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Xantippe
Guest
Yes.
And likewise, quite a number of clerical tasks can be performed by deacons: celebration of marriages, baptisms, deacons, etc.
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And likewise, quite a number of clerical tasks can be performed by deacons: celebration of marriages, baptisms, deacons, etc.
T
thistle
Guest
We can objectively say with absolute certainty that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin goes immediately to Hell. That is an infallible teaching of the Church fully supported by God who bound himself.If that were the case – that is, if God were bound by His rules – then Jesus would have been unable to save us and make it possible for us to attain to Heaven. After all, the Jews had broken the Mosaic covenant; they and God were bound by its provisions, and, as it were, they were therefore deserving of death. Jesus didn’t come to earth to say, “oh wow, you guys are really screwed! sorry… the Father and I are bound by our promises, and we can’t make God a liar now, can we?”
… or that Jesus might have mercy in the particular judgment following your death. Is that dogmatic or doctrinally assured to happen? Nope. Is it impossible? Nope.
What happened with the Jews as a people in the OT is not relevant to individual Catholics dying in a state of mortal sin.
S
Sirach2
Guest
Provided you qualify that statement with “dies unrepentant.” We can never know whether a known sinner who died without the sacraments has prayed a perfect act of contrition. God alone knows their heart. This is why there is no restriction to their receiving a Catholic funeral. No priest is going to ask the family whether the decedent has been to confession.
M
Mary_Ellen
Guest
I went to confession once and just before confessions were to start the priest was called away to attend to a dying woman. We all waited for him to return. It only took 15 minutes because the woman had passed before he’d arrived at the nursing home but it could easily have taken a half hour. Some people were very upset by the delay, some took it in stride. All had the option to go to another church offering confessions at the same time but their delay would have been just as long - if not longer - with travel time and whatever lines they would find at the other churches.
We don’t post ending times for our confession times, just start times. It avoids situations described by the OP. Our priests will generally stay, however, for at least 30 minutes if confession is being offered before mass. They usually seem to bring material for reading or meditation for their ‘down time.’
Response to OP is moot at this point, as it is Monday, but if there was a question about being in a state of mortal sin OP should have refrained from receiving Communion.
We don’t post ending times for our confession times, just start times. It avoids situations described by the OP. Our priests will generally stay, however, for at least 30 minutes if confession is being offered before mass. They usually seem to bring material for reading or meditation for their ‘down time.’
Response to OP is moot at this point, as it is Monday, but if there was a question about being in a state of mortal sin OP should have refrained from receiving Communion.
T
thistle
Guest
“Dies unrepentant” is crystal clear. It means a person dies in a state of mortal sin without having repented (either in Confession or through an act of perfect contrition with the intent to get to Confession as soon as possible but dies before getting there).Provided you qualify that statement with “dies unrepentant.” We can never know whether a known sinner who died without the sacraments has prayed a perfect act of contrition. God alone knows their heart. This is why there is no restriction to their receiving a Catholic funeral. No priest is going to ask the family whether the decedent has been to confession.
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EasterJoy
Guest
Well, yes, but we do not pretend we know the death process so well that we can judge who died in some particular state and who did not. For instance, this is from the Catechism:
**2283 **We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. the Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.
We should tell others that none of us should presume to wait until our deathbed to confess our sins, because we know death can come without warning and we do not know what opportunities God will provide after it would seem to others we are instantaneously and unequivocally dead. Conversely, we should never presume that we are aware of the last opportunity another person had to confess. God may approach a soul by means to which we are not made privy. If we warn others to be prepared for death by renouncing all sin without delay, we do well. If we cross into judging those who met death without seeming to us to have done that, we cross beyond our authority.
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EasterJoy
Guest
Most priests I know love to hear the confessions of the contrite. The only thing that keeps them from hearing a confession is a previous commitment or an unfortunate unscheduled emergency or accident.
