Is it wrong to put off going to Confession?

[hamburglar]

Is it wrong to delay going to Confession? I wouldn’t receive Communion until I do get absolved, so that’s not the issue.

I do this because I feel that I am not really TRULY sorry for my actions, and am just not ready to go to Confession.

I do feel bad for having sinned and being in a state of mortal sin, being damned to Hell. I am holding off receiving the Sacrament of Penance because I don’t know if I am completely repentant.

 

[katy]

Is it wrong to delay going to Confession? I wouldn’t receive Communion until I do get absolved, so that’s not the issue.

I do this because I feel that I am not really TRULY sorry for my actions, and am just not ready to go to Confession.

I do feel bad for having sinned and being in a state of mortal sin, being damned to Hell. I am holding off receiving the Sacrament of Penance because I don’t know if I am completely repentant.

That is close enough for imperfect contrition as I understand it. One would presume you are going to try not to do it again. Why wait? Emotions, or absence of them, are irrelevant.

 

[puzzleannie]

Is
I do this because I feel that I am not really TRULY sorry for my actions, and am just not ready to go to Confession.

I do feel bad for having sinned and being in a state of mortal sin, being damned to Hell. I am holding off receiving the Sacrament of Penance because I don’t know if I am completely repentant.

what you state in the last paragraph is imperfect contrition and all you need for the sacrament. what you state in the paragraph before that contracticts itself. If you are sorry you are ready for confession. If you are not ready for contrition, you are not sorry.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Contrition is not a feeling. It is an act of the will, not of your emotions. It is an acknowledgment that you have offended God by your action, coupled with the intention to make a sincere effort to avoid that sin in the future (even if you suspect that you might fall again).

 

[Karl_M]

Is it wrong to delay going to Confession?

It is…

.

That may be suitable for going to confession-the sticking point is that you must tell your confessor that your contrition is imperfect.

Explain your situation to the priest like you did to us. If you’re only “sorry” because you don’t want to go to Hell, then make sure you tell him that. He will be able to guide you.

newadvent.org/cathen/02065a.htm
[/quote]
[/QUOTE]

 

[Karl_M]

Is it wrong to delay going to Confession? I wouldn’t receive Communion until I do get absolved, so that’s not the issue.

I do this because I feel that I am not really TRULY sorry for my actions, and am just not ready to go to Confession.

I do feel bad for having sinned and being in a state of mortal sin, being damned to Hell. I am holding off receiving the Sacrament of Penance because I don’t know if I am completely repentant.

Do you feel something like this: “I know I sinned, but I’m not particularly sorry for it, I just don’t want to go to hell if someone misses a stop sign tomorrow.”

If that’s you, its sounds like you have imperfect contrition.

That may be suitable for going to confession-the sticking point is that you must tell your confessor that your contrition is imperfect.

Explain your situation to the priest like you did to us. If you’re only “sorry” because you don’t want to go to Hell, then make sure you tell him that. He will be able to guide you.

newadvent.org/cathen/02065a.htm

 

[baltobetsy]

That may be suitable for going to confession-the sticking point is that you must tell your confessor that your contrition is imperfect.

I didn’t get that from the article you linked, or from any current teaching of the Church that I’m familiar with. I have been taught that imperfect contrition, as long as it refers in some way to God, is sufficient to receive forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. I would venture to guess that many if not most people who go to confession do so with imperfect contrition.

OP, don’t wait for a feeling when you’re dealing with mortal sin. The Church is very generous with forgiveness - take advantage of it!

Betsy