Wondering

[Stumblesalot]

What would happen if a person were to die prior to reconciling a mortal sin with God?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

It would depend on whether the person knew it was a mortal sin (full knowledge), whether it was in fact a mortal sin (grave matter) and whether the person fully consented to it or whether there was somehow a mitigation of culpability.

If the person knew it was a mortal sin (and it was truly grave), and fully consented to it, and at the moment of death still persisted in that sin, then all we can state is, IF those conditions exist, it would seem most likely that the person would have condemned themselves. . .freely and with full knowledge.

Nobody goes to hell unwillingly. Nobody goes to hell unknowingly. God doesn’t play games and try to ‘trap people’ into sin and then ‘zap’ them to hell ‘before they can repent.’

 

[Randy_Carson]

It would depend on whether the person knew it was a mortal sin (full knowledge), whether it was in fact a mortal sin (grave matter) and whether the person fully consented to it or whether there was somehow a mitigation of culpability.

If the person knew it was a mortal sin (and it was truly grave), and fully consented to it, and at the moment of death still persisted in that sin, then all we can state is, IF those conditions exist, it would seem most likely that the person would have condemned themselves. . .freely and with full knowledge.

Nobody goes to hell unwillingly. Nobody goes to hell unknowingly. God doesn’t play games and try to ‘trap people’ into sin and then ‘zap’ them to hell ‘before they can repent.’

However, what happens when someone has committed a mortal sin as you describe above, realizes his sin, and desires to go to confession.

On the way, he is hit by a bus and dies.

Thoughts?

 

[Peter_Dawson]

However, what happens when someone has committed a mortal sin as you describe above, realizes his sin, and desires to go to confession.

On the way, he is hit by a bus and dies.

Thoughts?

The Act of Perfect Contrition is not an “abracadabra” set of magic words.

Therefore, probably, his desire to go to confession amounts to an Act of Perfect Contrition, and he is saved.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Once you have a person who has already realized his sin and is on the way to making his confession, I think you already have a situation where the person has repented. And so we trust in God’s mercy. Again, since we know that only people condemn ‘themselves’ to hell and that only in ‘unrepented’ mortal sin, it seems that this person, in repenting and being on the way to confession, would be headed for a long stay in purgatory but not (necessarily) hell. However, should he not be saved, it would be for the reason that even if he appeared to be heading to confession through repentance, he would not actually be repenting. And again, it would the person’s decision, as God is already ready to forgive us if we sincerely repent.

But he (or she) should be wearing his brown scapular. Then even if he got hit by a bus he’d linger until a priest could hear his confession!

 

[Christy_Beth]

For it to even be a mortal sin would require full knowledge and be of a grave matter. If that person was on his/her way to confession, if they are truely repentent, I think that would probably count for something. After all, God sees our heart. I guess it could even be that a person may be headed for confession without true repentence. That would really be a problem.

 

[VociMike]

What would happen if a person were to die prior to reconciling a mortal sin with God?

Given what we know of God, and his desire that all should be saved, we can be confident that this person would be granted the chance to repent of his sin and seek forgiveness. We can’t say what form this chance would take, as it would probably be different for each person and circumstance.

God surely doesn’t play “gotcha!” with human souls. He surely doesn’t send people to hell who would have gone to heaven had they lived another hour or another day.