Perfecting contrition

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I’ve been thinking about perfect and imperfect contrition. Would you say the Sacrament of Penance “perfects” your contrition? Meaning that to elicit a perfect contrition is almost impossible so the Sacrament makes up for our lack.
 
I think perfect contrition is very possible. It simply has to do with your relationship with God. However, contrition can become sort of moot if you never follow it up with Confession, so in this respect Confession is necessary for perfect contrition.
 
chypmonk said:
I’ve been thinking about perfect and imperfect contrition. Would you say the Sacrament of Penance “perfects” your contrition? Meaning that to elicit a perfect contrition is almost impossible so the Sacrament makes up for our lack.
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I don’t think so. According to baltimore catechism imperfect contrition is sufficient to make a good confession.
 
Imperfect contrition is enough to make your confession valid. But imperfect contrition ‘leads’ to perfect contrition. By allowing our hearts to be molded into God’s image, the imperfect confession that we give now begins to mold us even further, to where what we are unable to be perfect in now, God makes us perfect in later.

So in a way yes. Reconciliation does indeed turn imperfect into perfect, but it’s not an instant transformation. (Not in all cases, but with God all things are possible.)
 
JNdoum said:
I think perfect contrition is very possible. It simply has to do with your relationship with God. However, contrition can become sort of moot if you never follow it up with Confession, so in this respect Confession is necessary for perfect contrition.
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An act of perfect contrition to forgive mortal sins is conditional (not optional) upon getting to confession as soon as possible thereafter. It just means that if the person dies before getting to confession they would be saved. However, the problem I see is that nobody can be absolutely sure they have made an act of perfect contrition.
Therefore the sensible thing to do when in a state of mortal sin is to get to Confession quickly where even an act of imperfect contrition is sufficient.
 
Thanks all but I guess I didn’t explain myself well. I know that imperfect contrition is all that is necessary for confession but I was thinking how to explain confession to an unbeliever.

We are obligated to go to confession even if we think we made a perfect contrition, which is impossible to know, if one didn’t go to confession after the supposed perfect contrition you would be in mortal sin of presumption.

If we die before we can make it to confession then the perfect contrition would suffice.
 
chypmonk said:
Thanks all but I guess I didn’t explain myself well. I know that imperfect contrition is all that is necessary for confession but I was thinking how to explain confession to an unbeliever.

We are obligated to go to confession even if we think we made a perfect contrition, which is impossible to know, if one didn’t go to confession after the supposed perfect contrition you would be in mortal sin of presumption.

If we die before we can make it to confession then the perfect contrition would suffice.
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catholic.com/tracts/confession
catholic.com/tracts/the-forgiveness-of-sins
 
thistle said:
An act of perfect contrition to forgive mortal sins is conditional (not optional) upon getting to confession as soon as possible thereafter. It just means that if the person dies before getting to confession they would be saved. However, the problem I see is that nobody can be absolutely sure they have made an act of perfect contrition.
Therefore the sensible thing to do when in a state of mortal sin is to get to Confession quickly where even an act of imperfect contrition is sufficient.
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I’m sorry, I never meant to imply that Confession wasn’t absoloutely necessary. Thank you for clearing that point up more. 🙂
 
bmullins said:
Imperfect contrition is enough to make your confession valid. But imperfect contrition ‘leads’ to perfect contrition. By allowing our hearts to be molded into God’s image, the imperfect confession that we give now begins to mold us even further, to where what we are unable to be perfect in now, God makes us perfect in later.

So in a way yes. Reconciliation does indeed turn imperfect into perfect, but it’s not an instant transformation. (Not in all cases, but with God all things are possible.)
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Is your point that reconciliation is a step to heaven for your average person and in heaven our contrition will be perfect, so therefore for the elect the imperfect contrition associated with reception of reconciliation does eventually turn into perfect contrition?
 
Is it possible to have both at the same time or are they mutually exclusive ?
 
Well if you have done two things, then yes. If you lied to someone on one hand, and then also had stolen something from someone else… then you might be perfectly contrite for lying, but imperfectly contrite for the stealing.

