Taking Communion without Confessing mortal sins

[Trevor_Stamm]

It’s actually a mortal sin… so if a person receives Communion without confessing mortal sins, that would put them in hell, not in Purgatory. If they repent and go to Confession for this - they would need to confess receiving Communion with mortal sin - I suppose this would then add to their time in Purgatory. (there are however indulgences, etc).

This is what I thought, I just didn’t want to say it. This is just speculation, but I’m getting the feeling this is the biggest problem in the Church and the biggest reason why she is dealing with so many hardships then ever before. I’m praying for all to run to confession.

Just a question, why do you support non frequent Communion? I think it was the Jansenists (they were heretics…) who taught receiving Communion rarely… many of the Saints and Popes, recommended frequent Communion. It gives many graces, because it is union with Christ Himself. Frequent Communion was taught pre-Vatican II as well. But of course it should be Communion in a state of grace, and having had kept the fast. We should always try to receive Communion with as much interior preparation as possible, but better frequently than rarely. I know when I dont’ receive Communion for a long time, that really weakens me spiritually.

God bless!

I don’t believe in such rare Communion, but everyday or every week seems off to me. I already knew the seriousness of taking Communion while in sin, if it places one in Hell I want to be very sure before everytime I take Communion after my Confirmation I will be in a state of grace, not for my own benefit but because I do not want to wound my King.

 

[Leon_Bloy]

Yes, receiving communion in a state of mortal sin is a mortal sin in itself.

However, my best information tells me that one must be certain that one has a mortal sin on one’s soul in order to commit this sin. You can’t do it “by accident.” (I say this mostly for the sake of OCD-inclined people on these boards who might become so worried about everything being a mortal sin that they stop going to communion, which is the very thing they need to have to help keep them from falling into sin! Remember that the devil wants to keep us from going to communion when we should.)

Receiving communion only once in rare while is not “old-school.” Pope St. Pius X himself and many other saints advocated going as often as possible. If one is in a state of grace, one can and should go daily!

Let’s not slip into a “if it was done in the old days, it’s necessarily better” kind of thinking! That is dangerous. Let’s evaluate actions on their own terms, according to the Church’s timeless teaching. The Church never told people officially they should only go to communion rarely. But it has taught the opposite. The “Easter duty” Church law which mandated (mandates still0 that one go to communion once a year was an “at least.”

 

[SeekNFind]

I have a couple questions:

-we were told that you can ask God directly for forgiveness but there are good reasons for going to confession. So can you just ask God for forgiveness yourself and then take communion?
-I thought we all did the act of contrition/kyrie eleison/confetior at the start of Mass to ask for forgiveness. Does this count for when you’re going to take communion?

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I have a couple questions:

-we were told that you can ask God directly for forgiveness but there are good reasons for going to confession. So can you just ask God for forgiveness yourself and then take communion?
-I thought we all did the act of contrition/kyrie eleison/confetior at the start of Mass to ask for forgiveness. Does this count for when you’re going to take communion?

For mortal sin…you have to go to confession. The confetior at the start of Mass is for venial sins. I myself prefer more frequent reconciliation and so I usually confess venial sins.

 

[alwayslooking]

Fun fact. I went to confession with a mortal sin on my soul once. In this confession I confessed both the sin and the sin of sacrilege for receiving communion in a state of sin. The priest told me that this is “the beauty of Holy Communion”. As long as I said an act of contrition before communion, all of my sins would be forgiven the same as confession. Furthermore he told me that in taking communion would fortify me to not sin in the same way again.

The priest advised me to receive communion, with a mortal sin, as a way to ask for forgiveness.

 

[Newsy]

I have a couple questions:

-we were told that you can ask God directly for forgiveness but there are good reasons for going to confession. So can you just ask God for forgiveness yourself and then take communion?
-I thought we all did the act of contrition/kyrie eleison/confetior at the start of Mass to ask for forgiveness. Does this count for when you’re going to take communion?

You may be forgiven, but you have not received absolution. Absolution puts is in good standing with the Church. Sin is against God AND against the Church. So, yes, confession is required.

 

[Newsy]

Fun fact. I went to confession with a mortal sin on my soul once. In this confession I confessed both the sin and the sin of sacrilege for receiving communion in a state of sin. The priest told me that this is “the beauty of Holy Communion”. As long as I said an act of contrition before communion, all of my sins would be forgiven the same as confession. Furthermore he told me that in taking communion would fortify me to not sin in the same way again.

The priest advised me to receive communion, with a mortal sin, as a way to ask for forgiveness.

Here’s a quote from the CCC, “By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church.”

So, as you can see, the priest gave you bad advice. It is wrong to take communion while in the state of Mortal sin.

 

[SeekNFind]

For mortal sin…you have to go to confession. The confetior at the start of Mass is for venial sins. I myself prefer more frequent reconciliation and so I usually confess venial sins.

You may be forgiven, but you have not received absolution. Absolution puts is in good standing with the Church. Sin is against God AND against the Church. So, yes, confession is required.

Thanks for the replies. They did not make this distinction in RCIA. I’ll check it out in my catechism too. But, regarding absolution, doesn’t absolution come from God? And if the priest is acting in persona Christi, then why can’t you go to God directly? Is it just the community aspect (ie sin affects everyone)?

 

[Bookcat]

Thanks for the replies. They did not make this distinction in RCIA. I’ll check it out in my catechism too. But, regarding absolution, doesn’t absolution come from God? And if the priest is acting in persona Christi, then why can’t you go to God directly? Is it just the community aspect (ie sin affects everyone)?

No it is not just the community aspect. You will find the answer there in the Catechism when you check it out Read the whole section on Confession.