What if you die on the way to confession?

[SilverCamellia]

What about in my situation: I’ve been baptised Catholic but I’m not going to be confirmed until Easter 2013 and I’m not planning on making my first confession until then. If I died in between, I’d go to hell?

You do not need to be confirmed in order to go to Confession. If that were so, then children and teens would not be able to go to Confession. You are baptized Catholic and that’s all you need in order to go to Confession. It’s a long way to Easter, and none of us knows when the Lord may call us Home. I would strongly encourage you to seek Confession NOW.

Thank you for clarifying this I didn’t know children and teens could go to confession, I thought nobody confessed until they were confirmed.

So as it would be my first confession, would it be better to go to my own parish priest, or to a priest in another parish who doesn’t know me? Because then, my own priest would know all these bad things about me. And if it were in a confessional with those grills on, he might still recognise my voice?

 

[vjnycguy]

So as it would be my first confession, would it be better to go to my own parish priest, or to a priest in another parish who doesn’t know me? Because then, my own priest would know all these bad things about me. And if it were in a confessional with those grills on, he might still recognise my voice?

The priest you choose hears so many confessions he doesn’t care what you say because he has probably already heard it a load of times. Confess to any priest. Just be strong and know God is with you every step of the way. God Bless.

 

[Holly3278]

You may find the teachings on perfect and imperfect contrition the answer to your question. God bless!

I looked at the link you gave and I am having a hard time figuring out what the difference between attrition and servile fear is. Can someone please explain this?

 

[JaredR]

If you die in a state of mortal sin, you will go to hell. I don’t see a way around that. You are spiritually dead, and there is no way for you to be saved if you die.

However, if the person on the way to confession made an act of perfect contrition, this person is not in the state of mortal sin. If someone has perfect contrition for his sins along with the resolution to make a confession as early as possible, he is forgiven prior to receiving the sacrament (though sacramental absolution is still absolutely necessary).

 

[Mustang1971]

Here is a helpful link

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=14932

 

[Godfollower]

There is a scenario in my head that I can’t seem to figure out:
Lets assume that a person who is in the state of mortal sin(sin doesn’t matter) dies in a car accident on their way to confession.

The person died in a state of mortal sin and from what I’ve gathered from the forums is that this means that they are not allowed into heaven(can someone tell me where this is orthodoxy?). Yet this person is repentant/sorry for their mortal sins as evident by the person trying to go to confession.

This is unsettling. Obviously, we can never truly know, but If some one could be please add some clarity that would be fantastic.

I have an alternate interpretation:
Perhaps dying in a state of mortal sin is not an automatic sentence to Hell; but instead, just means that ones soul is “damaged” and they cannot receive the Eucharist. It seems to me that this interpretation works better with my limited and still growing knowledge of Catholicism. But I’m not sure with how it works within Catholicism and not just my understanding of it.

Thank you fr your responses and please be nice. I’m just trying to learn. Also if you could leave your sources that would be fantastic.

From the Catechism:

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.”

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.

So the sinner who has truly repented of his sin as set forth above and, in your scenario, dies on the way to confession is no longer in a state of mortal sin.

 

[pgnat1]

I am not trying to go against Church teaching, but possibly when you die, you encounter God and he shows you a movie of your life, even though it may only last 1 second considering time may not be a concept in the spiritual world. Based on the movie God simply asks you “Well, what do you think?” And that is when you would probably know based on your conscience where you are going. I could be totally wrong, but that is just what I imagine our judgement being like. God doesn’t condemn you at all. He is a perfect Judge, and lets us be our own judges.

As far as the question goes, I cannot answer yes the person would go to Hell or no he wouldn’t for one simple reason. God is the Judge. We can speculate, but that does not mean we are right.

I know if you are in the state of mortal sin and you are not sorry, yes, you will sadly go to Hell. But, it is too hard to answer for a situation like this.

 

[johnthebaptist1]

If I knew that I was on the way to die,and couldn,t make it ,i would say Lord, you who are full of Foregivness and Mecy,here my plea,that I,am truly sorry,and seek the Kingdom of Heaven . Amen

 

[poche]

If he cooperates with the grace of God and makes an act of perfect contrition then he won’t go to Hell. Remember, God sees all and knows all and His mercy is intimatly connected to His justice.

 

[smallgirl01]

Remember, God is intimately involved in every action that happens in our daily lives (ie. there’s no such thing as coincidence). God wants all of us to reach heaven more then any of us can possibly imagine. God would not allow a person to die without having every possibly opportunity to obtain salvation in their life. When a person dies, we have to assume that they were at the end of their personal journey to find God and that they either secured their salvation or secured their damnation.

If a person were to die on their way to confession we have to assume that they either obtained perfect contrition for any unconfessed sins or that they finally and completely turned their backs on God as with the boy in this rather saddening story:

source - saintsbooks.net/books/Fr.%20John%20Furniss%20-%20Confession.html

sad story, but powerful.