The forgiveness of sins

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trumpet152

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I’m not Catholic. Wish I was, but am not yet there. In the mean time, I can’t go to confession. I’ve sinned and feel really guilty about it. I know that God will forgive me if I am repentant, but how repentant must I be? How do I know my contrition is true? I just wish I could confess my sin to a priest and be done with it! I was baptized as a Protestant (valid Baptism); is there any way I can confess even without being confirmed?
 
We were just discussing this in Youth Group but came up inconclusive. I’d schedule an appointment with a priest and ask him if you can receive the sacrament. We do know that you have to receive it prior to your confirmation, so theoretically you may be able to receive it now, but still talk to a priest.
 
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trumpet152:
I’m not Catholic. Wish I was, but am not yet there. In the mean time, I can’t go to confession. I’ve sinned and feel really guilty about it. I know that God will forgive me if I am repentant, but how repentant must I be? How do I know my contrition is true? I just wish I could confess my sin to a priest and be done with it! I was baptized as a Protestant (valid Baptism); is there any way I can confess even without being confirmed?
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You can confess your sins to a priest, but since you are not Catholic, he cannot absolve you in God’s name through the sacrament.

You can always confess your sins directly to God, of course, but then you have no confirmation that your sins are absolved, nor will you recieve the graces that come through the sacrament.

In other words: do the best you can with what you have (or don’t have) and get serious about becoming a Catholic soon! 🙂
 
The Catholic church also has a very valuable resource called a retreat. Why not try one? It might settle your soul and also give you an opportunity to explore more about what the Catholic faith is. You can contact the Catholic diocese or parish nearby where you live and ask about possible retreat opportunities. There is usually one going on somewhere.
 
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Fidelis:
You can confess your sins to a priest, but since you are not Catholic, he cannot absolve you in God’s name through the sacrament.

You can always confess your sins directly to God, of course, but then you have no confirmation that your sins are absolved, nor will you recieve the graces that come through the sacrament.

In other words: do the best you can with what you have (or don’t have) and get serious about becoming a Catholic soon! 🙂
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Is this really true? I went through RCIA and those of us who had already been baptised went to confession a couple of weeks before the Easter vigil. One woman went in December because she was going to be undergoing surgery. We weren’t officially Catholic then, we just had the desire to be.
 
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dulcissima:
Is this really true? I went through RCIA and those of us who had already been baptised went to confession a couple of weeks before the Easter vigil. One woman went in December because she was going to be undergoing surgery. We weren’t officially Catholic then, we just had the desire to be.
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I believe the OP was talking about non-Catholics in general, not those that were on the verge of completing the RCIA process.

Once you are Catechumens you belong to an Order that gives you all the rights of a Catholic, even a Catholic funeral if you were to pass away before you completed your sacraments of initiation.

Every parishes that I’ve seen requires sacramental Confession as a prerequisite to and immediately before the Catechumens recieve First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation. It sounds like your parish did it just right.
 
Our priests absolve non-catholics all the time. I have never heard that a non-catholic can not receive the sacrament of confession. Can you quote the catechism on this. I know many wonderful Catholic priests who have absolved many non-catholics that I know personally.
 
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Toni:
Our priests absolve non-catholics all the time. I have never heard that a non-catholic can not receive the sacrament of confession. Can you quote the catechism on this. I know many wonderful Catholic priests who have absolved many non-catholics that I know personally.
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If that is true, they are doing it illicitly. Here’s what canon law says about it:
Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and ⇒ can. 861, §2.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2T.HTM
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There are exceptions like danger of death or others granted by the bishop on a case by case basis, but in general, it is not allowed.
 
why not discuss this with a priest, not us, he is the pastor, we are not.
 
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