Q: Do we still use the terms mortal and venial in reference to sin?
A: Mortal (deadly) and venial are still terms used by the Church to distinguish serious sin from less serious sin (cf. CCC 1855). Mortal sin is mentioned also in 1 John 5:16–17: "If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal."
Q: What are some examples of venial sins?
A: The Catechism describes two main types of venial sin. First, one commits venial sin when "in a less serious matter [than mortal sin], he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law" (CCC 1862). In other words, if one does something immoral but the matter is not serious enough to be gravely immoral, he commits only venial sin.For example, deliberate hatred can be venial sin or mortal sin depending on the seriousness of the hatred. The Catechism explains, "Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm" (CCC 2303).
Another example is abusive language. "Abusive language is forbidden by the fifth commandment but would be a grave offense only as a result of circumstances or the offender’s intention" (CCC 2073).
The second type of venial sin involves situations in which the matter is serious enough to be gravely immoral, but the offense lacks at least one of the other essential elements required for mortal sin. The Catechism explains that one commits only venial sin "when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter but without full knowledge or without complete consent" (CCC 1862).
An example of this could be masturbation. The Catechism explains:
To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility [for masturbation] . . . one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that can lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability. (CCC 2352)
Q: The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that if a person makes a "perfect" act of contrition, his mortal sins are forgiven if he has the firm amendment to go to sacramental confession as soon as possible. Does this mean that a person in the pew at Sunday morning Mass, after supposedly making a perfect act of contrition, can receive the Eucharist at that Mass?
A: First, to clarify, the Catechism speaks of "perfect contrition," not a "perfect act of contrition." This is an important distinction because it is not a perfect act (e.g., reciting an act of contrition prayer perfectly) that obtains the forgiveness of grave sins; it is the contrition itself that must be perfect.Contrition is defined as "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again" (CCC 1451). Contrition may be imperfect or perfect.Imperfect contrition, which does not obtain forgiveness of grave sins, "is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner" (CCC 1453).Perfect contrition, on the other hand, "arises from a love by which God is loved above all else" (CCC 1452). Only this form of contrition obtains the forgiveness of grave sins before going to confession.Since perfect contrition obtains the forgiveness of grave sins, one who makes an act of perfect contrition may receive the Eucharist under certain conditions. The Code of Canon Law states:
A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible. (CIC 916)
Note that there are four conditions that must be fulfilled before going to Communion:
1. There must be a grave reason to receive Communion (e.g., danger of death).
2. It must be physically or morally impossible to go to confession first.
3. The person must already be in a state of grace through perfect contrition.
4. The person must resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.
Q: What is the “seal of the confessional”? I know it isn't something like a lock.
A: The term refers to the obligation of secrecy that must be kept by a priest regarding knowledge acquired from a penitent in the sacrament of penance. The obligation is similar to patient-doctor confidentiality, but it even stricter—in fact, it is absolute. A confessor is forbidden, under canonical penalty of excommunication (CIC 1388.1), to reveal or discuss any matter confessed by a penitent. This prohibition extends even to discussion with the one who made the confession, unless that person releases the priest from the obligation of the seal. Unlike a physician, who may be required to release records in response to a subpoena, a priest may not break the seal even if he is threatened with incarceration or death. He may not break it even to prevent a third party from committing or undergoing an evil. For example, a priest must maintain complete silence even if he is the only one who can identify the true perpetrator of a murder (presuming the information was revealed to him in the confessional) and even if, without his information, an innocent person would be sent to prison for the crime. Some priests have been executed for not breaking the seal, but it is necessary that penitents know that nothing they confess will be revealed to anyone outside the confessional; without such a guarantee, many people would not go to confession and so would die unforgiven. Since the eternal state of a soul is immeasurably more important than any temporal consideration, the Church from the beginning has held the confessional to be sacrosanct (holy).
Q: Suppose a prime suspect in a murder case, who did indeed commit the crime, confessed his sin to his priest. The prosecution found out that he went to confession after the murder. They also knew which priest was hearing confessions that day. Could the priest be called to court and forced to reveal the forgiven sin of the suspect?
A: Although there are laws on the books that protect the sacramental seal of confession, it is theoretically possible that a court of law might try to force a priest to reveal a penitent’s confession. Even if such pressure were brought to bear on a priest, he would be required to refuse to reveal the contents of any sacramental confession he heard, even if it meant being held in contempt of court and imprisoned:"The sacramental seal is inviolable. Accordingly, it is absolutely wrong for a confessor in any way to betray the penitent, for any reason whatsoever, whether by word or in any other fashion. An interpreter, if there is one, is also obliged to observe this secret, as are all others who in any way whatever have come to a knowledge of sins from a confession" (Code of Canon Law 983).
