Am I able to go to communion? He said I was, but he also mentioned that even people who thought they were in the state of sin could make an act of contrition receive and make it an intention to go to Confession as soon as they could, which to me seemed wrong. Either way, what should I do?
Just a brief survey of your story and question, you are probably looking for spiritual direction/insight on Confession.
First, on spiritual direction, should make an appointment with a priest on the basis of Confession. Just explain what happened. You don’t neceratily need to tell him your sins right then and there. But he could afford time as apart from that visit to take your Confession once more. He may also tell you it may not be necessary as you have been already absolved of your sins.
Second, on Confession, there is venial and grave matter.
Venial unconfessed means purgatory (I.e. Not hell.) A general Confession is generally all that is needed, if and only if they are venial sins.
As for grave matter unconfessed, you end in hell. But grave matter means you had full knowledge, willfully did it (consented with full will and knowledge - like knowing fire burns, it destroys, and you put your hand in it deliberately and anyways, as an example), and finally matter (the sin has to be one of the Seven deadly sins or fit in those categories.) Thus, all three - matter, knowledge, and will - must be met in order for a sin to be grave. But even if the sin was out of compulsion (I.e. no control of your own), but fell under one of the Seven Grave Matter categories, you can still tell the priest the specifity of the incident (which would mean him asking whether you met the three necessary measures for it to be considered grave or not. Or, if you understood at the time you had failed to meet all three measures of gravity of the sin to be called grave matter, you can tell him.
Remember (and this is not a work around or lessening one’s responsibility around a grave sin, but to be clear on moral objective view of responsibility) you would had to known the sin was grave enough and you met all three measures that it to be considered grave (at the time you committed the sin, not after.) For if you learned about the knowledge, will, and matter after the fact, then it doesn’t make the offense grave, but venial. For out of ignorance you did not know. And thus, as my friend says, “welcome to the human race.”
. My last intention was to start an argument and I’m sorry for that.
