Is every Catholic obligated to confess once a year even if they donot have Mortal sin

[jmcrae]

I think we need to re-study Jesus’ words about sin and, as jmcrae says, engage in a better examen – before assuming that unless we do something practically criminal, we have not committed mortal sin.

Exactly. Which is why I say, unless you are the Blessed Mother of God, you should be going to Confession a lot more often than just once a year. A quick glance through the Sermon on the Mount reveals that Jesus (our Judge, let’s not forget) considers a lot of things to be “grave matter” that most people think is quite trivial (including, unfortunately, divorce, second marriage, adultery, and fornication, never mind lust, anger, gossip, and envy.)

Doing these things of your own free will in the knowledge that they are in some sense “wrong” makes them mortal.

(And you don’t have to “know” that God thinks they’re bad in order to fulfill the criteria of “full knowledge”; otherwise atheists would be Saints - all you have to “know” is that your primary caregiver would get mad if she or he found out about it, or that the person you’re doing it to would get mad at you if they found out it was you doing it.)

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Maybe those who wish to discuss how we are called to go beyond the minimum (a point on which I agree of course), might benefit from starting another thread?

I think the point on this thread was that the Church’s rule about confession once a year only applies if one has mortal sins.

1. For those who believe that the Church’s rule in Canon Law or the the rule expressed in the Precept commands confession of all sins, can you show us your argument?
2. For those who believe that “grave sins” in Canon Law (indeed, in the discourse of the Church) means something other than “mortal sins” can you show us your argument?

VC

P.S. jmcrae, have you come around and accepted that “grave sin” means “mortal sin”? It looks kind of like you have.

 

[thistle]

Maybe those who wish to discuss how we are called to go beyond the minimum (a point on which I agree of course), might benefit from starting another thread?

I think the point on this thread was that the Church’s rule about confession once a year only applies if one has mortal sins.

1. For those who believe that the Church’s rule in Canon Law or the the rule expressed in the Precept commands confession of all sins, can you show us your argument?
2. For those who believe that “grave sins” in Canon Law (indeed, in the discourse of the Church) means something other than “mortal sins” can you show us your argument?

VC

P.S. jmcrae, have you come around and accepted that “grave sin” means “mortal sin”? It looks kind of like you have.

I have and who knows about other things too!

 

[Elizabeth502]

A quick glance through the Sermon on the Mount reveals that Jesus (our Judge, let’s not forget) considers a lot of things to be “grave matter” that most people think is quite trivial (including, unfortunately, divorce, second marriage, adultery, and fornication, never mind lust, anger, gossip, and envy.)

Yes. That was indeed my point when I referenced the gospel of Matthew. Jesus’ view on grave matter is far more comprehensive than that of many Christians, including Catholics. He was explicit about how everyday behavior toward others wounds, kills, destroys. It’s just that these everyday behaviors have become commonplace among many, and considered just part of the culture and unavoidable and therefore venial. No!

It takes enormous self-discipline, grace, and prayer, to do/say nothing malicious, retaliatory, deceptive, envious, abusive, or “quietly” vicious in the space of 12 months, and I don’t buy that most people escape that. Nor do priests buy it. (Just look up the thread where a few of us discuss our surprise at the relieved response of priests to honest confessions, wherein they hinted that it was unusual to hear a thorough confession – the point being that they are aware that most people do much more than they routinely confess;they’re just not introspective enough about their actions.) Again, Fr. Larry Richards mentions this, too.

It’s not just the Third and Sixth Commandments. It’s all 10.

Because of original sin, we’re inclined to make ourselves little gods, particularly over other people, and we so regularly in many ways.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Elizabeth,

I understand that you want to take a look at what people consider mortal sins and help them understand what they are.

But, I take it you agree that the law of the Church and the precept commanding confession at a minimum once per year refers only to those who are in Mortal sin. Correct?

VC

 

[Pug]

Would someone with a mortal sin on their soul really want to wait a whole year to go to confession?

Suppose you were in an automobile accident; suppose you had a fatal heart attack; suppose, suppose, suppose.

Why is going to frequent confession such a hardship for some Catholics?

At the risk of totally derailing this thread to a new topic, I will answer this, because it seems to be a real question for you. I know some people don’t go because they cannot manage to be sorry. I don’t merely mean that they can’t manage to *feel *sorry. I mean they *are *not sorry. Someone who is not sorry may well decide it is wrong for them to go and pretend to be sorry, which they would have to do in order to “confess” it. There are, of course, other reasons a person would not go, but there are at least a few who do not go because they deem themselves to lack suitable contrition.

