you must die in a state of grace).

- There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church.

So how can you be baptised and Catholic/deemed to be Catholic? There are 4 ways:
  • Sacramental Baptism as a Catholic
  • Baptism of Blood (non-Catholic dying for the Catholic Faith)
  • Baptism of Desire - Explicit (e.g. a catechumen going through RCIA)
  • Baptism of Desire - Implicit (invincible ignorance which means those who through no fault of their own do not know Christ, His Gospel, or His Church but still live a life according to the teachings of Christ in that ignorance)
You can debate who may or may not be included under invincible ignorance but outside the above 4 there is no salvation.
 
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