Hypothetical Scenario for Mortal Sin

[Tis_Bearself]

At the local Catholic Church here, just about everyone goes up and takes Holy Communion

And you have no idea about the state of their souls, so don’t judge. They may very well all be in a state of grace.

 

[Kima]

I´m no expert in this, but I know for sure that God isn´t sitting around waiting for us to get trapped in a sin. God is not unreasonable. God Himself is reason. So we got to think reasonable concerning God.

 

[Brendan_64]

This is also a good point. The person trying to go to Confession may have committed a grave matter sin. But if he is repentant and anxious to confess, is it truly mortal?

That is a good point, but if a person has committed a very serious sin that objectively passes the criteria for mortal sin (and not an ‘on the fence’ type of situation) and is contrite and repentant shortly afterwards, when the full realisation of what he has done hits him, can we really conclude that contrition afterwards means the sin wasn’t mortal when committed?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

“We” can’t conclude anything. “We” can realize that God is a merciful God who doesn’t throw repentant people into Hell because the guy ahead of them in the confession line took up the whole half hour of confession time.

Honestly, I think the whole “I mortally sinned and planned to go to Confession but got hit by a bus on the way there” or similar scenario has been posted here almost as many times as “If God can do anything, can He make a rock so big that He can’t lift it?” And we always get the same answers to the confession scenario. Half the responders think God will be merciful because the person was repentant, and the other half will say the person is going to Hell because technically he died in mortal sin. I tend to believe in the Lord’s mercy.

 

[Kima]

And you have no idea about the state of their souls, so don’t judge. They may very well all be in a state of grace.

In my parish, the thing about Confession lines doesn´t really exist outside of mandatory Confession for people taking first Communion or having Confirmation. In contrary, the Communion lines are LONG.

It´s really like the priest sits in the Confessional for 20 minutes before Mass while at many times, no one comes by. But that it´s offered without me having to ask is either way a great thing.

I´m not judging, let´s just say that most people generally could use to spend more time inside the confessional. Whether they are constantley in a state of grace or not is really none of my business.

 

[Vico]

Then the Catechism should say that mortal sins have to be confessed immediately after you commit them. It doesn’t. It says at least once a year.

Saint Faustina said at death God gives everyone a last chance to choose him or not. I’m all for frequent Confession. But in the hypothetical situation above hell makes no sense for the person. And if that is how God operates then the Catechism should say you need to call a Priest and schedule Confession immediately after committing a mortal sin. Instead of saying once a year at minimum for mortal sins is permissible.

The Catechism teaches us that:

• The results of sin (mortal or venial) include temporal punishments, which must be satisfied with penance when alive, or in purgatory after death.
• A person can not merit through good works except in the state of sanctifying grace. Greater merit is greater glory and Beatific Vision in heaven.
• One should receive the Eucharist frequently. It helps us to avoid sin of all kinds. Sins cause problems for us and others in the world that must be endured. So each should remain in a state the helps to avoid sin.
• The reception of the Eucharist forgives venial sins.
• The Eucharist cannot bring an increase of sanctifying grace when one is not already in the state of sanctifying grace. One should not receive the Eucharist when not in the state of grace rather individual confession and absolution is to be done first (there is a rare exception and only with perfect contrition).
• For eastern Catholics, the canon law norm is ASAP confession of any serious sin.

Catechism

1389 The Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, if possible during the Easter season.224 But the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily.

1416 Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the communicant’s union with the Lord, forgives his venial sins, and preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bonds of charity between the communicant and Christ, it also reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.

 

[thistle]

We’re only required to take Communion once a year. Same with confessing grave/mortal sins.

This is not correct. We are required to receive Communion once a year during the Easter period and would have to confess any mortal sins before receiving.
We are not required to confess once a year. We are only required to confess mortal sins. If we have none there is no requirement to go to Confession, albeit it is good to be in the habit of regular Confession.

 

[Gorgias]

Then the Catechism should say that mortal sins have to be confessed immediately after you commit them. It doesn’t. It says at least once a year.

No. It doesn’t address the “at least once a year” thing in the context of mortal sin whatsoever!

Also to go to hell you have to persist in mortal sin without repenting. And have no lessened culpability or any other factors.

In the presence of “lessened culpability”, you don’t have mortal sin – you have grave sin that is only venial.

And, “to persist in mortal sin without repenting” isn’t, strictly speaking, what the standard is. Picture that you’ve sinned mortally, and are contrite, but you don’t get to confession. Are you still in the state of mortal sin in a way that’s culpable? Yep!

