Mortal sins and confession

[CatholicZ09]

I got into a debate with a fellow Catholic about the issue of mortal sin and confession. The Catholic Church teaches that one who is in a state of mortal sin and is aware of it must obtain the Sacrament of Penance so that he/she may receive Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. One who does not do such commits yet another mortal sin by receiving Our Lord in a state of mortal sin. The Catholic I was debating with said that she could just pray to God and ask for forgiveness and receive the Eucharist because she prayed to God. I said this is not the Catholic teaching on this matter. Am I correct? One in a state of mortal sin must confess to a priest before receiving the Eucharist. Praying to God for forgiveness doesn’t cut it. The issue was missing Mass without a valid excuse.

 

[Oneofthewomen]

I struggled with this for a long time.

What I have learned from my spiritual director is that if I am fully aware of what my obligations as a member of the faithful are, and meet the 3 criteria for mortal sin (grave matter, full knowledge & willful consent), and I choose to receive the Eucharist without first receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, I am indeed committing another mortal sin.

Now, in the case of missing Mass, I would have to say that a lot would depend on the reason. If I didn’t want to get up & dressed on Sunday and chose not to go to Mass, then I would consider that a “mortal sin”.
If on the other hand, I woke up with the full intention of going to Mass, and the weather was very bad, or I was not feeling well and I chose to say home to keep myself and others safe from harm, I would not consider that a mortal sin.

I guess it all boils down to the “intent”.

 

[DihydrogenOxide]

Catechism.

1395 By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church.

 

[funion987]

From the tract here at CA:

The 1983 Code of Canon Law indicates that the same requirement applies today. “A person who is conscious of a grave sin is not to . . . receive the body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession unless a grave reason is present and there is no opportunity of confessing; in this case the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible” (CIC 916).

The requirement for sacramental confession can be dispensed if four conditions are fulfilled: (1) there must be a grave reason to receive Communion (for example, danger of death), (2) it must be physically or morally impossible to go to confession first, (3) the person must already be in a state of grace through perfect contrition, and (4) he must resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

catholic.com/tracts/who-can-receive-communion

 

[Aelred_Minor]

This seems to be a somewhat common point of confusion.

It is true that one can obtain forgiveness of mortal sins through perfect contrition, even prior to going to confession (though you also have to simultaneously intend to confess the sins at the nearest opportunity, at least if you are aware of this requirement of the Church). However, the jump of logic from forgiveness of sins to reception of communion is the problem. Even if you are back in a state of grace, you ordinarily may not receive communion until you have received sacramental absolution.

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself."216 Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

(grave sin here means mortal sin)

 

[clairby]

The requirement for sacramental confession can be dispensed if four conditions are fulfilled: (1) there must be a grave reason to receive Communion (for example, danger of death), (2) it must be physically or morally impossible to go to confession first, (3) the person must already be in a state of grace through perfect contrition, and (4) he must resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

catholic.com/tracts/who-can-receive-communion

Uh, what would be the case of “morally impossible”? since when is it immoral to go to confession.