But you cannot be perfectly contrite and imperfectly contrite for the same sin.
 
bmullins said:
Well if you have done two things, then yes. If you lied to someone on one hand, and then also had stolen something from someone else… then you might be perfectly contrite for lying, but imperfectly contrite for the stealing.

But you cannot be perfectly contrite and imperfectly contrite for the same sin.
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No, perfect contrition means one is has no attachment to any sin. Further, you must be motivated by love of God, not fear of punishment.

If you are imperfectly contrite about one sin, you are imperfectly contrite about all sins. This is really REALLY hard to do, and when Christ died for sins and instituted baptism and confession to forgive our sins.
 
So, for the same sin, you can’t be sorry for the love of God and sorry for the fear of hell at the same time?
 
expectthebest said:
So, for the same sin, you can’t be sorry for the love of God and sorry for the fear of hell at the same time?
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Yes, of course the first OUGHT to include the second - in perfect contrition, one is aware of BOTH the nature of his sin AND the consequences. If someone does not understand (and fear) the consequences, then it’s debatable if he really understands the nature of his sin. But this is considered perfect contrition (even if it rightly includes fear of judgement).

Contrition is only “imperfect” if it is mainly motivated by fear.
 
runningdude said:
No, perfect contrition means one is has no attachment to any sin. Further, you must be motivated by love of God, not fear of punishment.
.
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I’ve never heard anyone say that perfect contrition requires not attachment to any sin, can you link me some documents on that? I’d like to read further.
 
Bmullins,

Ive never seen those linked either. Perhaps it was a conflation between perfect contrition and the disposition necessary for obtaining a plenary indulgence.

But, I think a bigger issue is when you said that you cant have perfect and imperfect contrition for the same sin. . . Taken in one sense this is true because perfect contrition can include imperfect contrition and you wouldnt necessarily label it as perfect + imperfect. But in another sense it would be untrue, as davidFilmer pointed out, for you can have fear of hell as a component of perfect contrition.

VC
 
Verbum_Caro said:
Bmullins,

Ive never seen those linked either. Perhaps it was a conflation between perfect contrition and the disposition necessary for obtaining a plenary indulgence.

But, I think a bigger issue is when you said that you cant have perfect and imperfect contrition for the same sin. . . Taken in one sense this is true because perfect contrition can include imperfect contrition and you wouldnt necessarily label it as perfect + imperfect. But in another sense it would be untrue, as davidFilmer pointed out, for you can have fear of hell as a component of perfect contrition.

VC
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My understanding is that imperfect contrition is because you ONLY have a fear of hell, but not the rest (for instance, being sorry for what you’ve done). Perfect is when you are contrite in the sense that you have hurt God, are sorry you have hurt someone else etc + the rest. Perfect contains imperfect in that sense, but it has been made perfect. Or you could phrase it better to say that Perfect is this, and imperfect is perfect minus this.

So if you are imperfect, you haven’t gotten perfect. If you are perfect, you are no longer imperfect. In that sense, you can’t be imperfect and perfect at the same time, it’s just not logically sound.
 
Hi ebest,

Yes, both contritions are not mutually exclusive . See the Act of Contrition :
ACT OF CONTRITION 1

O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because** I dread** the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
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Verbum
 
bmullins said:
My understanding is that imperfect contrition is because you ONLY have a fear of hell, but not the rest (for instance, being sorry for what you’ve done). Perfect is when you are contrite in the sense that you have hurt God, are sorry you have hurt someone else etc + the rest. Perfect contains imperfect in that sense, but it has been made perfect. Or you could phrase it better to say that Perfect is this, and imperfect is perfect minus this.

So if you are imperfect, you haven’t gotten perfect. If you are perfect, you are no longer imperfect. In that sense, you can’t be imperfect and perfect at the same time, it’s just not logically sound.
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As others have said an act of perfect contrition is motivated MAINLY BUT NOT ONLY by sorrow for offending God and an act of imperfect contrition is motivated MAINLY BUT NOT ONLY by fear of going to Hell.
 
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