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

[jmcrae]

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!

Precisely. And the question, “If I have committed no mortal sins in the past year, do I need to make the once a year Confession?” is purely academic, because there is no living person above the age of seven, capable of asking the question, who meets that criteria.

It is said that Little Therese never committed any mortal sins, but she also went to Confession at least once a week; it did not occur to her ever to ask for a minimalistic practice of her faith.

 

[Pug]

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)?

Stealing is one that always puzzled me. I was sure that if you did it deliberately and willfully, that it had to be a mortal sin. But I was wrong. Theft can be light matter and hence not eligible as a mortal sin. If the office supply is a ten cent pen, it is light matter as far as I can tell. (But, I still have trouble swallowing that, personally.)

 

[jmcrae]

Stealing is one that always puzzled me. I was sure that if you did it deliberately and willfully, that it had to be a mortal sin. But I was wrong. Theft can be light matter and hence not eligible as a mortal sin. If the office supply is a ten cent pen, it is light matter as far as I can tell. (But, I still have trouble swallowing that, personally.)

It also depends on the purpose, why your employer purchased the 10 cent pens. It may have been his intention for the employees to take them home and use them or even give them to your children for school, if there is a logo on them that advertises your business.

If you are walking away with a 10 cent pen every day, though, this can start to mount up into hundreds of dollars in theft. So, even if your employer means for you to keep the pens and give them to your family members, he probably doesn’t intend for you to take whole boxes of them.

 

[Pug]

It may have been his intention for the employees to take them home and use them or even give them to your children for school, if there is a logo on them that advertises your business.

You are right about the advertising pens. I can see how those are light. I guess it is my heart, when I think about how twisted up it must be to deliberately lift an item that isn’t mine. I don’t mean to accidentally take home and then forget about, which seems to happen to me more and more often as I age. I mean some kind of thoughtful choice to do it. It is the thoughtful choice part of it that gets to me, sort of like I can’t grasp that light matter exists, and that as long as you really thought about it and did it anyway, then it must be serious.

I know grave matter is different from light matter and that for a mortal sin you need the grave matter. I know this, but it is a struggle to convince myself in the face of a deliberate, willful sin, no matter how obviously “light” the matter is.

 

[Indyann]

IWhere 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.

The posters are hopefully learning from the CCC and the exerpt posted earlier in the thread.

Also from Canon Law

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3H.HTM

If you were taught in your Catholic grade school that you HAD to go to confession during the Easter Season, you were taught incorrectly.
This is not what the Church teaches.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

I wish that all the posters on this thread who think they do not need more frequent confession. . .

mullenpm,

I think I missed it. Who are you thinking of?

VC

 

[Leonius]

I have read in Catholicism for Dummies that you are not required to go to confession if you do not have Mortal sin. I have done a small amount of research on this and I am prettt sure that the Church requires us to confess all our sins once a year.

The Fourth Laterin Council states this very clearly in the twenty first Cannon. The Council of Trent also restates this and adds anthiam to the cannon.

We could discuss the duties and respondsibliltes of the Church for providing the graces for our salvation. I would not do well in these kindes of talkes.

Does anyone have any opinions

catechumen

Opinions? No I don’t have an opinion, Church Law says you must go at least once a year period, its one of the precepts of the Church and is on the same level as other precepts such as that you must attend Church on a Sunday and holy days of obligation. To not do so is considered a mortal sin which must be confessed.

And it was always advised up until recent times to go to confession frequently even if you did not have mortal sins, frequent been every 2 weeks but certainly no more than a month. The 2 weeks links into indulgences you see, confession is one of those things necessary to gain an indulgence. To gain an indulgence you must have received sacramental confession seven days before or after the indulgenced work.

Have a read of this: How often ought we to go to confession?

 

[Leonius]

mullenpm;4733584:

IWhere 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.

The posters are hopefully learning from the CCC and the exerpt posted earlier in the thread.

Also from Canon Law

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3H.HTM

If you were taught in your Catholic grade school that you HAD to go to confession during the Easter Season, you were taught incorrectly.
This is not what the Church teaches.

I’m pretty sure it used to be, you see it ties in with the precept that you must receive communion during Easter, but your right its not any more.

 

[jmcrae]

If you were taught in your Catholic grade school that you HAD to go to confession during the Easter Season, you were taught incorrectly.
This is not what the Church teaches.

Quite true - the “once a year” minimum can be at any time of the year.

Typically school children are taken to Confession during Lent, so as to prepare for their Easter Holy Communion, which is a requirement. (Some people mistake the requirement to receive Holy Communion for the requirement to attend Mass, and, having conflated the two, they either think that they only have to go to Mass on Easter Sunday, or else that they have to receive Holy Communion every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation.

 

[thistle]

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.

These are the Church teachings and they contradict your statements. Please give us a documentary source for yours.

CCC 1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. **The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. **

Can. 988 §1 The faithful are bound to confess, in kind and in number, all grave sins committed after baptism, of which after careful examination of conscience they are aware, which have not yet been directly pardoned by the keys of the Church, and which have not been confessed in an individual confession.

§2 The faithful are recommended to confess also venial sins.

Can. 989 All the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins at least once a year.

 

[jean8]

I mean come on, how many people do you actually know who are not under grave sin? This is complete denial on the part of some.

What is considered a grave sin? Sin is sin.
Is there a degree of sin that requires different punishment?

jean8

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Is there a degree of sin that requires different punishment?

Hi jean,

Yes, according to the Catholic Church. My understanding is that the Missouri Synod would not teach it though.

VC

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Rush, Corki, Tim,

You folks were early posters. Where do you stand now?

