Successful Act of Perfect Contrition and intention of going to Confession

[PMV]

For a successful Act of Perfect Contrition, I understand the requirements involving the sorrow being interior, supernatural, supreme and universal. I also know that for a valid Act of Perfect Contrition one must be sorry because he offended God, and the person must resolve to go to Confession **as soon as possible.
**But how far must a person actually go in trying to go to confession? The Church(es) in my area have confession available on Saturday and Sunday, but not during the weekdays. Unfortunately, I don’t think I won’t be able to go to the Sunday ones because of the unjust control I’m living under, but that’s a different story. However, at Churches in my area a person may probably request a confession during the weekdays. After making an Act of Perfect Contrition, to go to confession as soon as possible, should I call a priest? Also, out of curiosity, just how far must one go to get to confession as soon as possible? This is perhaps the main problem I have now spiritually.
Supposing I wanted to contact a priest for Confession but one of my parents said ‘no’, should I accept that ‘no’ and think, ‘I did what I could’, or should I go further and try to convince them constantly and continuously even if no success comes from it?
So, exactly how far must one go to try to arrive at Confession as soon as possible after making an Act of Perfect Contrition?

 

[JaneFrances]

Your question is a good one.

In the case of mortal sin, if indeed you have made a perfect act of contrition and you are observing the many various forms of “interior penance” (CCC 1434) which you may express throughout your daily life, you are still required to seek sacramental confession as soon as possible.

Now, having said that, “as soon as possible” is not a legalistic term used by the Church. It means precisely what it says. If you are in position (because of age, financial restraints which require you to be supported by your parents, or another circumstance) which prohibits you from seeking confession on Sunday, then you may have to wait until a later time. Your perfect confession, firm resolution to seek confession at the first possible opportunity, and daily acts of penace will suffice until you can recieve absolution.

May I suggest you read, in the mean time, paragraphs 1434-1439 of the Catechism? It pertains specifically to “The Many Forms of Penance in Christian Life.” In addition to giving you good spiritual direction, I suspect a thorough reading will give you much encouragement in how you can graciously and humbly offer up this time of difficulty. I am thinking in particular of how you could use this time of “unjust control” as a special offering towards the conversion of your parents in practicing charity in your acceptance of suffering and endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness.

 

[puzzleannie]

PMV:

Supposing I wanted to contact a priest for Confession but one of my parents said ‘no’, should I accept that ‘no’ and think, ‘I did what I could’, or should I go further and try to convince them constantly and continuously even if no success comes from it?
?

how old are you? there has to be more to this story, what adult is under the thumb of parents to this extent?

 

[PMV]

I think I found a better way to word this question; after making an Act of Perfect Contrition, should one;

Patiently and simply wait for the opportunity to confess to arrive
-Be on the look out for any chance to arrive at confession

Or

Take action to do everything humanly and physically possible to arrive at confession?
-Constantly urge my parents to make an arrangement with a priest for me to have a Confession; not accepting ‘no’ as an answer, but continuisly attempting to persuade them. As long as the answer is ‘no’ from them, constantly attempt to persuade them without giving up.

My parents allow me to go to Confession every Saturday, but unfortunately I fall into mortal sin again. I’d like to go again on Sunday (along with Mass again as well) to preserve my grace and help me more spiritually, but my parents do not seem to support me with my ‘Sunday’ plan.
I am going to post this concern on ‘Ask an Apologist’. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[PMV]

I’ve posted this question on ‘Ask an Apologist’ a couple of times. Any responses to my above posts would be appreciated.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Let’s clarify something. A “Act of Perfect Contrition” means that you are sorry for your sins because you’ve offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance. For most of us, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to perform a Perfect Act of Contrition because SOME fear of hell/purgatory always enters the picture.

If, however, you do make a Perfect Act of Contrition then your sins are indeed forgiven without sacramental confession.

 

[frogman80]

PMV:

I think I found a better way to word this question; after making an Act of Perfect Contrition, should one;

Patiently and simply wait for the opportunity to confess to arrive
-Be on the look out for any chance to arrive at confession

Or

Take action to do everything humanly and physically possible to arrive at confession?
-Constantly urge my parents to make an arrangement with a priest for me to have a Confession; not accepting ‘no’ as an answer, but continuisly attempting to persuade them. As long as the answer is ‘no’ from them, constantly attempt to persuade them without giving up.