When one finds one has committed grave sin, one should make an Act of Perfect Contrition and have a firm intention to confess as soon as possible.

Note that it’s not the praying of the prayer that’s efficacious, it’s the actual state of being perfectly contrite.

We’re only required to take Communion once a year. Same with confessing grave/mortal sins.

First part is correct. Second isn’t.

The requirement is to confess mortal sins at least once a year.

Please cite where you’re getting this. (You’re going to find that the word ‘mortal’ doesn’t show up in your citation… )

(@Vico has posted the citation from the CCC that you’re attempting to quote. Note that the context is reception of the Eucharist – and, in particular, preparation for that reception – not frequency of Reconciliation.)

At the local Catholic Church here, just about everyone goes up and takes Holy Communion.

Do you know them to be in a state of mortal sin?

Tis_Bearself:

But if he is repentant and anxious to confess, is it truly mortal?

can we really conclude that contrition afterwards means the sin wasn’t mortal when committed?

Nope.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

In my parish, the thing about Confession lines doesn´t really exist outside of mandatory Confession for people taking first Communion or having Confirmation. In contrary, the Communion lines are LONG

It is possible that people are confessing outside the parish. I haven’t confessed in my parish in over five years because I have a regular confessor in another parish. Nevertheless, I’m in the Communion line when I’m properly disposed to receive, which is nearly every Sunday. Perhaps this situation also applies to many in your own parish.

 

[Kima]

It is possible that people are confessing outside the parish. I haven’t confessed in my parish in over five years because I have a regular confessor in another parish. Nevertheless, I’m in the Communion line when I’m properly disposed to receive, which is nearly every Sunday. Perhaps this situation also applies to many in your own parish.

Same applies to me, actually. I stand corrected, I can´t really know.

 

[LawyersGunsAndMoney]

I’m disturbed by the legalistic approach some of the people in this thread are taking.

You must be new here.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

She said she was disturbed, not surprised.

 

[LawyersGunsAndMoney]

Haha, fair point.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

Tantum ergo

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I was reading it at 3 am which was probably not a great idea.

However, I do have some empathy for people who are up in the night thinking about/ posting about Hell. We’ve probably all been there at some point.

 

[Sbee0]

Let’s say I’m a new Roman Catholic, I go to Confessions before Sunday Mass with every intention of confessing mortal sin but the line is long and the pastor has to get to running the mass before I confess my sins, and then I don’t get communion because I’m not in a state of grace. I plan on going earlier for Confession the next week, but on my way home I die in a car accident.
Is my soul doomed to Hell?

That depends on whether you truly have perfect contrition for your sins. Intent to confess is a good thing but unfortunately it’s not sufficient on its own to give you the perfect contrition that restores your soul’s saving grace.

God loves us and He is not a ghoul that looks to strike us down when we can’t get to confession in mortal sin - but if you are in mortal sin it’s still best to get to confession ASAP for this reason. You never know when your time is coming. For me if I’m in that state- I say the Act of Contrition immediately and then I don’t wait a week, I go to a church ask the priest if they can hear my confession even if it’s outside the scheduled time. Most will, obviously if it’s not 5 minutes before mass etc.

 

[AlNg]

At the local Catholic Church here, just about everyone goes up and takes Holy Communion.

Do you know them to be in a state of mortal sin?

Of course not. This was not my question originally, but this question was raised by the priest at his homily as to whether or not all his parishioners were saints as he noticed that no one was going to confession, but just about everyone was going up for Holy Communion.

 

[Sbee0]

0Scarlett_nidiyilii:

You can’t recieve the Eucharist with an unconfessed mortal sin on your soul.

you should never take Communion in a state of mortal sin.

At the local Catholic Church here, just about everyone goes up and takes Holy Communion.

Same at mine, but then again we don’t know for sure if they really are in mortal sin. Poorly or weakly catechized or Sunday Catholics (been there done that) might be blissfully receiving communion unaware that they are in mortal sin… which you could say by definition they’re not in mortal sin at all.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

My parishes tend to have fairly long confession lines and giant confession services with 15-20 priests in for individual confession at Easter and Christmas.
But I have no idea if people run right home and commit a mortal sin again after that.

To be honest I don’t go to confession at the same parish all the time. Maybe lots of other people don’t either.

 

[JMMJ]

No, it isn’t.