Repentance and Reconciliation

[JosephDColeman]

In order for the sacrament of reconciliation to be effective, do you have to repent before going to confession? Or could someone decide from the confession on they won’t commit a particular sin and it still be forgiven?

 

[LittleFlower378]

One must have at least imperfect contrition before one confesses the sins.

 

[Vico]

In order for the sacrament of reconciliation to be effective, do you have to repent before going to confession? Or could someone decide from the confession on they won’t commit a particular sin and it still be forgiven?

Theologians have discussed this issue of perfect contrition (contrition of love) and attrition was not a teaching until the twelfth century. Attrition becomes perfect with the action of absolution when it brings about the contrition of love in the individual confession.

 

[Daniel27]

My understanding (which may be wrong) was that it was the Holy Spirit’s role to convict those individual souls who have committed sins and are in need of forgiveness. Thus, it is not up to us to alter our disposition nor state of contrition regarding confession.

In practice, this leaves one of several possibilities: A- a person does not go to confession because they do not feel like they need to be forgiven (at least, not at this particular moment); B- a person goes to confession not in a state of contrition but under the belief that they can still be forgiven (which I think constitutes presumption); C- confession begins with the first realisation that the person needs to go the confession, and from here on, the metanoia has already began.

As said at the start, that’s entirely my own opinion and is possibly (probably wrong); a better answer is just to run it by your confessor.