Unforgiven? Can't Become Catholic?

[inkaneer]

Also, from what I have understood and read, don’t you have to be AWARE it is a grave sin, proceed with this knowlege in defiance of the Church and MUST BE completely aware of automatic excomunication, as a result?

In other words, even if you did it in defiance of Church teaching if you did NOT know about automatic excomunication, you cannot be excomunicated and are not considered such.

Considering she (OP) didn’t appear to know about Church teaching at the time she had the abortion, that seems to remove the question of it being a grave sin.

No it is still a sin. It is murder and murder is a violation of the natural law so one does not have the defense of ignorance of church teaching. I doubt if excommunication would apply to someone who is not in the Church when the abortion was committed. It would have to be confessed an may need to forgiven by a bishop rather than a priest. But I don’t really know if that is the case as I have never had any experience with a similar situation.

 

[figs]

No it is still a sin. It is murder and murder is a violation of the natural law so one does not have the defense of ignorance of church teaching. I doubt if excommunication would apply to someone who is not in the Church when the abortion was committed. It would have to be confessed an may need to forgiven by a bishop rather than a priest. But I don’t really know if that is the case as I have never had any experience with a similar situation.

ok, well isn’t one of the conditions of it being a “mortal sin” knowlege that it IS a mortal sin before you commit it? I’m pretty sure it is.
And in her case, ignorance of Church teaching would indeed apply since she did not have proper formation.
There’s a name for that, it just doesn’t come to mind at the moment. Something regarding ignorance & concience… if anyone out there knows?

I doubt she would have to go to anyone other than a priest for confession.

 

[Barbkw]

What should I do? Where should I go? How do I find forgiveness? I don’t want to go to Hell!

Sorry for the confusion that you experienced.

A Catholic priest can hear a non-Catholic’s confession but he can’t absolve those sins (only because you are not yet a Catholic). That is because Reconciliation with a Catholic priest prepares a Catholic for Eucharist.

If you are interested in becoming Catholic, there are classes to take which will give you instruction on Catholicism. These classes are called RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiantion for Adults).

During the RCIA process, if you’re already Baptised you will have Reconciliation with a priest prior to your first Eucharist.

Then, the priest (in the person of Jesus) will absolve you of your sins and grant you Jesus’ graces.

If you’re not Baptised, then Baptism will wash away all previous sin.

As noted by other posters, there are post abortion healing groups:

hopeafterabortion.com/

 

[Barbkw]

As for his directing me to a different branch- he didn’t say that directly. If I recall correctly, I think his exact words were, “Being Catholic … (pause here) isn’t for everyone. Not everyone’s lives sit well with our rules. Consider that before you pursue this any farther.”

This is true.

What the Catholic Church calls mortal sin, other denominations have accepted as normal to their congregation.

Various denominaitons have reinterpreted Sacred Scripture to keep current with what ails society.

In example:

women priests
masturbation
same sex marriage
non celibate homosexual acts
non celibate homosexual priests
remarriage after divorce
honoring the Lord’s Day
Eucharist
Reconciliation with a priest
artifical birth control
abortion
in vitro fertilization
euthanasia
embryonic stem cell use

 

[inkaneer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by inkaneer
No it is still a sin. It is murder and murder is a violation of the natural law so one does not have the defense of ignorance of church teaching. I doubt if excommunication would apply to someone who is not in the Church when the abortion was committed. It would have to be confessed an may need to forgiven by a bishop rather than a priest. But I don’t really know if that is the case as I have never had any experience with a similar situation.

ok, well isn’t one of the conditions of it being a “mortal sin” knowlege that it IS a mortal sin before you commit it? I’m pretty sure it is.
And in her case, ignorance of Church teaching would indeed apply since she did not have proper formation.
There’s a name for that, it just doesn’t come to mind at the moment. Something regarding ignorance & concience… if anyone out there knows?

I doubt she would have to go to anyone other than a priest for confession.

No the natural law is so called because it is known by our very nature as living beings. It is intrinsic to our very nature to know that murder is wrong.

Is your doubt that she could just go to a priest for confession based on actual knowledge or is it wishful thinking? I ask because your idea of murder not being a sin despite its violation of the natural law is wishful thnking.

 

[figs]

For something to be a mortal sin, it has to meet these three requirements:

1. It must be grave matter.
2. You must know that it is grave matter.
3. You must have full consent.

fatima.org/essentials/requests/examconc.asp
where I get my “wishful thinking” from.

The young woman was 13 at the time and she was raped, she says she was coerced into abortion. I don’t think she is as culpable as an adult with full knowlege and understanding about pregnancy and that it is, in fact, killing an unborn child.

If in clear concience, she can say that she was unaware, didn’t know, nor concent, then it would seem logical that her sin is not considered mortal.

 

[inkaneer]

For something to be a mortal sin, it has to meet these three requirements:

1. It must be grave matter.
2. You must know that it is grave matter.
3. You must have full consent.

fatima.org/essentials/requests/examconc.asp
where I get my “wishful thinking” from.

The young woman was 13 at the time and she was raped, she says she was coerced into abortion. I don’t think she is as culpable as an adult with full knowlege and understanding about pregnancy and that it is, in fact, killing an unborn child.

If in clear concience, she can say that she was unaware, didn’t know, nor concent, then it would seem logical that her sin is not considered mortal.

If she was coerced as she says then consent is lacking. BUT… that is different than saying she did not know it was a serious or grave matter. A violation of the natural law is a grave matter and by our nature we know or at least we should know that it is a grave matter. Knowledge of abortion being a grave matter was the crux of the discussion here not whether she fully consented.