Q: Can a penitent give the priest permission to discuss what was said in the confessional? Specifically, could I allow him to use a situation I confessed as an example in a homily or in everyday conversation if he does not reveal my name? Also, does the seal of confession hold even after the death of the penitent?
A: No, one may not give the priest permission to break the seal. But you can discuss the matter with him outside of confession, and then he could talk about that conversation.The seal holds even after the death of the penitent.
Q: What is "anonymous" confession?
A: One confesses anonymously when one kneels behind a privacy screen and does not confess face to face with the priest. In the decades before the revision of the sacramental rubrics, this was the standard manner in which confessions were given. Even after the revision of the rubrics, all Catholic churches are required to give people the option of confessing their sins either face to face or from behind a screen.
Q: Can reconciliation be given online?
A: The sacrament of reconciliation cannot be validly received online. It also cannot be received by mail, phone, telegram, e-mail, carrier pigeon, or any other means except personal, one-to-one contact with a priest.
Q: If I cannot recall if I mentioned a particular sin the last time I went to confession but recall it now, should I mention it in my next confession, or was it absolved already?
A: It was absolved already. If it is a venial sin, you do not need to confess it. If it was a mortal sin, it was absolved, provided you at least implicitly intended to mention it if you had remembered it. What this means is that you confessed all known sins and would have confessed whatever others you committed had you recalled them. So if you now recall a mortal sin, mention it the next time you go to confession.
Q: Can mortal sins be forgiven without actually going to confession?
A: Sacramental confession is normatively required for the forgiveness of mortal sins; it is not absolutely required. What this means is that, in extraordinary circumstances, mortal sins can be forgiven outside of sacramental confession. If a Catholic is dying and cannot go to sacramental confession, his mortal sins may be forgiven if he repents with true contrition (i.e., sorrow for sin) and has at least the implicit intention to go to sacramental confession if the opportunity is made available.
Q: I know a Catholic serving in Iraq. He goes to Mass whenever possible in his remote location. There has been no priest available to hear confessions for a couple of weeks. If he has serious sin to confess and wants to confess but can't due to circumstances beyond his control, what would happen to him if he dies? He prays fervently and constantly asks for God's forgiveness and guidance, but is that enough?
A: His sins are forgiven when he makes an act of perfect contrition with the resolution to go to confession as soon as possible. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: "Among the penitent’s acts, contrition occupies first place. Contrition is ‘sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed together with the resolution not to sin again.’ 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" (CCC 1451–1452).
Q: Is it permissible for a priest to offer confession in his office?
A: Yes, but it must be with just cause. Here is what the Code of Canon Law says:"The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory. The conference of bishops is to establish norms regarding the confessional; it is to take care, however, that there are always confessionals with a fixed grate between the penitent and the confessor in an open place so that the faithful who wish to can use them freely. Confessions are not to be heard outside a confessional without a just cause" (CIC 964).
Q: Can a non-Catholic Christian receive the sacrament of penance?
A: Yes, under certain circumstances and with the permission of the bishop. The Catechism states:
When, in the ordinary’s judgment, a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, penance, and anointing of the sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and possess the required dispositions. (CCC 1401)
Q: I arrived a few minutes early for confession, but the priest never showed. If I had I been hit by a bus and died, would my sins have been forgiven since I showed up for confession?
A: While the act of showing up for confession does not, in itself, obtain forgiveness of sins, it may be an indication of contrition—"sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with a resolution not to sin again" (CCC 1451). Contrition does forgive sins when it is perfect. The Catechism explains: "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" (CCC 1452).
Q: My Protestant friends point to 1 Peter 2:9 and say, "Look, we are all priests. You don't need to go to a priest to confess your sins." How do I answer?
A: In a sense we are all priests. But this title is not what bestows the power to forgive sins. God sent Jesus to forgive sins, and Jesus conferred the power to forgive sins on the apostles when he said, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21-23). This power to forgive sins has been passed on to the apostles’ successors and to priests ordained to the ministerial priesthood through the sacrament of holy orders.Catholics recognize the difference between the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood:
Priesthood: (1) Of the faithful: The priestly people of God. Christ has made of his Church a "kingdom of priests," and gives the faithful a share in his priesthood through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. (2) Ministerial: The ministerial priesthood received in the sacrament of holy orders differs in essence from this common priesthood of all the faithful. It has as its purpose to serve the priesthood of all the faithful by building up and guiding the Church in the name of Christ, who is head of the Body. (Cardinal Levada’s glossary)
Q: I converse with Protestants who say the power to forgive sins has been given to all Christians. Why do Catholics say it has been given only to priests?A: The term refers to the obligation of secrecy that must be kept by a priest regarding knowledge acquired from a penitent in the sacrament of penance. The obligation is similar to patient-doctor confidentiality, but it even stricter—in fact, it is absolute. A confessor is forbidden, under canonical penalty of excommunication (CIC 1388.1), to reveal or discuss any matter confessed by a penitent. This prohibition extends even to discussion with the one who made the confession, unless that person releases the priest from the obligation of the seal. Unlike a physician, who may be required to release records in response to a subpoena, a priest may not break the seal even if he is threatened with incarceration or death. He may not break it even to prevent a third party from committing or undergoing an evil. For example, a priest must maintain complete silence even if he is the only one who can identify the true perpetrator of a murder (presuming the information was revealed to him in the confessional) and even if, without his information, an innocent person would be sent to prison for the crime. Some priests have been executed for not breaking the seal, but it is necessary that penitents know that nothing they confess will be revealed to anyone outside the confessional; without such a guarantee, many people would not go to confession and so would die unforgiven. Since the eternal state of a soul is immeasurably more important than any temporal consideration, the Church from the beginning has held the confessional to be sacrosanct (holy).
