Question about salvation - there is something that doesn't make sense to me

[Pilsen]

I have a question regarding death and judement that I hoping someone can explain (the facts don’t quite add up).

The Catholic Church says that upon death you enter judgement. And if you die with an unconfessed mortal sin on your soul then you will go to hell. Plain and simple.

However, the following ‘exceptions’ would indicate otherwise:

1. You are wearing a Brown scapular at the time you died, because our Lady of Mt Carmel would intercede for you and you would avoid eternity in hell. I don’t recall there being a clause in our Lady’s promises which says you must not have a mortal sin on your soul.
2. As per St Faustina’s Diary there are a few times when God’s mercy will save you from hell (as long as the soul responds to Gods mercy). Some of these include: if you pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the presence of the dying – and there was also a conversation between Jesus and a dying sinner which pointed out there is still time to be saved in the last few moments before you die.
3. There is also a story from one of the saints (St Theresa perhaps?), where it was pointed out that a person falling to their death from a horse can still be saved in those last few seconds.
4. And we are also taught that we can pray for the dead (for their conversion before they die). Since, God is outside of time - God will hear our prayers (even if its 20 years later) and apply it to their benefit at their hour of death.

So how do all these ‘exceptions’ fit in with the Church’s position which states that you cannot have a mortal sin on your soul in order to be saved? With these exceptions, technically you still have a chance to go to Heaven/purgatory even if you haven’t been to confession. So why is the CCC so ‘strict’ if clearly there is still a chance? Points 2-3 above indicate a chance but point 1 is an assured guarantee!

Hopefully someone can explain this to me as I am a little confused.

Thanks.

 

[underacloud]

And if you die with an unconfessed mortal sin on your soul then you will go to hell. Plain and simple.

This isn’t quite right.

If you die with unrepented mortal sin you will go to hell.

Confession is the proper sacramental way to repent of mortal sin, but not the only way. Perfect contrition - being sorry for sin because of love for God - restores a soul to grace, and this can happen a mere moment before death, which fits into the examples you provide.

More can be said, but this is the basics of it.

 

[Hobbes42]

I have a question regarding death and judement that I hoping someone can explain (the facts don’t quite add up).

The Catholic Church says that upon death you enter judgement. And if you die with an unconfessed mortal sin on your soul then you will go to hell. Plain and simple.

However, the following ‘exceptions’ would indicate otherwise:

1. You are wearing a Brown scapular at the time you died, because our Lady of Mt Carmel would intercede for you and you would avoid eternity in hell. I don’t recall there being a clause in our Lady’s promises which says you must not have a mortal sin on your soul.

As far as I know, the Scapular must be coupled with the accompanying devotion, and a state of grace. If I remember correctly, it doesn’t act as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Otherwise, everybody’d have one. Then, why bother avoiding sin if you’ll go to Heaven no matter what?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I have a question regarding death and judement that I hoping someone can explain (the facts don’t quite add up).

The Catholic Church says that upon death you enter judgement. And if you die with an unconfessed mortal sin on your soul then you will go to hell. Plain and simple.

However, the following ‘exceptions’ would indicate otherwise:

1. You are wearing a Brown scapular at the time you died, because our Lady of Mt Carmel would intercede for you and you would avoid eternity in hell. I don’t recall there being a clause in our Lady’s promises which says you must not have a mortal sin on your soul.
2. As per St Faustina’s Diary there are a few times when God’s mercy will save you from hell (as long as the soul responds to Gods mercy). Some of these include: if you pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the presence of the dying – and there was also a conversation between Jesus and a dying sinner which pointed out there is still time to be saved in the last few moments before you die.
3. There is also a story from one of the saints (St Theresa perhaps?), where it was pointed out that a person falling to their death from a horse can still be saved in those last few seconds.
4. And we are also taught that we can pray for the dead (for their conversion before they die). Since, God is outside of time - God will hear our prayers (even if its 20 years later) and apply it to their benefit at their hour of death.

So how do all these ‘exceptions’ fit in with the Church’s position which states that you cannot have a mortal sin on your soul in order to be saved? With these exceptions, technically you still have a chance to go to Heaven/purgatory even if you haven’t been to confession. So why is the CCC so ‘strict’ if clearly there is still a chance? Points 2-3 above indicate a chance but point 1 is an assured guarantee!

Hopefully someone can explain this to me as I am a little confused.

Thanks.

You’re looking at it far too simplistically. As another poster said, you go to Hell if you have unrepentant mortal sin, that is, mortal sin which, even knowing it is mortal, you would still chose to engage in. A perfect act of contrition would allow yo to obtain forgiveness for that sin without a confessor, although if possible going to confession should always be your first choice because you can never know if your contrition is perfect.

If a person were to commit adultery, and intend to commit adultery again, then if they were to die they’re pretty much out of luck (objectively speaking, we can never know for sure in this life). However, if a person commits adultery and then comes to recognize what they’ve done is wrong and feel genuine remorse for it, they would have the possibility of salvation due to their repentance. That is only a possibility though, as the only way to be sure of forgiveness in this life is to receive absolution through a priest.