I think the existence of the Easter Duty and the associated need to confess the mortal sins may be therapeutic, because it might function as a little thorn in the side to induce the person to return to the issue in their mind and try to be sorry, instead of going “oh well” and ignoring it indefinitely.

 

[Elizabeth502]

Elizabeth,

I understand that you want to take a look at what people consider mortal sins and help them understand what they are.

But, I take it you agree that the law of the Church and the precept commanding confession at a minimum once per year refers only to those who are in Mortal sin. Correct?

VC

Correct. I’m merely focusing on the implication that supposedly confession is required for a dastardly few, when I maintain based on human experience and hearing from priests, that confession is required yearly for the dastardly many. It’s just that apparently too many people don’t include themselves in the many.

Adam and Eve committed original sin which was also mortal sin, not venial sin. And we’re just like them: inclined toward mortally wounding God, self, others. We’re not angels, we’re humans.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Correct. I’m merely focusing on the implication that supposedly confession is required for a dastardly few, when I maintain based on human experience and hearing from priests, that confession is required yearly for the dastardly many. It’s just that apparently too many people don’t include themselves in the many.

Ok, thanks Elizabeth. I just didn’t want anyone to get the mistaken impression that you didn’t understand the minimum requirement.

I’ll suggest, though, an alternate (or perhaps supplementary) way to look at the point you raised above. You mention that apparently those who don’t go to confession don’t do so because they don’t think they’ve committed a mortal sin, and therefore don’t need to go yearly.

I think it more likely that they just don’t go, period. I’d wager it has nothing to do with the precept or Canon Law. In fact, wouldn’t it be likely that the same people who so badly misunderstand the Sacrament of Confession itself (and think they shouldn’t go) would be the same ones who misunderstand the law of the Church that one must go once a year when in mortal sin?

In other words – I wonder if those people who don’t go to confession (the ones you are talking about) also think the law of the Church says one has to go every year, even if you don’t have mortal sin. In both cases they show that they misunderstand the mind of the Church.

VC

 

[Elizabeth502]

^^ Maybe. But this is not the central point, to me. Fine, so they neither understand Jesus’ words in the gospel of Matthew, nor understand Church canons. There are far more people ignorant of the scope of Jesus’ message than the precepts of the RCC. I’m not basing this perception of mine only on this thread, but on many other threads on CAF. According to many CAF posters, there are 3 mortal sins: missing Sunday Mass, having an abortion, and engaging in sexual sin.

However, note that I don’t blame only laypeople for this. I blame also the Church for poor catechesis of spirituality (which is what Jesus was talking about) and consistent refusal to expand moral theology beyond abortion, sex, and Mass.

Do not go into any abortion rants, anyone. I am merely saying that the words and deeds of Jesus signified that there are far more than 3 serious sins. But from reading many threads on CAF and much publicity coming out of the hierarchy, one might never know that.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Ok, I gotcha’ Elizabeth.

A corollary that we should also mention along with the loss of a sense of sin and the misperception that mortal sins are few, is the misperception that venial sins are “no big deal” either.

Venial sins are still sins which offend God, incur temporal punishment, lessen virtue, make one prone to greater sin, etc.

So, along with your point that there seems to be epidemic of not accusing oneself of mortal sins, I’d add there also seems an epidemic of not understanding the importance of avoiding deliberate venial sin as well.

What do you think?
VC

 

[Elizabeth502]

^^ I’m in complete agreement.

And note that it is said by the Church, but particularly by the saints, (and Fr. John Corapi repeats this often, too) that an accumulation of venial sin can lead one perilously close to mortal sin.

Sin also blinds. So those who believe they have “merely” committed venial sin may be unlikely, due their habits, to have clear vision of actions which have crossed the line into the mortal category.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Good point Elizabeth.

Ok, now back to the original topic of this thread.

Those who say that the Church requires in Canon Law or by precept that everyone go to confession once a year regardless of whether or not they have mortal sin, what is your argument?

I say that the book that the original post referenced – Catholicism for Dummies – is right and that the obligation binds only those in mortal sin.

But I take it some disagree?

VC

p.s. how about you jmcrae?

 

[Elizabeth502]

I say that the book that the original post referenced – Catholicism for Dummies – is right and that the obligation binds only those in mortal sin.

