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Epistemes
Guest
After confession and absolution, if you fail to perform the required penance, what then? Does the sin remain? Must it be confessed again? Is not performing penance a mortal sin in itself?
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LilyM
Guest
No, your confessed sin is removed with the priest’s absolution even if you don’t do the penance. However if your failure to do the penance stems from lack of any sort of contrition or sorrow for your sin then that lack would mean the confession is invalid.
To wilfully and deliberately fail to do your penance without good reason would be a fresh sin, but I’m unsure whether it would be mortal or venial, possibly depends on the circumstances. It’d be something to discuss with your priest at the next confession.
To wilfully and deliberately fail to do your penance without good reason would be a fresh sin, but I’m unsure whether it would be mortal or venial, possibly depends on the circumstances. It’d be something to discuss with your priest at the next confession.
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twf
Guest
Once the absolution is given all mortal sin has been forgiven. The priest, acting “in the person of Christ” has totally eradicated all sin (assuming you were contrite and didn’t willfully withhold any mortal sins). Penance is simply a means of satisfying the temporal penalties due to sin and as a corrective, beneficial disciplinary measure. I think to willfully refuse to do your penance would be a new mortal sin. Why? Because you would be deliberately defying the Church’s authority to bind and loose, which the bishop, as the local vicar of Christ, has entrusted to the priest. As Our Lord says in Mathew 10:40-“he who receives you, receives Me, and he who rejects you, rejects Me and the One who sent Me.”
Can anyone back this up with official Church teaching? To willfully defy what the Church has prescribed in other matters (fasting and abstinence for example) is considered a mortal sin, so I assume willfully defying what a priest has bound you to do by the Church’s authority would be grave matter as well.
Can anyone back this up with official Church teaching? To willfully defy what the Church has prescribed in other matters (fasting and abstinence for example) is considered a mortal sin, so I assume willfully defying what a priest has bound you to do by the Church’s authority would be grave matter as well.
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lak611
Guest
Also, not performing the penance in this life will cause one to need to perform more penance in purgatory. The penance that the priest gives is usually fairly easy. I would rather do that than have to make up for it with a difficult penance in purgatory.
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sheila0405
Guest
Why would you choose not to perform the required penance? That doesn’t make sense…
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THurifer2
Guest
In a nutshell it is impossible to become “unabsolved”. Not completing pennance may or may not be a mortal sin.
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Epistemes
Guest
I’ll be honest - my priest had told me to pray to the holy Spirit for guidance as my penance, but I had been been in such a spiritual rut that prayer of any form just wasn’t happening. I didn’t even attempt to perform this penance…Why would you choose not to perform the required penance? That doesn’t make sense…
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twf
Guest
Just force yourself to do it. Ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to pray to Him! It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or fancy. Just say “Holy Spirit, help me”. You have to trust that in time, if you are open and persevere, God will give you the grace to overcome your difficulties with prayer. I don’t think your failure to do penance was a mortal sin because you didn’t intend to be disobedient to Christ’s Church. Next time you go to confession just mention to the priest that you failed to do your last penance, and perhaps explain the difficulties you are having to him. I’m sure he can give you some helpful advice. God bless!
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NaturalEnquirer
Guest
Do what you can. Don’t try to break any records or bring down the pillars of heaven or anything.
Just do it, like right now. Even if your heart isn’t in it, or you feel like doing something else – that’s our enemy trying to distract you. You can do it!God bless.
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ASimpleSinner
Guest
Confess you did not perform your penance.
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Claire_from_DE
Guest
Right:thumbsup: It’s a good idea to do the penance right away so you don’t forget but there’s not a time limit on it. A ‘Glory be to the Father…’ would do. Then just say, ‘Holy Spirit please help me get out of this awful rut I’m in.’ Or sit before the tabernacle and ask, Holy Spirit help me. I bet you already did that.
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Sir_Knight
Guest
That is incorrect. Failure to perform the penance is NOT a new sin. The penance that we do not do in this life will be required of us in the next life and it has been said that we can pay our debt for sin in this life with “pennies on the dollar” compared to what will be required of us in the next life. No matter how difficult a penance may seem in this life, it will be numerous times more difficult in EVERY WAY in the next life. Therefore, it would really be foolish not to perform a penance given.
Exactly.
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puzzleannie
Guest
no, no and no but you should certainly ask yourself why you are not performing the penance. if the reason is total lack of contrition and/or intention on your part to persist in sin, those might render the confession invalid.
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RAGGANDI
Guest
Doing penance reminds me of the old Fram oil filter commercial–
the customer thinks the price of an oil filter is outrageous and tells the mechanic he doesn’t want to go to that expense. The mechanic says “Well, you can pay me now or pay me LATER”, then it showed a car with a blown engine. I would much rather do the pennance now, by saying some extra prayers or meditating longer on a particular Gospel than enduring what I think is probably going to be a very unpleasant experience in Purgatory. I want to spend as little time there as possible.
the customer thinks the price of an oil filter is outrageous and tells the mechanic he doesn’t want to go to that expense. The mechanic says “Well, you can pay me now or pay me LATER”, then it showed a car with a blown engine. I would much rather do the pennance now, by saying some extra prayers or meditating longer on a particular Gospel than enduring what I think is probably going to be a very unpleasant experience in Purgatory. I want to spend as little time there as possible.
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michaeldaniels
Guest
When you are absolved of your sins by a validly ordained priest, within the sacrament of confession…your sins are forgiven and you are no longer in a state of mortal sin. The act of the penance removes your temporal punishment as a result of that sin you committed against the Body of Christ…It is your atonement. If not completed, the fact you did not complete it should be mentioned at your next confession and every attempt should be made to complete it.
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sheila0405
Guest
EXCELLENT POINTS!!!
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