Question about forgiveness?

[Thankatroop12]

Are mortal sins forgiven if you go to confession but you don’t feel bad about doing them but know they are sinful.

 

[Edward_H]

Good question. Might want to ask a priest. Feelings sometimes are given…but feelings aren’t contrition.

I don’t know if this is correct or not…but contrition is really I think an act of the will. So I ask myself…with respect to whether I have good contrition…"would I do XYZ again now. If I firmly reject that action, behavior, thought…then I conclude that contrition is present.

 

[underacloud]

Are mortal sins forgiven if you go to confession but you don’t feel bad about doing them but know they are sinful.

Why is the person confessing?

You need some form of contrition (sorrow) for a valid confession. But such contrition can be from say a fear of hell, rather than remorse (feeling bad) for what one did.

 

[1love]

Are mortal sins forgiven if you go to confession but you don’t feel bad about doing them but know they are sinful.

That is called imperfect contrition. It means you regret an action because of the consequences. Perfect contrition means regretting an action because you have offended God. There should be a distinction made when you are making your confession but you may still be absolved (at the priest’s discretion, as always).

 

[Thankatroop12]

Why is the person confessing?

You need some form of contrition (sorrow) for a valid confession. But such contrition can be from say a fear of hell, rather than remorse (feeling bad) for what one did.

Just wondered if let’s say someone doesn’t personally believe something is a sin but doesn’t want to go to hell.

 

[underacloud]

Just wondered if let’s say someone doesn’t personally believe something is a sin but doesn’t want to go to hell.

This is difficult. One must acknowledge that it is/was a sin, and resolve not to do it again.

If it’s an ongoing sin, then one cannot vailidly confess if they intend to keep doing it.

If it’s something they’ve done and won’t do again, they will need to examine their conscience. They must form some understanding that it is a sin, even if this is simply an acknowledgement that the Church says it is. Assenting isn’t the same as understanding.

 

[underacloud]

That is called imperfect contrition. It means you regret an action because of the consequences. Perfect contrition means regretting an action because you have offended God. There should be a distinction made when you are making your confession but you may still be absolved (at the priest’s discretion, as always).

I know of no such requirement (my bolding above). Do you have a source for this?

An act of contrition is required of the confessee, but imperfect contrition is sufficient.