My parents allow me to go to Confession every Saturday, but unfortunately I fall into mortal sin again. I’d like to go again on Sunday (along with Mass again as well) to preserve my grace and help me more spiritually, but my parents do not seem to support me with my ‘Sunday’ plan.
I am going to post this concern on ‘Ask an Apologist’. Any advice would be helpful.

Tell your folks that you are in mortal sin again…

 

[vluvski]

There is no need to indicate the nature or frequency of your sin, but let me offer this in case it is for the same sin over and over again.

Compulsive behaviors and habits reduce your culpability in committing a sin. I would recommend talking opening with your priest about this so you can identify if there is an underlying problem (such as an addiction) that needs to be addressed before you can rid yourself of this sin.

 

[Madia]

There is no need to indicate the nature or frequency of your sin, but let me offer this in case it is for the same sin over and over again.

Do you mean indicate on this forum or in the confenssional? If the poster is unaware all unconfessed mortal sins need to be confessed by kind and (approximate) number with a firm purpose of amendmant (I don’t know if I’ll stop but I’m going to at least try would suffice) for the confession to be valid.

Did you try to go before Sunday Mass?

Let’s clarify something. A “Act of Perfect Contrition” means that you are sorry for your sins because you’ve offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance. For most of us, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to perform a Perfect Act of Contrition because SOME fear of hell/purgatory always enters the picture.

While an act of perfect contrition requires you be sorry above all else because you offended God, I don’t think a fear of hell has to be totally absent for your sins to be forgiven. The thing is that fear of hell can’t be the motivating factor. In other words, the penitent who makes a succesful act of perfect contrition would be sorry for offending God whether or not there’s punishment of hell. The penitent would still be sorry even if there wasn’t the threat of eternal punishment.

 

[PMV]

Sir Knight:

Let’s clarify something. A “Act of Perfect Contrition” means that you are sorry for your sins because you’ve offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance. For most of us, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to perform a Perfect Act of Contrition because SOME fear of hell/purgatory always enters the picture.

If, however, you do make a Perfect Act of Contrition then your sins are indeed forgiven without sacramental confession.

The main reason is to be that you offended God, and if SOME fear of Hell takes place, but the major reason of sorrow for offending God is being fulfilled, it is valid. I read this in a book I believe to be titled; “Hell Plus How to Avoid Hell.”
Also, although your sins are forgiven, you must attempt to go to Confession as soon as possible.

 

[Sir_Knight]

If you have Perfect Contrition (you are sorry because you have offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance), sacramental confession is not required in order for your sin to be forgiven. However, as I said earlier, Perfect Contrition is difficult, if not impossible, for most to obtain. Therefore, confession should be sought out.

But if (and that’s a very BIG “if”) one did have Perfect Contrition, then confession would not be required.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Sir Knight:

If you have Perfect Contrition (you are sorry because you have offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance), sacramental confession is not required in order for your sin to be forgiven. However, as I said earlier, Perfect Contrition is difficult, if not impossible, for most to obtain.

SirKnight,

I think that you might be overstating the quality of “perfection” in Perfect Contrition. My understanding is that Perfect Contrition would consist of having as its primary motive the love of God whom has been offended. This does not mean that there cannot be secondary or lesser motives, such as fear of punishment, in an act of Perfect Contrition.

Fr. John Hardon defines Perfect Contrition in his Catholic Dictionary thus:

Sorrow for sin arising from perfect love. In perfect contrition the sinner detests sin more than any other evil, because it offends God, who is supremely good and deserving of all human love. Its motive is founded on God’s own personal goodness and not merely his goodness to the sinner or to humanity. . . . Moreover, in the act of perfect contrition other motives can coexist with the perfect love required. There can be fear or gratitude, or even lesser motives such as self-respect and self-interest, along with the dominant reason for sorrow, which is love for God.

This is picked up upon in the Catholic Answers *This Rock *magazine(Quick Questions) February 2003 (Vol 14, #2) response here:

Both kinds of contrition, which are not mutually exclusive, assume the resolve to sin no more.

Glancing over at the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Contrition we see:

All are agreed that pure, or disinterested, love (amor benevolentiæ, amor amicitiæ) suffices; when there is question of interested, or selfish, love (amor concupiscentia) theologians hold that purely selfish love is not sufficient.

The Encylopedia points out that disinterested love suffices, while purely selfish love is not sufficient. This means that disinterested love alone would obviously by Perfect Contrition, however *there can be an admixture of selfish love. *However selfish love alone (purely) is not sufficient.