VC

 

[Pug]

The 2 weeks links into indulgences you see, confession is one of those things necessary to gain an indulgence. To gain an indulgence you must have received sacramental confession seven days before or after the indulgenced work.

Your point about plenary indulgences is a good one. They do seem to help motivate people to confess more frequently. Well, they have done that for me, anyway. I’m like, “Oh Cool, look at Holy Week, with the renewal of baptismal promises, and other neat indulgences, all packed into one week!” (and confession, too…)

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Hi Leonius,

Church Law says you must go at least once a year period

But it doesn’t say that. It says:
Can. 989 After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave sins at least once a year.
And while I’ve got you, just for the sake of accuracy,

Leonius:

To gain an indulgence you must have received sacramental confession seven days before or after the indulgenced work.

isn’t quite right, I believe. I think the Apostolic Penitentiary has clarified this to be “about 20” days before or after. Thought you might be interested!

VC

 

[Pug]

And while I’ve got you, just for the sake of accuracy,
isn’t quite right, I believe. I think the Apostolic Penitentiary has clarified this to be “about 20” days before or after. Thought you might be interested!

VC

1. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an “Our Father” and a “Hail Mary” are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.

from here.

Nevertheless, the salient point remains that confession is closely tied to plenary indulgences. I suspect most people don’t know about this document from the Jubilee, nor would they be able to ascertain if it only applied to the Jubilee indulgence or not. (as far as I know, it applies in general, and not just to the Jubilee, because it falls under “general remarks about indulgences”). Also, I suppose one could then wonder if it has since been superseded by a revision of the enchiridion. (But I think they are still on the fourth edition.)

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Hi Pug,

Nevertheless, the salient point remains that confession is closely tied to plenary indulgences.

Yep. So much so that confession is appropriate and fittingly done on the day of the indulgenced Act.

Pug:

I suspect most people don’t know about this document from the Jubilee, nor would they be able to ascertain if it only applied to the Jubilee indulgence or not.

That’s why I pointed it out. As you said, it does apply generally to all indulgences, and it is the current legislation. It is the responsibility of those in a teaching position to disseminate the current norms. So, it is slowly becoming widespread knowledge as pastors and catechists inform the faithful of the Apostolic Penitentiary’s clarification.

It used to be “several days”. There was a question of what that meant. The Apostolic Penitentiary clarified it to be “about 20” (although one wouldn’t say this is terribly precise, it’s more information than “several” )

Somewhat off-topic, I know, but useful.

VC

 

[Leonius]

Hi Leonius,

But it doesn’t say that. It says:

Can. 989 After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave

Only one problem with your interpretation, we cannot know for certain whether God considers our sins grave or not.

And while I’ve got you, just for the sake of accuracy,
isn’t quite right, I believe. I think the Apostolic Penitentiary has clarified this to be “about 20” days before or after. Thought you might be interested!

VC

How is saying several then** “about”** in brackets clarifying? The use of the word about shows that this is not clarifying at all and 20 is not several it is many! And even if you go by that number you still need to go to confession about once a month. For my part I will be prudent and stick to what the the rule was before this change, because that is what it is, it is not a clarification it is a change.

Also to be noted the same document that this change is contained in says “It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgence work is performed”. So I think we can safely say sooner is better.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Hi Leonius,

Only one problem with your interpretation, we cannot know for certain whether God considers our sins grave or not.

It’s not my interpretation. It’s what the law of the Church actually says.

“Grave sin” and “mortal sin” are used equivalently. One can know with a moral certainty if one is in mortal sin or not. Otherwise, how do you approach communion?

How is saying several then** “about”** in brackets clarifying?

The Apostolic Penitentiary is charged with the duty of adminstrating the rules for indulgences. The Church is the custodian of these graces. The move from “several days” to “about 20 days” clarifies the length of time possible. At least “20” has an actual number attached to it. That is certainly a clarification, although not as precise as it could be.

For my part I will be prudent and stick to what the the rule was before this change, because that is what it is, it is not a clarification it is a change.

I’d say you certainly have an ability to develop your own personal rule. But, let’s just be clear, it’s not the rule of the Church and we shouldn’t try to impose it on the faithful.

You someday might meet someone with a personal custom to go to confession no more than three days from the indulgenced act, since the old rule said “several” and they think several must mean three. They might frown on your one week approach! But you can safely smile at them, knowing that you are well within the actual rule of the Church which is about 20 days.

Also to be noted the same document that this change is contained in says “It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgence work is performed”. So I think we can safely say sooner is better.

Yes. I did note that. Going to confession on the day of the indulgenced act is better.

Anyway, this is a bit off topic. But I just thought you would like to know.

VC

 

[Leonius]

By your interpretation I meant you interpreting it as saying we DO NOT need to go to confession once a year if we judge ourselves to have lived perfectly for that whole year.

It is the sacrament of confession that allows us to come to knowledge of our grave sins, if you don’t use it often then you could quite easily be in a state of mortal sin and not know it or be in denial. I know this from personal experience, it is very easy to tell yourself something is not grave matter, but how many of us never get unjustly angry breaking the command to love our neighbour? This is grave matter, some would say it isn’t, some consider grave matter to only be things like murder, do you see my point?

So each can choose whether they wish to chose the prudent path or the reckless path, only one of those paths is virtuous, and its not the reckless one that has us going to confession once a year or less. We would not go for a check-up with the doctor for our health less so why go to the check-up for your soul less?

Do we really think that doing the bare minimum the Church asks of us, and bare minimum that seems to be getting less and less, and looking for all these loop holes in the law is pleasing to God, we owe Him more than that.