What constitutes "serious embarassment"?

[Vico]

…
Canon 916 pertains to the celebrant of Mass in the first part, and the communicant in the second part. The OP is asking about the second part as it pertains to the laity.

Both parts of the canon pertains to celebrants. Note that the condition is “grave reason” with “no opportunity to confess” not with opportunity to confess.

Can. 916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession, unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.

 

[Vico]

Oh, I see the technicality in the question I asked. One thing that was raised in RCIA that I could not explain: if an act of perfect contrition forgives sin, why is individual confession still required afterwards? When is the sin really forgiven? How is absolution valid without sins to forgive?

The sin is forgiven at the time of the perfect contrition, still they must be confessed individually to receive the penance and any counseling.

See Baltimore Catechism:

Q. 780. What sins are we bound to confess?
A. We are bound to confess all our mortal sins, but it is well also to confess our venial sins.

About contrition of charity:

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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.51

 

[Vico]

Odd you quote Dr. Peters at me (though he’s just quoting the 1917 CIC)… I took from him exactly the principle I am using to go against your suggestion… one of his favorite maxims - read the approved authors/commentaries.

It seems the 83 CIC just smashed those two canons together. So your argument is quite unclear. (You can even see the opposite case made in that which you quote!) In fact, I have done quite a bit of study of c. 916 - it most certainly is NOT solely about the celebrant… as if ONLY the celebrant is barred from receiving Holy Communion when conscious of grave sin. So I’m not sure what case you have. Can you find an approved author or commentator who disagrees with the one cited originally?

-K

You mean the part that is not specific to a celebrant. Yes, I see that one combination of embarrassments appears to meet the requirement in the commentary along with intention and contrition:

• extreme embarrassment to not receive the Eucharist.
• embarrassed to confess to the only available confessor.
• perfect act of contrition before.
• intention to confess later (which means that the embarrassment cannot be universal).

And this could happen. For myself, I am not embarrassed to not receive.

I think you mean page 1111 of New Commentary on the Code of Cannon Law, which I have read.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Because we cannot know for certain if our contrition was perfect.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Please speak to your priests. Call or email, they need to correct your family from such uncharitable words.

 

[Bernoulli]

if an act of perfect contrition forgives sin, why is individual confession still required afterwards?

Perfect contrition forgives mortal sins only if there is resolution to confess when there is opportunity. One has to observe that resolution.

 

[Anesti33]

What happens if I don’t? The sin is forgiven. Is it a mortal sin to neglect this duty?

 

[Bernoulli]

I think it is a mortal sin in itself to renege on the resolution, but I don’t know if it is regarded as a vow, or if there is some other name for the sin.

 

[InThePew]

What happens if I don’t? The sin is forgiven. Is it a mortal sin to neglect this duty?

The sin is only forgiven through sacramental confession - the purpose of an act of perfect contrition (i.e. basically being sorry for your sins because of God’s love rather than fear of hell) is really just to tide you over until the next opportunity to confess - availing yourself of God’s loving mercy in the meantime you might say.

 

[Vico]

What happens if I don’t? The sin is forgiven. Is it a mortal sin to neglect this duty?

It seems it would be if there was not a just cause.

You can understand the idea from the canon law (CIC) 962 and 963 for general absolution. The sacrament is not valid without the intention to make individual confession of each grave sin “within a suitable period of time”.

Can. 962 §1. For a member of the Christian faithful validly to receive sacramental absolution given to many at one time, it is required not only that the person is properly disposed but also at the same time intends to confess within a suitable period of time each grave sin which at the present time cannot be so confessed.
§2. Insofar as it can be done even on the occasion of the reception of general absolution, the Christian faithful are to be instructed about the requirements of the norm of §1. An exhortation that each person take care to make an act of contrition is to precede general absolution even in the case of danger of death, if there is time.

Can. 963 Without prejudice to the obligation mentioned in can. 989, a person whose grave sins are remitted by general absolution is to approach individual confession as soon as possible, given the opportunity, before receiving another general absolution, unless a just cause intervenes.

Can. 989 After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave sins at least once a year.

