M
momtomanykiddos
Guest
She’s nine months.
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W
WiccanWoman
Guest
I know the answer to this question because someone deeply beloved to my heart suffers from this very issue. She will go to confession (she is 60+ years old now) and confess “sins” from her younger years, because she feels she hasn’t suffered enough! She has even had a dear and gentle Priest reprimand her - lovingly, of course! - that her behavior is unhealthy, and she does not need to abase herself before God in this way. He told her that her behavior is making God sad. He told her: “One, last time, child, you are FORGIVEN and you have been so since your first sincere confession. Your ‘new’ penance is to research how to forgive YOURSELF and restore your life to the wholesome gift from God it should be.”OP confessed and received absolution in the hospital.
I don’t think she needs to, or even can, confess and receive absolution for that which has already been confessed, absolved, and not repeated. Can she?
Therefore… the answer to your question is “no”… however, the O/P does feel terribly guilty and sad, so of course she would want to find herself in the forgiving arms of the God who loves her, and she aches to confess (perhaps again and again), and wonders if a reversal might be an appropriate penance and an answer to her dismay. Until told by a Priest that this is a necessary and required penance, I think not.
O/P, you sound like you love children. You have many; you say that two have special needs, and that you home school. Perhaps as “penance” you can reach out to other children who are in need… maybe be a foster parent… or a Big Sister… or read to needy children in hospital or hospice… babysit for just one more child while the mother attends school to better herself, or visits her physician… volunteer to answer a local hotline, where you can listen and help women and children who have been abused and are afraid because they don’t know what to do next. There are many children who could benefit from contact with you, I’m sure, and when you give of your love and your time to those in need, God smiles.
I wish you and your family the very best in your future together.
K
Kal2012
Guest
It’s also natural that you’d feel sad because one stage of your life is over and another is beginning.
It makes sense that if you have two special needs kids and are having financial problems, then you wouldn’t want any more kids. Also, if you have health issues, then it makes sense to have a tubal. Especially, if having more kids would put your life at risk.
I understand the theological issues involved; however, I don’t buy into a “black/white” paradigm when it comes to moral issues like this.
You’ve already confessed, but it might be helpful to get some counseling on this issue.
It makes sense that if you have two special needs kids and are having financial problems, then you wouldn’t want any more kids. Also, if you have health issues, then it makes sense to have a tubal. Especially, if having more kids would put your life at risk.
I understand the theological issues involved; however, I don’t buy into a “black/white” paradigm when it comes to moral issues like this.
You’ve already confessed, but it might be helpful to get some counseling on this issue.
L
Listener
Guest
It sounds like you were between a rock and a hard place, and you made the best decision you knew how to make. Remember that Prudence is a Cardinal Virtue.
I can understand why the Church forbids sterilization. If you were a young woman who decided that kids were just too much trouble and you refused to have any, I can see how the Church would be against that. In fact, I can imagine that there are many doctors who would refuse to do this operation on a young, healthy woman.
Your situation was much different than this. Your uterus is basically destroyed from too many incisions. Maybe some doctors would have removed the uterus, but this doctor fixed it by removing access to it.
If you had an empty refrigerator sitting in your yard that was a danger to children, wouldn’t you remove the door so a child couldn’t get in there and suffocate?
I don’t think you are obligated to reverse the operation. You have stated that you don’t have the money. Any operation in your future is probably a hysterectomy.
This whole thing reminds me of what Jesus said about pulling an ox out of a pit on the Sabbath. The hypocritical Pharisees thought it shouldn’t be done.
Please listen to your priest and be at peace.
I can understand why the Church forbids sterilization. If you were a young woman who decided that kids were just too much trouble and you refused to have any, I can see how the Church would be against that. In fact, I can imagine that there are many doctors who would refuse to do this operation on a young, healthy woman.
Your situation was much different than this. Your uterus is basically destroyed from too many incisions. Maybe some doctors would have removed the uterus, but this doctor fixed it by removing access to it.
If you had an empty refrigerator sitting in your yard that was a danger to children, wouldn’t you remove the door so a child couldn’t get in there and suffocate?
I don’t think you are obligated to reverse the operation. You have stated that you don’t have the money. Any operation in your future is probably a hysterectomy.
This whole thing reminds me of what Jesus said about pulling an ox out of a pit on the Sabbath. The hypocritical Pharisees thought it shouldn’t be done.
Please listen to your priest and be at peace.
L
Listener
Guest
It sounds like you were between a rock and a hard place, and you made the best decision you knew how to make. Remember that Prudence is a Cardinal Virtue.
I can understand why the Church forbids sterilization. If you were a young woman who decided that kids were just too much trouble and you refused to have any, I can see how the Church would be against that. In fact, I can imagine that there are many doctors who would refuse to do this operation on a young, healthy woman.
Your situation was much different than this. Your uterus is basically destroyed from too many incisions. Maybe some doctors would have removed the uterus, but this doctor fixed it by removing access to it.
If you had an empty refrigerator sitting in your yard that was a danger to children, wouldn’t you remove the door so a child couldn’t get in there and suffocate?
I don’t think you are obligated to reverse the operation. You have stated that you don’t have the money. Any operation in your future is probably a hysterectomy.
This whole thing reminds me of what Jesus said about pulling an ox out of a pit on the Sabbath. The hypocritical Pharisees thought it shouldn’t be done.
Please listen to your priest and be at peace.
I can understand why the Church forbids sterilization. If you were a young woman who decided that kids were just too much trouble and you refused to have any, I can see how the Church would be against that. In fact, I can imagine that there are many doctors who would refuse to do this operation on a young, healthy woman.
Your situation was much different than this. Your uterus is basically destroyed from too many incisions. Maybe some doctors would have removed the uterus, but this doctor fixed it by removing access to it.
If you had an empty refrigerator sitting in your yard that was a danger to children, wouldn’t you remove the door so a child couldn’t get in there and suffocate?
I don’t think you are obligated to reverse the operation. You have stated that you don’t have the money. Any operation in your future is probably a hysterectomy.
This whole thing reminds me of what Jesus said about pulling an ox out of a pit on the Sabbath. The hypocritical Pharisees thought it shouldn’t be done.
Please listen to your priest and be at peace.
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