Question about confession, mortal sin and communion

[maryrose03]

Yesterday I went to our church’s Lenten penance service. I did not realize that one of the sins I confessed was a mortal sin. After I confessed it the priest started asking me if I had been going to mass every Sunday and receiving communion and then asked if I realized it was an additional mortal sin to receive communion after committing a mortal sin. I stammered for a moment. I had been embarrassed to begin with to confess the sin, the confessor did not ask for any more details surrounding the circumstances of the sin, and I was taken aback that the sin was a mortal sin.

I’m still feeling sad, uncomfortable and anxious over the experience. I’m wondering now, I didn’t specifically confess to receiving communion in a state of mortal sin. Am I still in a state of mortal sin? Do I need to go back to confession before I receive Eucharist?

Thank you!

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Yesterday I went to our church’s Lenten penance service. I did not realize that one of the sins I confessed was a mortal sin. After I confessed it the priest started asking me if I had been going to mass every Sunday and receiving communion and then asked if I realized it was an additional mortal sin to receive communion after committing a mortal sin. I stammered for a moment. I had been embarrassed to begin with to confess the sin, the confessor did not ask for any more details surrounding the circumstances of the sin, and I was taken aback that the sin was a mortal sin.

I’m still feeling sad, uncomfortable and anxious over the experience. I’m wondering now, I didn’t specifically confess to receiving communion in a state of mortal sin. Am I still in a state of mortal sin? Do I need to go back to confession before I receive Eucharist?

Thank you!

You have a good priest there.

See, he asked you because if you didn’t realize it was a mortal sin (to receive communion after committing mortal sin), then while the sin itself was still grave, you weren’t guilty of mortal sin personally.

Suppose you were born in a remote village where the people were taught that stealing was a way to show how ‘clever’ you were, and that it was not ‘wrong.’

Well, stealing IS wrong. It is an absolute moral wrong, whether people ‘believe’ or understand it, or not.

BUT. . .if you don’t know it IS wrong, you’re doing a wrong action but you personally do not have ‘full knowledge’ SO. . .you are not guilty of mortal sin personally.

Now that you DO know it’s a sin, if you do it again, you will be guilty of mortal sin. But earlier, you didn’t know so you weren’t personally guilty.

So it’s all taken care of and you can relax. By the priest’s asking you the question he was giving you the information you’d need for the future, but he didn’t ask you to confess because since you had told him (even if not outright) that you didn’t know it was wrong, he knew you had done it but had not sinned mortally since you didn’t know it was wrong.

OK?.

 

[Southerncross]

Yesterday I went to our church’s Lenten penance service. I did not realize that one of the sins I confessed was a mortal sin. After I confessed it the priest started asking me if I had been going to mass every Sunday and receiving communion and then asked if I realized it was an additional mortal sin to receive communion after committing a mortal sin. I stammered for a moment. I had been embarrassed to begin with to confess the sin, the confessor did not ask for any more details surrounding the circumstances of the sin, and I was taken aback that the sin was a mortal sin.

I’m still feeling sad, uncomfortable and anxious over the experience. I’m wondering now, I didn’t specifically confess to receiving communion in a state of mortal sin. Am I still in a state of mortal sin? Do I need to go back to confession before I receive Eucharist?

Thank you!

Three things are necessary for a person to be guilty of mortal sin - full knowledge , full consent , grave matter . A deed may be objectively a mortal sin but subjectively may not be due to a lack of one of these factors . The priest in confession has already taken care of asking the appropriate questions in order for you to make a good confession - nothing more is req`d of you other that to say the penance he has given you . He has absolved you of your sins - rest easy .
[SIGN]Pax et Bonum[/SIGN]

 

[LindaSK]

Did the priest absolve you, give you a penance, and ask you to sat the Act of Contrition? If so, your sins have been forgiven. Look forward, not back. I was to a Penance Service last night, too, and went to Confession. God has already given me a chance to see if I learned anything last night. I mentioned it to my priest after Mass and Stations tonight. He asked me how I did. I think I handled things as I should - it feels right. See this Confession as a growing and learning experience, and God will provide the opportunities to see that growth in yourself.

I agree thoroughly with** Tantum ergo**. Your priest handled your situation very well, and asked the right questions.

God bless.