 

[Anesti33]

OK, so I understand perfect contrition now. Cool.

So general absolution: it’s not actually absolution? The sin is not forgiven until we make an individual confession?

So what is the difference between a priest pronouncing a general “absolution” formula which doesn’t seem to have much immediate or lasting effect, vs. a layperson leading everyone in an Act of Contrition, in the hopes that it is perfect?

 

[Vico]

OK, so I understand perfect contrition now. Cool.

So general absolution: it’s not actually absolution? The sin is not forgiven until we make an individual confession?

So what is the difference between a priest pronouncing a general “absolution” formula which doesn’t seem to have much immediate or lasting effect, vs. a layperson leading everyone in an Act of Contrition, in the hopes that it is perfect?

General absolution is true absolution, which a layperson cannot give. There is more than one effect to the sacrament of confession.

The guilt for the sin is forgiven, when the absolution is given.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1424 … " It is called the sacrament of forgiveness , since by the priest’s sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace.“6” …

1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of “satisfaction” or “penance” to be performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm caused by sin and to re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.

1495 Only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of the Church can forgive sins in the name of Christ.

 

[kapp19]

The sin is only forgiven through sacramental confession - the purpose of an act of perfect contrition (i.e. basically being sorry for your sins because of God’s love rather than fear of hell) is really just to tide you over until the next opportunity to confess - availing yourself of God’s loving mercy in the meantime you might say.

…Are you saying that an act of perfect contrition (a real one) is insufficient for the forgiveness of sins? How does that square with Trent???

 

[InThePew]

…Are you saying that an act of perfect contrition (a real one) is insufficient for the forgiveness of sins?

Probably a better way of putting it would be that sacramental confession is the only ordinary means by which forgiveness is obtained. To put it another way, if all we needed to do was make a perfect act of contrition then they’d be no need for the sacrament.

 

[TheLittleLady]

General absolution is given in grace danger, a battlefield, sinking ship, crashing plane, when the priest cannot hear individual confessions before.people.die. if you survive the event, I’d imagine you would want to go to confession, however it is not required

 

[ioannes_pius]

Part of a perfect act of contrition is the intention to confess at the next available or opportune time. The forgiveness brought about by the perfect act of contrition is conditional on your resolution to confess.

 

[kapp19]

however it is not required

No… it’s surely required… By the same reasoning that a perfect act of contrition has a relationship with the actual confession of sins by the order instituted by Christ. Or by the logic that says that when one remembers an unconfessed mortal sin, it must be mentioned in the next confession, even though it’s been forgiven - to be subject to the order of judgment and penance contained in the Sacrament.

 

[CelticWarlord]

What constitutes “serious embarassment” if one does not go up to receive communion

I must say that, despite my years of studying Catholicism, I have never encountered this question. As a non-Catholic I don’t, of course, ever go up to receive. If I were Catholic I am quite certain that I would do so only on occasion since it is not required more than once a year. (that attitude of suspicion is the result of two decades of religious abuse and manipulation in case anyone was wondering). I was at a Baptist service with my wife just before the pandemic. When communion was being passed around I declined to take it. Later she asked why and I told her the truth; I simply didn’t feel like it. I really can’t envision any sort of embarrassment being attached to this. At Mass I have noticed that I’m not the only one who remains seated. No one looks at all embarrassed or sheepish over it. I know this probably does nothing to answer your question but at least you can mull over another point of view.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Would.you show me where the Church requires individual confession after general absolution?

 

[Bluebright]

You can always go up and have a blessing instead of communion that way they (the extremely sinful family) are less likely to see you not receive. Unless ofcourse their sinfulness extends to overcuriousness and extreme irreverence and they are watching others receive in which case you may want to have a word with them (you may want to anyway) and tell them that a they ought to be paying attention to their own reception of Our Blessed Lord which may well be lacking if they are so interested in someone else’s and b they ought to be setting a good example of humility and compassion and if they behave like that towards anyone let alone family they ought to consider not receiving themselves at least until they have been to confession themselves and c they should apologise to you wholeheartedly.