How soon must one go to confession?

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MilesVitae

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If you commit a mortal sin, are you morally obligated to get to confession as soon as possible?

Obviously it is the smartest thing to do - furthermore, if one wishes to return to the state of grace before receiving the sacrament of reconciliation he has to have perfect contrition with the firm resolution to go as soon as possible. But that’s not what I’m asking about.

What I am asking is whether it would be wrong for one to not get to confession as soon as possible after committing a mortal sin.
 
How soon? You can not receive Communion in a state of sin so that means that you [must] confess before Sunday mass. The rest is up to you. If you feel bad,as I hope you do after a sin,and I am not a nasty guy,you do it ASAP! But,it is up to you. I would go straight but I am I and you are you.
 
MilesVitae said:
If you commit a mortal sin, are you morally obligated to get to confession as soon as possible?

Obviously it is the smartest thing to do - furthermore, if one wishes to return to the state of grace before receiving the sacrament of reconciliation he has to have perfect contrition with the firm resolution to go as soon as possible. But that’s not what I’m asking about.

What I am asking is whether it would be wrong for one to not get to confession as soon as possible after committing a mortal sin.
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To a good Catholic, the guilt of a mortal sin will weigh heavily on the sinner’s conscience. Why would you not go to Confession at the earliest opportunity? If you’ve made a perfect act of contrition, you will die without the sin on your soul, but if after making your perfect act of contrition you put off the obligation of going to Confession, then the guilt returns. So, to answer your question, yes, it is wrong for one not to get to confession as soon as possible after commiting a mortal sin.
 
Lonely_guy said:
You can not receive Communion in a state of sin so that means that you [must] confess before Sunday mass.
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Or just abstain from Communion that Sunday…

But yes, get to confession as soon as is possible. I wouldn’t consider it sinful to not go as soon as is humanly possible (which might mean calling the rectory and begging the priest to see you that very day), but if in mortal sin, confession should be made a top priority.
 
The road to purgatory is full of Catholics with mortal sins,
 
Good advice so far. Yes you need to get to confession as soon as reasonably possible. I add the term reasonably because one should not feel compelled call a priest in the middle of the night or to drive 2 hours to go to confession today when confession is offered right up the street tomorrow or the next day.

I know those are extreme examples but I just want to make the point that perhaps a better way to phrase the statement is to go “at the soonest opportunity”.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
Good advice so far. Yes you need to get to confession as soon as reasonably possible. I add the term reasonably because one should not feel compelled call a priest in the middle of the night or to drive 2 hours to go to confession today when confession is offered right up the street tomorrow or the next day.

I know those are extreme examples but I just want to make the point that perhaps a better way to phrase the statement is to go “at the soonest opportunity”.

Peace
James
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Just don’t assume mortal sins will be forgiven if they are repeated to the point the Priest is confident you will do the sin all over again.
 
I always have a hard time with the concept of God judging people arbitrarily (your last state ) instead of being judged by how you lived your life.
 
Just get there as soon as you can.

I always feel depressed when I am in mortal sin but afterwrds I feel a rush of graces and happiness.
 
Lonely_guy said:
How soon? You can not receive Communion in a state of sin so that means that you [must] confess before Sunday mass.
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One is only obligated to receive communion once a year, during the Easter season if possible. There is no obligation to receive weekly, only to attend Mass weekly.
 
Waiting said:
To a good Catholic, the guilt of a mortal sin will weigh heavily on the sinner’s conscience. Why would you not go to Confession at the earliest opportunity? If you’ve made a perfect act of contrition, you will die without the sin on your soul, but if after making your perfect act of contrition you put off the obligation of going to Confession, then the guilt returns. So, to answer your question, yes, it is wrong for one not to get to confession as soon as possible after commiting a mortal sin.
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I’m confused…yes, a devout Catholic will want to get to confession as soon as reasonably possible, and if he intends to go as soon as possible while having perfect contrition, he is forgiven already. But how does that imply it is obligatory to go asap?
 
scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#1452

1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.51

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52
 
One ought to seek confession as soon as is reasonably possible.

For ones good 🙂

(even though there is no “obligation” from the Church to go to confession right away)
 
PeterGStanley said:
I always have a hard time with the concept of God judging people arbitrarily (your last state ) instead of being judged by how you lived your life.
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It is not arbitrary, God does not force himself on people by forcing them to Heaven. If you want to reject God - that is what mortal sin is, rejection of God - and you die in that state of rejection, He will respect your choice.
 
Castello said:
It is not arbitrary, God does not force himself on people by forcing them to Heaven. If you want to reject God - that is what mortal sin is, rejection of God - and you die in that state of rejection, He will respect your choice.
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I think he means that God looks at the big picture, not like he is correcting a written exam. Also, lets face it we do not KNOW that dying in mortal sin will always cause someone to go to hell. Only God knows this and even the Church pronounces that unrepented Mortal sin MAY(not will) cause one to go to hell.
 
hunter123 said:
I think he means that God looks at the big picture, not like he is correcting a written exam. Also, lets face it we do not KNOW that dying in mortal sin will always cause someone to go to hell. Only God knows this and even the Church pronounces that unrepented Mortal sin MAY(not will) cause one to go to hell.
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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.
 
hunter123 said:
I think he means that God looks at the big picture, not like he is correcting a written exam. Also, lets face it we do not KNOW that dying in mortal sin will always cause someone to go to hell. Only God knows this and even the Church pronounces that unrepented Mortal sin MAY(not will) cause one to go to hell.
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The Church teaches that if one dies in unrepented mortal sin, they will go to hell (CCC 1033).

If one does with unconfessed mortal sins, that’s another matter. We can’t know what God’s grace has accomplished in the heart of another person in their last moments. They may have repented with perfect contrition right before the end.
 
PeterGStanley said:
I always have a hard time with the concept of God judging people arbitrarily (your last state ) instead of being judged by how you lived your life.
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Well, most of the time your state at death will accurately reflect how you lived at least a reasonable proportion of your life preceding. Eg Christopher Hitchens - militant atheist - seems by all indications to have died very much as he lived, and so most likely will face an appropriate eternal fate.

But if it helps, think in terms of, for example, a marriage. You can have 30, 40, 50 years of wedded bliss but it would certainly count for naught if after those 30 40 or 50 years the husband upped and beat his wife, even only once, if he was never sorry for it. And there’s the rub - someone who genuinely lover their wife for all those years most likely would be extremely sorry for doing something so awful, and would do whatever it took to make things right.
 
MilesVitae said:
I’m confused…yes, a devout Catholic will want to get to confession as soon as reasonably possible, and if he intends to go as soon as possible while having perfect contrition, he is forgiven already. But how does that imply it is obligatory to go asap?
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Forgiveness without Confession is a temporary state that implies that the penitent will receive the sacrament at the earliest reasonable time. If the opportunity for Confession is available, but not taken advantage of, then that demonstrates that the penitent was not sincere in his sorrow for the serious sin. The sin is still there. The need for Confession is obligatory.
 
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