Worried about not being able to go to Confession

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Hi. I am a person who is a typical churchgoer. I would normally go to Confession once every couple of months. Not as often as I should but would go regularly. My last confession was in late January. Obviously, circumstances being what they are, I cannot go to confession right now, with churches completely closed. I am watching livestream mass weekly. I am worried about this. I intend to go to confession as soon as it opens up again. Every night when I pray, I say an Act of Contrition. I am sure that God knows that I fully intend to go to Confession as soon as I possibly can. Do I need to be worried?
 
It’s preferable that you go to confession (obviously), but, as I like to tell people, the Church does not expect you to do the impossible. My diocese is opening up Mass as of Monday, but we cannot go to confession yet, as the priest is still trying to figure out how to do that with social distancing in place. If you’re worried about dying without being able to go to confession, say an Act of Contrition. However, when you can go to confession, GO.
 
Doesn’t sound like you have anything to worry about. God knows your heart and that you cannot go to Confession right now. Be at peace.
 
I really wish that there was a way for churches to do confession in Livestream in this situation only.
 
It’s good to remember that God wants to save us. He’s not playing gotcha waiting to strike you down when you’re prevented from going to confession when you are contrite and want to go. He is a loving Father.

If you pray to God in Jesus’ name that He give you the opportunity and grace to make a good confession as soon as you are able, He will certainly make it so. As Jesus promises:
Matt. 7:[7] Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.
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He elaborates on this elsewhere:
John 16:[24]…Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full.
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The condition on His unfailing promise to give what we seek is that it make our joy full, that is, it is good for our salvation (that’s what full joy is). Making a good confession when we are in mortal sin is always good for our salvation!

He also desires all to be saved (see also 1: Tim 2:4)–He doesn’t abandon one who wants to be forgiven:
Matt. 18:[11] For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. [12] What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray: doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go to seek that which is gone astray? [13] And if it so be that he find it: Amen I say to you, he rejoiceth more for that, than for the ninety-nine that went not astray. [14] Even so it is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
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That’s why God grants us anything we seek if it is conducive to our salvation. In fact, if He denies what we seek it means not getting it is even better for our salvation! The classic Roman Catechism sums this up when discussing this principle of prayer:
For God will either grant what is asked, and thus they will obtain their wishes; or He will not grant it, and that will be a most certain proof that what is denied the good by Him is not conducive either to their interest or their salvation, since He is more desirous of their eternal welfare than they themselves.
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As others have said, make an act of contrition, and then do your best to go and sin no more until God enables you to get to confession.
 
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So basically the way this works is if someone commits a mortal sin, like a woman has an abortion and is genuinely sorry and contrite about it, and is on her way to confession for it, and gets hit by a bus and killed, she is saved since God knows she is contrite about it.
 
Yes, a contrition that is motivated by love of God (not exclusively, just most of all) suffices when coupled with a desire for the sacrament.

CCC
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

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52
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Based on the reasoning in my prior post, I would go further and say that if we are impeded from confessing for a time, even if we are motivated by attrition, but we ask God in the name of Jesus to be granted the grace of perfect contrition or be able to make a good confession and be absolved, He will infallibly make it so if we need it to be saved and would otherwise not be, even if it takes a miracle. Attrition is a step in the right direction as the Catechism notes above–I don’t believe God would cut someone off who wants to be saved and is trying to make his or her way toward that goal the right way.
 
Interesting. Our Diocese is opening Churches starting May 11, ours will be open from 9:30 to 1:00 for confessions and for Adoration. Of course all social distancing rules apply as well as number of people allowed in at one time. That said, based on our typical weekday Mass attendance, I don’t see that as an issue. To respond to the initial post, we have been watching daily Mass on EWTN, actually that part of the stay at home orders and church closings have been a blessing. The Mass is celebrated with such care, attention to detail and reverence like we haven’t seen in years. The homilies are outstanding. During on of the homilies, Fr. said that during this time of no Sacraments, if one makes a sincere Act of Contrition and expresses true sorrow for their sins with the intent to make a Sacramental Confession as soon as possible, that is a good practice. Then during Mass since we can’t physically receive the Body of Christ, we make a sincere Spiritual Communion. However, I am really looking forward to being able to go to confession next week.
 
Have you contacted your parish? At least some have been offering confession.
 
I agree with the others above me. Remember the words we hear at Mass (that come from Jesus himself in the Gospels):

“Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

and

“Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you;
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.”

(emphasis mine)
 
Have you tried to call the parish and see if you can arrange to have your confession heard?
 
God understands the circumstances. He’s no tyrant. Don’t worry about it, for now. Just go to confession as soon as you’re able to.
 
I am in New Jersey, just outside New York City. I am in the epicenter. My diocese is one of the strictest in the country. It says, “The sacrament of reconciliation is suspended except for in the case of an extreme emergency.” So I take it to mean only if someone is on their deathbed.
 
I would and need to go to Confession, however, my Church request that those over the age of sixty stay home because the risk is too high…so, I shall follow their request…I do feel sad, empty, and disconnected…but still have hope for a better time to come…
😷 :cry:
 
Update. I got to confession today. My archdiocese just went to Stage 1. Churches are open for private prayer and confession. For Stage 2, churches can reopen for public mass on weekdays, when only a handful of people normally go. For Stage 3, the church reopens for Mass on Sunday. The dispensation will continue then and the churches will continue to livestream mass because if they have to block off every other pew, not everyone would be able to go.
 
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