In your situation, I would go around to the sacristy and see if Father might still be around to hear my confession, with my apologies for not being there earlier, and if not to inquire about when I might have an opportunity. At least one priest I know is happy to hear confessions as soon as he is free, if he is able to do it, particularly if the penitent was not slothful in missing the regularly scheduled time. If he does not get through the line before needing to prepare for a Saturday night Mass, he will pften announce that he is going to stay to hear the confessions of those who were left waiting, and will be happy to hear others, too. (This is when he would not have to break a social commitment to do it; I don’t doubt he’d break a social commitment if the need was serious.)
If he was nowhere to be found, well, that is my bad luck, just as if I’d had a flat tire on the way. If I could examine my conscience and know I had not deliberately done anything I knew to be seriously wrong–because it is not a mortal sin if you did not comprehend its seriousness when you chose to do it–I would go ahead and go to Holy Communion before my next confession, since Holy Communion wipes away venial sin (this effect of receiving Holy Communion is in the Catechism). If examination of conscience turned up a mortal sin, I would ask the Holy Spirit to help me make a perfect act of contrition (which should have been done the first moment the mortal sin was admitted to myself), but wait until I could formally confess the sin before receiving Holy Communion, making an Act of Spiritual Communion in the meantime, instead.
In your situation, I would go around to the sacristy and see if Father might still be around to hear my confession, with my apologies for not being there earlier, and if not to inquire about when I might have an opportunity. At least one priest I know is happy to hear confessions as soon as he is free, if he is able to do it, particularly if the penitent was not slothful in missing the regularly scheduled time. If he does not get through the line before needing to prepare for a Saturday night Mass, he will pften announce that he is going to stay to hear the confessions of those who were left waiting, and will be happy to hear others, too. (This is when he would not have to break a social commitment to do it; I don’t doubt he’d break a social commitment if the need was serious.)
If he was nowhere to be found, well, that is my bad luck, just as if I’d had a flat tire on the way. If I could examine my conscience and know I had not deliberately done anything I knew to be seriously wrong–because it is not a mortal sin if you did not comprehend its seriousness when you chose to do it–I would go ahead and go to Holy Communion before my next confession, since Holy Communion wipes away venial sin (this effect of receiving Holy Communion is in the Catechism). If examination of conscience turned up a mortal sin, I would ask the Holy Spirit to help me make a perfect act of contrition (which should have been done the first moment the mortal sin was admitted to myself), but wait until I could formally confess the sin before receiving Holy Communion, making an Act of Spiritual Communion in the meantime, instead.
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Gorgias
Guest
I’m stunned that you continue to claim that “God is bound” by anyone or anything; after all, that’s not what the Church teaches. If you disagree, I’d suggest you read the Catechism: “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (CCC, 1257). In our context here, we see that we as Catholic Christians are bound to confess our sins, but God doesn’t bind Himself by the rules which He sets for us.
If that doesn’t convince you, I’d advise that you return to the Scripture verse you claim supports your assertion: “whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Note that what is being bound are things – that is, “whatever you shall bind”, not “whomever you shall bind.” In other words, in Matthew 16:19, Jesus is not giving permission for Peter (and his successors) to bind God, but to bind us (through his pronouncements).
T
thistle
Guest
You are missing the point. Of course we do not know the state of anyone’s soul at death. God knows who dies in a state of mortal sin and anyone who does goes immediately to Hell. There is no chance after death to repent. We have until our dying breath to repent.
C
ccmcmg
Guest
Absolutely not. Only priests are allowed to hear confessions and give absolution. There would be fewer people going to confession if it was a Deacon, or any non-priest. To me, it would make more sense to loosen the priest’s non-sacramental duties if he is unable to hear confessions. This is an important sacrament, and to make it unattainable could keep people from Heaven. That’s a HUGE deal to me. Non-sacramental duties could be performed by the laity or those that you named.
I’m blessed in that there are no less than 5 or 6 parishes per day within a 20 mile radius that I can think of off the top of my head that hold confessions. (3 of them hold daily, and of the other parishes in the area will have a weekday confession, rotating. With dozens of parishes in my area, and only 5 days per the regular week, It’s probably even more.) Appointments are also available. This blessing also works to hold me accountable. I have no reason not to go to Confession. It’s a double bonus, because the daily confessions are available before Mass (either early morning or noon).
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Tigg
Guest
When we lived far, far away in the good 'ole days, one wouldn’t dare come just 3 minutes before confession ends and expect to be accommodated.
