How soon must one go to confession?

[hunter123]

Would you have a source for that?

Every official teaching of the Church I can find is clear:

scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1035.htm

1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

I stand corrected…and here I thought God was love. This OFFICIAL teaching makes God sound like a tyrannical despot. It also makes the Church sound like God. I believe only God knows an individuals final destiny…my source being respect for Gods final authority.

 

[LilyM]

I stand corrected…and here I thought God was love. This OFFICIAL teaching makes God sound like a tyrannical despot. It also makes the Church sound like God. I believe only God knows an individuals final destiny…my source being respect for Gods final authority.

Yes only God knows an individual’s final destiny. That is why the Church never pronounces individuals to be in Hell. There is no corresponding process to canonization whereby the church will definitively pronounce that Hitler, for example, or Judas or whoever, is damned in the same manner as they will pronounce Therese of Lisieux or Padre Pio to be in heaven.

But the Church can, and in fact must, teach as a general principle that anyone who dies with unrepented mortal sin on their soul does indeed go to Hell. What on earth would be the point of all Jesus’ many teachings on sin and the importance of avoiding it if unrepentant mortal sinners can in truth sometimes get a free pass?

Now there is nothing tyrannical or despotic about setting a standard or a rule and sticking to it. Nothing tyrannical in a university, for example, saying ‘to be eligible to study for our law degree you must obtain such and such a score in the entrance exam’. They set the guidelines because they know a certain level of aptitude for study is necessary for the course, which is tested by the entrance exam.

Same with the church’s teaching. Our ‘aptitude’, if you like, for heaven is measured by our repentance when we sin. Why would someone be in any way deserving of heaven who cares so little for God that they willingly and knowingly offend Him gravely and aren’t even sorry for it?

 

[LilyM]

Another thought to ponder - why would God force someone to spend eternity with Him who cares so little for Him that they would knowingly and willingly seriously offend Him and never even afterwards repent, be sorry, for doing do? Surely such a person would find eternity in His company painful rather than a blessing, so probably would not want it!

 

[JRKH]

I stand corrected…and here I thought God was love. This OFFICIAL teaching makes God sound like a tyrannical despot. It also makes the Church sound like God. I believe only God knows an individuals final destiny…my source being respect for Gods final authority.

If one takes the teaching in isolation perhaps, but if one takes the time to carefully read the pertinent sections of the Catechism and learn the actual definitions and conditions, then no God does not appear to be a tyrannical despot…

But you are right - Only God knows a persons final destiny because only God knows if a person dies in “unrepentant” Mortal sin or not.

IF the person dies in unrepentant Mortal sin then their destination is hell (but we cannot say any specific individual went there since we don’t know it the person repented at the last moment)…

If the person sincerely repents of a mortal sin but dies before before getting to confession the assumption is generally that the intent to confess is sufficient and the mortal sin is forgiven.

The key here is whether one dies “repentant” or “unrepentant”

Peace
James

 

[hunter123]

I understand where you guys are coming from a bit better. However, I made an example in another post somewhere about defining that mortal sin. It seems that most on here define Masturbation a mortal sin if one is aware of church teaching in regards to its gravity. So let me create this hypothetical situation for you.
A man lives a Catholic life, but in a moment of weakness masturbated because his wife was not in the mood for sex. He feels justified in doing this and is unrepentant. If he dies in this state is he not dying in unrepentant mortal sin? If so either we are to accept church teaching that he is hell bound. If not we are forced to admit that God may look at the high picture rather than one act.
When we say we can’t know if the person was truly repentant before death seems like semantics in a sense. If that man truly justified his act in his mind and then immediately died, according to teaching would he not be going to hell? Or do you have to believe what you are doing is really wrong? If you truly believe that some teachings are not correct would God still punish you for them?

 

[Waiting]

I understand where you guys are coming from a bit better. However, I made an example in another post somewhere about defining that mortal sin. It seems that most on here define Masturbation a mortal sin if one is aware of church teaching in regards to its gravity. So let me create this hypothetical situation for you.
A man lives a Catholic life, but in a moment of weakness masturbated because his wife was not in the mood for sex. He feels justified in doing this and is unrepentant. If he dies in this state is he not dying in unrepentant mortal sin? If so either we are to accept church teaching that he is hell bound. If not we are forced to admit that God may look at the high picture rather than one act.
When we say we can’t know if the person was truly repentant before death seems like semantics in a sense. If that man truly justified his act in his mind and then immediately died, according to teaching would he not be going to hell? Or do you have to believe what you are doing is really wrong? If you truly believe that some teachings are not correct would God still punish you for them?

I think we think too much. We’re trying to put God in a box and tell Him what He must do. It’s true that if you die in unrepented mortal sin you will go to hell. You choose hell when you reject God. BUT God is fighting for your soul. He told St. Gertrude, “When I behold any soul in agony, who has thought of me with pleasure, or who has performed any works deserving of reward, I appear to that soul at the moment of death, with a countenance so full of love and mercy, that the soul repents from its inmost depths for having offended Me, and that soul is saved by this repentance.” I’m counting on this promise to save many that I pray for. Jesus says, “Trust in Me.” Do your best, and trust in God.