This possiblity of an admixture, always keeping in mind however that the *primary motive *must be love of God, is admirably summed up in the standard Act of Contrition:

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 are 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.

Thus this standard act of contrition expresses as its primary motive love of God who was offended, and as a secondary motive dread of loss. I would submit that this standard Act of Contrition, would suffice for for perfect contrition **IF **the internal motives corresponded to the expressed words.

*So perhaps an Act of Perfect Contrition is not as rare as you may have thought! * But, as you point out, it cannot replace the Sacrament (which is the normative way to receive absolution, as Christ decreed). Because also required for an Act of Perfect Contrion is the intent to avail oneself of sacramental confession.

What do you think?
God Bless,
VC

 

[PMV]

Sir Knight:

If you have Perfect Contrition (you are sorry because you have offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance), sacramental confession is not required in order for your sin to be forgiven. However, as I said earlier, Perfect Contrition is difficult, if not impossible, for most to obtain. Therefore, confession should be sought out.

But if (and that’s a very BIG “if”) one did have Perfect Contrition, then confession would not be required.

If one made a successful Act of Perfect Contrition had the opportunity to confess, the person must.

 

[PMV]

Will someone please answer my original question?

 

[thistle]

Sir Knight:

Let’s clarify something. A “Act of Perfect Contrition” means that you are sorry for your sins because you’ve offended God and the fear of hell or purgatory has NO bearing on your repentance. For most of us, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to perform a Perfect Act of Contrition because SOME fear of hell/purgatory always enters the picture.

If, however, you do make a Perfect Act of Contrition then your sins are indeed forgiven without sacramental confession.

I don’t think that’s quite correct. An act of perfect contrition must be with the intent of going to Confession as soon as possible otherwise Protestants can claim to be correct saying Confession is not needed.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Confession is not needed if the contrition is PERFECT but to have PERFECT contrition is virtually impossible for most of us because even if the SLIGHTEST element of the fear of punishment is present, then the contrition is not PERFECT and the sin not forgiven. Even if the contrition IS perfect, there is no asurance that it WAS perfect and the doubt whether it was or not will always be present.

For that reason, sacramental confession should also be sought frequently because it assures us that our sins are indeed forgiven.

 

[hurst]

Sir Knight:

Confession is not needed if the contrition is PERFECT

If contrition is perfect, one does indeed obtain forgiveness.

But Confession is still required for these, because we are obliged to confess all unconfessed mortal sins. If you don’t confess them, you incur a new sin of disobedience and ingratitude.

Note: we are also obliged to go to confession at least once a year, even if we are not conscious of any mortal sins.
Sir Knight:

For that reason, sacramental confession should also be sought frequently because it assures us that our sins are indeed forgiven.

You imply that we only go just in case our contrition was not perfect. But as I stated above, even if our contrition were perfect, we must still go to confession for them if we are able. If we don’t then we incur new sin.

hurst

 

[baltobetsy]

To answer your original question: You do not have to make an extraordinary effort to get to confession ASAP. When your regular confession time comes, go to confession. If another opportunity arises before then, seize it and go to confession.

God, all loving, knows your heart. He’s not up there playing a cosmic game of “gotcha.” He knows exactly how sorry you are and wants to extend forgiveness to you.

You do not need to tell your parents you are in mortal sin again, as someone told you earlier. The state of your soul is between you and God and the priest in confession. Period. You are NEVER required to tell anyone else. Now, if you want to tell your parents you really NEED to go to confession, I’m sure they’ll take the hint. But you do not have to make a pest of yourself. God is patient. He knows you and your situation. Trust Him!

Betsy

 

[thistle]

Sir Knight:

Confession is not needed if the contrition is PERFECT but to have PERFECT contrition is virtually impossible for most of us because even if the SLIGHTEST element of the fear of punishment is present, then the contrition is not PERFECT and the sin not forgiven. Even if the contrition IS perfect, there is no asurance that it WAS perfect and the doubt whether it was or not will always be present.

For that reason, sacramental confession should also be sought frequently because it assures us that our sins are indeed forgiven.

Confession as soon as possible is required even when the Contrition is Perfect. This is the Church teaching and can be found in the Catechism.

Contrition

1451 Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again."50

1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.

 

[Sir_Knight]

thistle:

1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.

I stand corrected.

hurst:

Note: we are also obliged to go to confession at least once a year, even if we are not conscious of any mortal sins.

I was under the same impression but somebody on this forum corrected me and told me that was no longer the case.