Confessions started at 3 pm until 4:00 and if you weren’t there by **2:30 **with your place in line, you were plain out of luck. There were at least 3 priests and the lines went from the confessionals all the way to the back of the church. Alas…this was every single Saturday afternoon. And our precious priests there would come out to get ready for the Sat nite Mass and if they saw people still in line they would tell them “come back after Mass and we’ll be here for you.” There were also confessions heard 1/2 hour before each weekday Mass. Our monsignor, God bless him…we loved him dearly, always said the thing that made him the most proud of our parish was the long confession lines.
…then we moved and discovered hardly any one in this diocese went to confession anymore. Slowly, slowly, praise God…more and more are coming again, but the posted times are short and it’s always a “quickie” 3-4 minute in and out sort of thing.
Confessions started at 3 pm until 4:00 and if you weren’t there by **2:30 **with your place in line, you were plain out of luck. There were at least 3 priests and the lines went from the confessionals all the way to the back of the church. Alas…this was every single Saturday afternoon. And our precious priests there would come out to get ready for the Sat nite Mass and if they saw people still in line they would tell them “come back after Mass and we’ll be here for you.” There were also confessions heard 1/2 hour before each weekday Mass. Our monsignor, God bless him…we loved him dearly, always said the thing that made him the most proud of our parish was the long confession lines.
…then we moved and discovered hardly any one in this diocese went to confession anymore. Slowly, slowly, praise God…more and more are coming again, but the posted times are short and it’s always a “quickie” 3-4 minute in and out sort of thing.
T
thistle
Guest
Loosing and binding refers to the Church teachings . That is the authority God gave to the Church in matters of faith and morals.I’m stunned that you continue to claim that “God is bound” by anyone or anything; after all, that’s not what the Church teaches. If you disagree, I’d suggest you read the Catechism: “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (CCC, 1257). In our context here, we see that we as Catholic Christians are bound to confess our sins, but God doesn’t bind Himself by the rules which He sets for us.
If that doesn’t convince you, I’d advise that you return to the Scripture verse you claim supports your assertion: “whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Note that what is being bound are things – that is, “whatever you shall bind”, not “whomever you shall bind.” In other words, in Matthew 16:19, Jesus is not giving permission for Peter (and his successors) to bind God, but to bind us (through his pronouncements).
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Gorgias
Guest
Agreed; and we – as members of the Church – are bound by these teachings. However, this doesn’t mean that God – and in particular, the God’s mercy – are bound by them. That’s the whole point of the quote from the CCC that I provided: if God isn’t bound by the sacraments – which Christ Himself instituted! – then how could we suggest that God is bound by anything external to Himself?
T
thistle
Guest
God said he was bound by them. What do you think Matt 18:18 means?Agreed; and we – as members of the Church – are bound by these teachings. However, this doesn’t mean that God – and in particular, the God’s mercy – are bound by them. That’s the whole point of the quote from the CCC that I provided: if God isn’t bound by the sacraments – which Christ Himself instituted! – then how could we suggest that God is bound by anything external to Himself?
The words of Jesus (who is God):
Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.
That means, for example, that when the Church teaches infallibly that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin goes immediately to Hell, God bound himself to that teaching and anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin does indeed go immediately to Hell. There is no chance after death to repent.
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Gorgias
Guest
What it means is that, whatever the Church makes binding on us here on earth, God will likewise honor, and bind us to. What it does is give authority to the Church over us; what it doesn’t do is give authority to the Church over God…!
What Jesus is saying isn’t “the Church can make rules that bind Me”, but rather, “I’ll honor the rules that the Church makes for its members”.
No, the Church bound us, and God allows it. However, just as in the Sacraments, to which we’re bound but God is not, so too, God retains the initiative to have mercy where He wishes.
This may be where the problem is. I’m not suggesting that there’s the opportunity to repent after death. Rather, we’re simply asking – for a person who is in a state of mortal sin, and is contrite, but hasn’t gone to confession – whether God can take the initiative and have mercy on him. You say God is powerless to do so; I’m asserting that God is not powerless in the face of anything…
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