mortal sin question

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dang71

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i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification, as i thought the only thing to send someone to hell was a state of unrepentant mortal sin. it is possible for someone to be in the state of mortal sin, but still accept God and the Church. one example is someone who is honestly struggling with habitual sin.
thanks…
 
dang71 said:
i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification, as i thought the only thing to send someone to hell was a state of unrepentant mortal sin. it is possible for someone to be in the state of mortal sin, but still accept God and the Church. one example is someone who is honestly struggling with habitual sin.
thanks…
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I believe it’s understood that when we say someone dies “in the state of mortal sin” that they’re unrepentent. If they made a good Confession beforehand, then they are in the state of Sanctifying Grace, not mortal sin. Then, they don’t go to hell. They probably go to Purgatory, then to heaven. 🙂
 
dang71 said:
i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification, as i thought the only thing to send someone to hell was a state of unrepentant mortal sin. it is possible for someone to be in the state of mortal sin, but still accept God and the Church. one example is someone who is honestly struggling with habitual sin.
thanks…
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The teaching of the Church is clear:

CCC 1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.”

Your question is one you need to pose to a priest in the confessional. I hope you are going to confession often, receiving the sacraments and taking the necessary steps to get out of ‘habitual’ sin. It can be done but it’s a battle.

I simply don’t want to answer your question as giving you bad advice would be the very wrong thing to do and I am in no position to judge the condition of your soul, your motives and whether or not you are in the state of mortal sin.

It’s clear the Holy Spirit in working in you or you wouldn’t be worried about this in the first place…get to a priest…as soon as possible.

God Bless,

Iowa Mike
 
“But the souls of those who depart this life in actual mortal sin, or in original sin alone, go down straightaway to hell to be punished, but with unequal pains.”
(Council of Florence, Sixth Session, 6 July 1439)

“By this Constitution which is to remain in force for ever, we, with apostolic authority, define the following… Moreover, we define that according to the general disposition of God, the souls of those who die in actual mortal sin go down into hell immediately after death and there suffer the pain of hell.”
(Pope Benedict XII, On the Beatific Vision of God, Constitution issued in 1336.)
 
dang71 said:
i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification, as i thought the only thing to send someone to hell was a state of unrepentant mortal sin. it is possible for someone to be in the state of mortal sin, but still accept God and the Church. one example is someone who is honestly struggling with habitual sin.
thanks…
Click to expand...
A mortal sin forgiven in confession or via perfect contrition (which includes an intent to get to confession as soon as possible (reasonably)…does not put a person in hell…

but yes a mortal sin…if the person dies in that state…they put themselves in hell…

God is merciful and offers us grace…and can even give a person the grace of perfect contrition at the moment of death…but we need to not presume this and to follow Christ and if we fall…get to confession 🙂
 
dang71 said:
i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification, as i thought the only thing to send someone to hell was a state of unrepentant mortal sin. it is possible for someone to be in the state of mortal sin, but still accept God and the Church. one example is someone who is honestly struggling with habitual sin.
thanks…
Click to expand...
You are correct my friend,

Even more…God’s mercy and justice are unfathomable. All we have is His law, the Commandments and His word, Jesus.

An example of God’s mercy at the last possible moment would be the two criminals that were crucified with him.

One prideful and spiteful died in his sins without repentance and the other was saved by appealing to God’s mercy to remember him when he entered into His kingdom.

Now, remember that repentance is impossible without grace. Sin (venial, mortal, habitual) erodes the souls grace and desensitizes our moral conscience.

Sin is dangerous to our soul and horrible because all sin is a true offense to God. When a person is said to be fearful of God - it’s not that the person is afraid of God but, afraid to offend God who is all good and deserving of all our love.

I could go on and on 🙂 but I’ll stop here.
 
so there seems to be some discord on this matter in the answers i have received. is there a church document or other material that defines exactly what the TRUE church teaching is?

let’s look at an extreme case here, that someone who is in the state of mortal sin dies in a car crash (or somehow) on the way to confession. this person knows they committed a sin, they were honestly sorry for it, and were honestly trying to get to confession. is that person sent to hell? i know this example is a bit contrived, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility. does God look at the intent to go to confession (i.e. what is truly in that person’s heart), or is God so legalistic that He will exclude this person from heaven?
 
And then there’s the whole unbaptized thing…because you were perhaps born to parents who were not believers, and you didn’t know better, you die with original sin. Go to hell.
 
dang71 said:
so there seems to be some discord on this matter in the answers i have received. is there a church document or other material that defines exactly what the TRUE church teaching is?