I will not disagree with this. I just say that therefore maybe 1-2% of Catholics are released from “having” to confess once/year. It’s just that apparently a good portion of the 98+% are not aware which category they’re in. And that’s why I think this discussion is largely academic: it’s because for the vast majority of people, they really do need to confess once/year, minimum.

 

[jmcrae]

P.S. jmcrae, have you come around and accepted that “grave sin” means “mortal sin”? It looks kind of like you have.

I have realized that what was really bothering me with that, was the idea that “confess only mortal sin” could logically mean that someone might think they could go to Confession less than once a year - that, if someone were to confess only their mortal sins, that they might not have to go to Confession at all. However, there is no logical connection between these two ideas.

There is no one (speaking about fully functional adults) who is not angry without just cause from time to time; there is no one (again, speaking of fully functional adults) who does not experience lust - and according to Jesus (chapters 5 through 7 of the Gospel of Matthew), these actions are grave matter.

Add in full knowledge (which does not require a degree in moral theology, or even a belief in God) and consent of the will, and you have a mortal sin. Which not only must be confessed “once per year” but indeed, at one’s earliest convenient opportunity, and before next receiving Holy Communion.

Just an example:

It would be grave matter (but not grave sin) if you have a quick burst of temper next time someone inadvertently cuts you off in traffic, but if you roll down your window so that the person who cuts you off can hear you swearing at him, for the purpose of scaring him, or “teaching him a lesson”, then the degree of full knowlege and consent of the will required for that same angry burst of temper to be a mortal or grave sin has been met, according to the criteria given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. It is that self-same Jesus whom we meet in Holy Communion, and who will judge us at our moment of death. His opinion matters.

grave matter = unjust anger + full knowledge = knowing that you are scaring/“teaching” the person + full consent of the will = rolling down the window before making the angry outburst = mortal sin.

 

[mullenpm]

Ekizabeth, I must agree with what you say.

I have been a Catholic a very long time (pre V2) and I do not understand this thread at all.

Where are the posters learning that they need not go to confession at all if they have no mortal (grave) sins on their soul?

I was taught in my Catholic grade school catecism classes to go to confession frequenly but that we ABSOLUTELY had to go to confession during the Easter season.

Also, Elizabeth, how could I find the thread you mentioned with respect to confession.

 

[tobinatorstark]

I do believe that once a year we are obligated to confess our sins. I do wish it would it did require more often than once, but it is what it is. I went to confession last night for the first time this year. I am trying to work on confessing more than once this year. Yesterday was a start

 

[Elizabeth502]

Also, Elizabeth, how could I find the thread you mentioned with respect to confession.

The thread is called “Honesty in the Confessional,” opened on December 22 '08, in this L&S subforum. The OP was Mrs.MeganMc

 

[Elizabeth502]

There is no one (speaking about fully functional adults) who is not angry without just cause from time to time; there is no one (again, speaking of fully functional adults) who does not experience lust - and according to Jesus (chapters 5 through 7 of the Gospel of Matthew), these actions are grave matter.

Add in full knowledge (which does not require a degree in moral theology, or even a belief in God) and consent of the will, and you have a mortal sin. Which not only must be confessed “once per year” but indeed, at one’s earliest convenient opportunity, and before next receiving Holy Communion.

Just an example:

It would be grave matter (but not grave sin) if you have a quick burst of temper next time someone inadvertently cuts you off in traffic, but if you roll down your window so that the person who cuts you off can hear you swearing at him, for the purpose of scaring him, or “teaching him a lesson”, then the degree of full knowlege and consent of the will required for that same angry burst of temper to be a mortal or grave sin has been met, according to the criteria given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. It is that self-same Jesus whom we meet in Holy Communion, and who will judge us at our moment of death. His opinion matters.

grave matter = unjust anger + full knowledge = knowing that you are scaring/“teaching” the person + full consent of the will = rolling down the window before making the angry outburst = mortal sin.

Yep. That’s the kind of thing/action I was thinking about. (Precisely,in fact)

 

[DixitDominus]

If you go a whole year without committing a grave sin, you either don’t have use of reason or you’re a living saint!

 

[mullenpm]

Dixie, you are so right. How can anyone go a whole year without getting angry, annoyed, etc.? What about swiping office supplies from work (isn’t that outright stealing and needs to be confessed)?

I wish that all the posters on this thread who think they do not need more frequent confession would go to another thread that Elizabeth referred me to “Honesty in Confession”.

That will open their eyes and hearts. Thanks Elizabeth.