How can a priest turn you into a good person?

[thinkandmull]

The sacrament of reconciliation is the ordinary method of cleansing post-baptismal mortal sin, but God is not bound by the sacraments. Further, He knows every heart, is perfectly just, and wants everyone in Heaven with Him, so there isn’t going to be a situation in which one person is saved and another damned arbitrarily if their response to grace was identical.

Talking about “merit” is strange when we are dealing with people who are dead in sin. There is no “deserving” forgiveness of mortal sin. The concept of merit only really comes into play when you’re talking about subsequent responses to actual grace on the path of increasing sanctity.

On the other hand, we are not to neglect the sacrament if we do have access to it. As was just pointed out, even one forgiven due to perfect contrition is still expected to avail themselves of the sacrament.

there isn’t going to be a situation in which one person is saved and another damned arbitrarily if their response to grace was identical

 

[Usagi]

what about people in the New World before Columbus? Why would God bind himself to a sacrament that restricts Him? Or maybe He would bilocate priests there.

God is not bound by the sacraments. He may have done the latter once or twice, but obviously not frequently enough to make a significant difference before Christians arrived by normal means.

 

[thinkandmull]

I thought Trent taught that the normal way, via priests, was the only way attrition can save someone

 

[Wesrock]

I thought Trent taught that the normal way, via priests, was the only way attrition can save someone

Let’s not forget the Church’s teaching on invincible ignorance.