What is an act of perfect contrition?

[MarianD]

You should go back to one of Bookcat’s posts where he provides us with a link to Fr. Hardon’s definition of “perfect contrition.” Fr. Hardon does a good job defining it. Bookcat also quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church in another post. Reading both posts should help you.

I have, but it doesn’t answer my question. I get that perfect contrition is sorrow for a sin due to love for God and His detesting of the sin. But what if, coupled in with that, the only reason why the person feels sorry for the sin is not because he/she hates the sin, but because he/she hates to offend God. Is that still perfect contrition, with the hatred of the sin itself not being in the sinner’s heart?

 

[Bookcat]

Remember…one can have “perfect contrition” or for that matter any contrition…with out ones “emotions” entering in per se.

 

[Bookcat]

One is contrite out of love of God above all else…

and if one “detests the sin” out of love of God…one does not need to “feel repulsion” for the sin or “understand” why it is wrong …in order to have the perfect contrition…

one knows it is wrong and it one loves God and thus detests it for that reason …even if one has contrary feelings etc…(temptations of attraction for the sin etc)

But we do what we can…by the grace of God to have this sort of contrition…It is of course God who finally knows…

anyhow

Remember too…one does not need perfect contrition for forgiveness in confession…

 

[MarianD]

Thank you very much…I really was worried for a second.