Without the Sacraments?

[Beeline]

Without the Sacraments, especially of reconcilliation,
are Protestants who have committed one or more mortal sins since their baptism all walking around in a state of mortal sin?

 

[Denise_Shae]

Without the Sacraments, especially of reconcilliation,
are Protestants who have committed one or more mortal sins since their baptism all walking around in a state of mortal sin?

I don’t have the Catechism in front of me at the moment, but it is my understanding that anyone who commits a Mortal sin (aka: Grievous Sin or “Sin unto Death”), without repenting and seeking the forgiveness of God, remains in that state.

Does that help?

God Bless!

 

[Beeline]

I don’t have the Catechism in front of me at the moment, but it is my understanding that anyone who commits a Mortal sin (aka: Grievous Sin or “Sin unto Death”), without repenting and seeking the forgiveness of God, remains in that state.

Does that help?

God Bless!

I am talking of Protestants who do repent, but typically do it in prayer and ask God for forgiveness.

 

[LilyM]

Well, repentance by prayer is the only thing open to Protestants who don’t believe in sacramental confession. Bear in mind they can’t participate in the Catholic sacraments in any event.

We hold that a Catholic is forgiven if they die without the opportunity for sacramental confession but having made an Act of Perfect Contrition - repenting out of love for God rather than purely for fear of hell or other motives. This should be combined with a resolve to attend confession as soon as possible if they survive.

Presumably for Protestants the same would apply minus the resolution to attend Confession, which is unavailable for them anyways.

 

[Pug]

Without the Sacraments, especially of reconcilliation,
are Protestants who have committed one or more mortal sins since their baptism all walking around in a state of mortal sin?

Not if they were given the grace of perfect contrition. God could grant for them to repent out of love (charity). If so, then they would have charity and not be in a state of mortal sin.

We do not need to think that they *must *be in a state of mortal sin. We do not know their hearts.

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

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Beeline,

Denise, Lily, and Pug have given you excellent answers.

I will add that although the grace of perfect contrition is available to Catholic and non-catholics alike, and likewise non-sacramental forgivness of mortal sin, it is clear that sacramental forgiveness of mortal sin is normative. In other words, sacramental confession is the way in which Christ Himself chooses to normally extend His forgiveness.

As the other posters pointed out, for a Catholic who makes an act of perfect contrition and whose sins are forgiven, there must be the intention to avail himself of sacramental confession as soon as possible. It can be said that a non-Catholic who makes an act of perfect contrition and whose sins are forgiven has at least the implicit intention of availing himself of sacramental confession. . . were he to understand the necessity for it.

VC

 

[Denise_Shae]

Thank you, Lily, Pug and VC for adding more information on this thread and for enlightening me, as well.

It’s a blessing to have a Forum like this to help us learn more about the Teachings of the Catholic Church and to be able to share it with others.

God Bless you all!