QUOTE]

People replied with the Catechism, which is the true teaching of the Church, along with the Bible, which is the truth of Jesus Christ. This is the truth, it is all black & white, there are no shades of gray. The truth of Jesus Christ will not confirm us in our sins, but it will convict us.
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dang71 said:
so there seems to be some discord on this matter in the answers i have received. is there a church document or other material that defines exactly what the TRUE church teaching is?
Click to expand...
People replied with the Catechism, which is the true teaching of the Church, along with the Bible, which is the truth of Jesus Christ. This is the truth, it is all black & white, there are no shades of gray. The truth of Jesus Christ will not confirm us in our sins, but it will convict us.
 
dang71 said:
i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification, as i thought the only thing to send someone to hell was a state of unrepentant mortal sin. it is possible for someone to be in the state of mortal sin, but still accept God and the Church. one example is someone who is honestly struggling with habitual sin.
thanks…
Click to expand...
I know that Fr Serpa recently answered a similar question. I will look for it. What he said was that God would not reject someone dying in a state of mortal sin if they were able to repent. Even if they could not receive the sacrament of reconcilliation in time. Nowhere in his post was there any mention of “perfect” act of contrition. I don’t see how as humans most of us could ever do something perfectly.
 
andyandely1997 said:
People replied with the Catechism, which is the true teaching of the Church, along with the Bible, which is the truth of Jesus Christ. This is the truth, it is all black & white, there are no shades of gray. The truth of Jesus Christ will not confirm us in our sins, but it will convict us.
Click to expand...
i am sorry to have upset you, and i am sorry to not be as smart as you, but it seems to me there are two responses here in this thread:

a. if you are in a state of mortal sin when you die, you go to hell regardless of the circumstances

b. if you are in a state of mortal sin when you die, but you are honestly repentant, you will not go to hell (presumably you would spend a long time in purgatory)

i am just trying to find where the church officially teaches either a or b.
thanks…
 
dang71 said:
i am sorry to have upset you, and i am sorry to not be as smart as you, but it seems to me there are two responses here in this thread:

a. if you are in a state of mortal sin when you die, you go to hell regardless of the circumstances

b. if you are in a state of mortal sin when you die, but you are honestly repentant, you will not go to hell (presumably you would spend a long time in purgatory)

i am just trying to find where the church officially teaches either a or b.
thanks…
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I am not upset or claim to be smart, just direct. The Catechism is pretty clear on this issue: 1452 “When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.” (Council of Trent) There is confession every Saturday throughout the U.S., so if someone does not get to confession within a week, I would say they are being presumptuous with the mercy of God.
 
dang71 said:
so there seems to be some discord on this matter in the answers i have received. is there a church document or other material that defines exactly what the TRUE church teaching is?

let’s look at an extreme case here, that someone who is in the state of mortal sin dies in a car crash (or somehow) on the way to confession. this person knows they committed a sin, they were honestly sorry for it, and were honestly trying to get to confession. is that person sent to hell? i know this example is a bit contrived, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility. does God look at the intent to go to confession (i.e. what is truly in that person’s heart), or is God so legalistic that He will exclude this person from heaven?
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I have never heard the Church in my life, take a legalistic approach or teach that God takes a legalistic approach in this matter.

The ingredients you give, are the ones necessary for forgiveness. Sorrow, and an intent to confess their sins.

The passages previously given from scripture, regarding mortal sin, are to identify mortal sins, their consequence to the soul, and warn to stay away from them. No one knows when they will die. One who is in mortal sin may not have the chance to repent before they die. They might not even be thinking at the time of repenting because they are in serious sin and have no intent of changing their direction at the time. That’s a dangerous situation.
 
dont remember where I read it, but there was a story about a woman’s son or husband or some close relative who committed suicide and the woman was worried sick that her person was damned, but one of the saints, and I don’t remember which saint it was, either, told the woman not to worry, that her person repented on the way down (he killed himself by jumping off a bridge, I think…)

some thoughts of mine for you to take or leave:

-it might be helpful for you to read in the Catholic Catechism about the sins of presumption and despair

-why do you insist on “clarification” which you can’t find out until the particular judgment? I’m sort of wondering if that’s some sort of way pride can drive a person to try and control things

-why not focus on how you can love more, pray more, do more?

-the Divine Mercy novena time and Divine Mercy Sunday are coming up after Easter - why not try this novena? it’s very comforting, especially with thoughts like these about Hell

-also, read some good books with the imprimatur about Hell and mortal sin that discuss it at length and in detail - one book that was helpful for me was The Antichrist.

Many blessings, and please understand that I’m still learning about my faith too. Please pray for me.
dang71 said:
i have read some threads in which posters have stated that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin will be condemned to hell. i would just like a clarification,…
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