 

[JRKH]

hunter,
You bring in a number of different facets here and each must be taken properly into account.

First of all is the term “unrepentant”…In order for one to be unrepentant there must be something that they know they should repent of. Whether they consider the item to be mortal not-withstanding, they are withholding from God (and from themselves) that repentance that they know the should embrace. This - in itself - is a serious matter in any sort of judgement.

Second is the idea of a “moment of weakness”…What does this mean? That in the vast majority of times you would be stronger and not commit the sin? If so, then what is this “moment of weakness” that you speak of? If if the weakness is only for a moment, why do you not stop - or - why do you not immediately repent? Remaining unrepentant obviously involves more than a “moment of weakness”.

Third is the idea that you do not repent because you have “justified” the action. When did he do this justification? Was it in his “moment of weakness”? This seems unlikely since an act performed in a moment of weakness seems to carry a sense of not thinking the matter through.
So if we accept the “moment of weakness” argument then the justification had to come at another time…time when one had time to consider the nature of the sin, the gravity of the act, the laws governing the act etc. This might have occurred before the act, at other times when you desired sex but were prevented, or it might occur after your “moment of weakness” when you had time to reflect on the matter, it’s gravity and possible consequences.
In either case, the fact that you have “justified” it AND remained unrepentant means that the second and third requirements of Mortal sin are met. Knowledge of the sinful nature and full consent of the will. now you might say that full consent is not present in a “moment of weakness” but it most certainly IS present in the “justification” of the act either before or after the fact.

As to the semantics aspect, I agree that this can be an issue and this is why we must be very careful to express, and to read, things carefully so as to effectively communicate and understand what is “teaching” as opposed to how the teaching might be applied to a given circumstance or condition.
Teaching contains a series of if/then statements that outline, in so far as possible, certain normative factors and consequences - (name removed by moderator)uts and outputs if you will. When these are applied to specific situations, various other factors might come into play but those factors do not negate the basic tenets of the teaching.

I hope some of this helps.

Peace
James

 

[hunter123]

I think we think too much. We’re trying to put God in a box and tell Him what He must do. It’s true that if you die in unrepented mortal sin you will go to hell. You choose hell when you reject God. BUT God is fighting for your soul. He told St. Gertrude, “When I behold any soul in agony, who has thought of me with pleasure, or who has performed any works deserving of reward, I appear to that soul at the moment of death, with a countenance so full of love and mercy, that the soul repents from its inmost depths for having offended Me, and that soul is saved by this repentance.” I’m counting on this promise to save many that I pray for. Jesus says, “Trust in Me.” Do your best, and trust in God.

This helps very much and seems much more indicative of a just God. Thank you.

 

[JRKH]

St Catherine of Sienna also was given insight into this matter:
"Wherefore, know, that at the moment of death, they, having passed their life under the lordship of the Devil (not that they were forced to do so, for as I told you they cannot be forced, but they voluntarily put themselves into his hands), and, arriving at the extremity of their death under this perverse lordship, they await no other judgment than that of their own conscience, and desperately, despairingly, come to eternal damnation. Wherefore Hell, through their hate, surges up to them in the extremity of death, and before they get there, they take hold of it, by means of their lord the Devil.

"As the righteous, who have lived in charity and died in love, if they have lived perfectly in virtue, illuminated with the light of faith, with perfect hope in the Blood of the Lamb, when the extremity of death comes, see the good which I have prepared for them, and embrace it with the arms of love, holding fast with pressure of love to Me, the Supreme and Eternal Good. And so they taste eternal life before they have left the mortal body, that is, before the soul be separated from the body.

"Others who have passed their lives, and have arrived at the last extremity of death with an ordinary charity (not in that great perfection), embrace My mercy with the same light of faith and hope that had those perfect ones, but, in them, it is imperfect, for, because they were imperfect, they constrained My mercy, counting My mercy greater than their sins.

"The wicked sinners do the contrary, for, seeing, with desperation, their destination, they embrace it with hatred, as I told you. So that neither the one nor the other waits for judgment, but, in departing this life, they receive every one their place, as I have told you, and they taste it and possess it before they depart from the body, at the extremity of death – the damned with hatred and with despair, and the perfect ones with love and the light of faith and with the hope of the Blood. And the imperfect arrive at the place of Purgatory, with mercy and the same faith." (From HERE)

Peace
James

 

[holymass7]

Regarding those who said it is up to you when you go to Confession: there is such thing as presumption of God’s Mercy. By delaying Confession, you are setting the time when God will forgive you instead of running to God like a child to their parent’s arms.

With this being said, a Priest once told me that you have the right to confess to whoever you want and if there is a Priest you dont want to confess to then you dont have to. Im not sure where this is or what would be considered acceptable reasons for delay. There is still an urgency for Confession though!

Pax Christi