What is worse, missing mass or mortal sin?

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Well, yes and no. Annual confession is only required for individuals who are conscious of mortal sin, It is not a blanket requirement for everyone.

See Canon Law 989.
 
You don’t need to be in a state of grace to attend mass. You DO need to be in a state of grace to receive communion.
 
Not everyone goes to Confession as soon as they commit mortal sin. Having the requirement to receive Holy Communion at least once a year makes it longest one can go with mortal sin on their soul.
 
In theory, yes. Venial sins are forgiven In many ways, as you know - using holy water devoutly, receiving Holy Communion, the Absolution at the start of Mass, to name but a few.
 
In an older program I was listening to today, Father Larry said that among his parishioners of sporadic church attendance, they average over 30 years since their last confession.
 
In what we call the Dark Ages, the church sometimes had trouble getting people to take communion at all; for two reasons if I recall correctly. One was that there was uncertainty as to what to do with the recent convert who confesses and takes communion and then sins again. For a time, at least in some parts, they were considered lost, so communion was saved for what the church member felt was near the end of life.

The other was that among certain converts, eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ was too suggestive of, um, unpleasantness. So the church, in order to get them to do it, ruled they had to come at least once a year for communion in order to remain members of the church.

I don’t know for certain that that is what the current custom of annual minimum dates back to. Others here will know, I’m sure.
 
Missing mass is a mortal sin if the three conditions of a mortal sin is met.
 
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