Is repentance based on emotions?

[Rozellelily]

I read elsewhere a poster stating that repentance wasn’t based on emotions but how can someone be repentant of something if they don’t feel that something is a sin and therefore feel sorry for it?

 

[Vico]

I read elsewhere a poster stating that repentance wasn’t based on emotions but how can someone be repentant of something if they don’t feel that something is a sin and therefore feel sorry for it?

Determining what is morally wrong is not an autonomous decision or feeling but based upon knowledge from authority. Fear can be a motivator such as occurs with attrition.

Catechism

892 Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a “definitive manner,” they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent"422 which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). …

 

[DaveBj]

Sorrow is an emotion, and Paul wrote in one of his epistles that “godly sorrow worketh repentance”. So – yes, repentance can be at least partially based on emotions.

D

 

[BlackFriar]

Your question requires an understanding of the Church’s “philosophy of man”.
Aquinas is the boilerplate standard.

Ultimately morality is about “human acts” of the mind and will.
That is the base.
Yes, for human beings they are usually clothed in emotion, feelings and intuitions of all kinds.
But at the core, and when they come into conflict as they often do (being charitable often feels despressing or arduous when it shouldn’t), it is the root act of the will that determines morality and faith.

So the best indicator of whether something is the result of a core decision of the will…are our abiding actions not our conscious emotions. Usually emotions and actions are in sync, but also often not. Mother Theresa is a good example of conflict in this regard.

 

[goodcatholic]

Many Catholics don’t seem to like emotions but repentance done with heart and soul and mind and feelings of regret and shame, makes for a more sincere reconciliation, in my view. if you just go into a Confessional robotically and tell your sins as if the priest was an ATM machine, you are taking part in a mediocre ritual.

 

[TheOldColonel]

You mean like this?

 

[Saxum]

The Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scupoli says that extreme sorrow after sin is a sign of spiritual pride. Humble people aren’t surprised when they sin and thank God that their sin was not far worse.

 

[simonjosiah1]

padre pio would not give a girl absolution until she felt like she would rather die than commit mortal sin, I feel we should only go to confession when we want to truly amend our lives and live differently.

 

[Edward_H]

Repentance is an act or a firm a decision of the will.

 

[Rozellelily]

How do you get to that point though?
How do you make yourself care,if being honest,you don’t really care (about some things claimed to be sins).

 

[Rozellelily]

What’s the film please?

 

[Rozellelily]

Yes,but doesn’t something have to make the will choose to make that decision (if that makes sense)?

 

[goodcatholic]

How do you make yourself care,if being honest,you don’t really care

You shouldn’t go at all, if you don’t care. It means you are not ready to repent.

 

[TheOldColonel]

It’s THX 1138.

 

[Edward_H]

God may use several means to get us back in union with him. He may use our emotions or may not. He prefers to use our intellect in which we evaluate our behavior against criteria which is an act of the conscience. The emotions are not our conscience though. He may use failing health. He may use failed relationships. He may use financial disaster. He can use disorder.

 

[Arwing]

You shouldn’t go at all, if you don’t care. It means you are not ready to repent.

Well, depends on what is meant by not caring. If one is motivated by the fear of hell or loss of eternal salvation to sincerely turn away from one’s sin, although without the certain feeling that is often associated with repentance which can be useful, that would still be sufficient reason to confess it.

If it’s “I don’t care and I’m going to keep doing this” or even some deceitful combination of that and the above, then I suppose that person isn’t repentant. So there does need to be a “care” somewhere, since the inclination towards the sin must be opposed.

if you just go into a Confessional robotically and tell your sins as if the priest was an ATM machine, you are taking part in a mediocre ritual.

Maybe without intense feeling it wouldn’t feel as effective, but I’d hardly call it mediocre considering the great gift it imparts provided that person is contrite (at least to the standards mentioned above).

 

[BlackFriar]

but repentance done with heart and soul and mind and feelings of regret and shame, makes for a more sincere reconciliation, in my view.

We have to be discerning in this matter methinks.
The usual distinction between antecedent versus consequent emotion is often indicative.
Antecedent emotion tends to weaken truly human acts, consequent emotion is often a sign of sincere human acts.

Hans Urs von Balthasar (Pope Benedicts favourite theologian) talks about Icarean/Promethean spirituality which is in fact a denial of God. That is, when we discover we are not gods and our wings melt we often fall to the chained rock of Prometheus in shame and despair.

Sometimes the shame/sorrow is not for sinning against God but rather that our wings melted and we weren’t smart enough or strong enough and so failed to be like unto God.

We are still stuck in our solipsistic isolation from God either way.

 

[BlackFriar]

Personally I don’t think it matters too much as long as we “do caring” … then “feeling caring” may or may not follow. The latter seems to depend on bodily constitution, personality and upbringing.

 

[Arwing]

how can someone be repentant of something if they don’t feel that something is a sin and therefore feel sorry for it?

You’d have to recognize the action as sinful, and willfully oppose the desire from our fallen nature towards the sin.

When we say repentance is not based on emotion we mean that something like remorse isn’t what the necessary act of sorrow and contrition consists of.

How do you make yourself care,if being honest,you don’t really care (about some things claimed to be sins).

It can help to understand why a specific act is contrary to God’s will (the Catechism has some good information on that, additionally it may be helpful to talk to someone such as a priest), and it also must be understood that sin must be opposed against your inclination towards it.