Q: Suppose a prime suspect in a murder case, who did indeed commit the crime, confessed his sin to his priest. The prosecution found out that he went to confession after the murder. They also knew which priest was hearing confessions that day. Could the priest be called to court and forced to reveal the forgiven sin of the suspect?
A: Although there are laws on the books that protect the sacramental seal of confession, it is theoretically possible that a court of law might try to force a priest to reveal a penitent’s confession. Even if such pressure were brought to bear on a priest, he would be required to refuse to reveal the contents of any sacramental confession he heard, even if it meant being held in contempt of court and imprisoned:"The sacramental seal is inviolable. Accordingly, it is absolutely wrong for a confessor in any way to betray the penitent, for any reason whatsoever, whether by word or in any other fashion. An interpreter, if there is one, is also obliged to observe this secret, as are all others who in any way whatever have come to a knowledge of sins from a confession" (Code of Canon Law 983).
Q: Can a penitent give the priest permission to discuss what was said in the confessional? Specifically, could I allow him to use a situation I confessed as an example in a homily or in everyday conversation if he does not reveal my name? Also, does the seal of confession hold even after the death of the penitent?
A: No, one may not give the priest permission to break the seal. But you can discuss the matter with him outside of confession, and then he could talk about that conversation.The seal holds even after the death of the penitent.
Q: What is "anonymous" confession?
A: One confesses anonymously when one kneels behind a privacy screen and does not confess face to face with the priest. In the decades before the revision of the sacramental rubrics, this was the standard manner in which confessions were given. Even after the revision of the rubrics, all Catholic churches are required to give people the option of confessing their sins either face to face or from behind a screen.
Q: Can reconciliation be given online?
A: The sacrament of reconciliation cannot be validly received online. It also cannot be received by mail, phone, telegram, e-mail, carrier pigeon, or any other means except personal, one-to-one contact with a priest.
Q: If I cannot recall if I mentioned a particular sin the last time I went to confession but recall it now, should I mention it in my next confession, or was it absolved already?
A: It was absolved already. If it is a venial sin, you do not need to confess it. If it was a mortal sin, it was absolved, provided you at least implicitly intended to mention it if you had remembered it. What this means is that you confessed all known sins and would have confessed whatever others you committed had you recalled them. So if you now recall a mortal sin, mention it the next time you go to confession.
Q: Can mortal sins be forgiven without actually going to confession?
A: Sacramental confession is normatively required for the forgiveness of mortal sins; it is not absolutely required. What this means is that, in extraordinary circumstances, mortal sins can be forgiven outside of sacramental confession. If a Catholic is dying and cannot go to sacramental confession, his mortal sins may be forgiven if he repents with true contrition (i.e., sorrow for sin) and has at least the implicit intention to go to sacramental confession if the opportunity is made available.
Q: I know a Catholic serving in Iraq. He goes to Mass whenever possible in his remote location. There has been no priest available to hear confessions for a couple of weeks. If he has serious sin to confess and wants to confess but can't due to circumstances beyond his control, what would happen to him if he dies? He prays fervently and constantly asks for God's forgiveness and guidance, but is that enough?
A: His sins are forgiven when he makes an act of perfect contrition with the resolution to go to confession as soon as possible. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: "Among the penitent’s acts, contrition occupies first place. Contrition is ‘sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed together with the resolution not to sin again.’ 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" (CCC 1451–1452).
Q: Is it permissible for a priest to offer confession in his office?
A: Yes, but it must be with just cause. Here is what the Code of Canon Law says:"The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory. The conference of bishops is to establish norms regarding the confessional; it is to take care, however, that there are always confessionals with a fixed grate between the penitent and the confessor in an open place so that the faithful who wish to can use them freely. Confessions are not to be heard outside a confessional without a just cause" (CIC 964).
Q: Can a non-Catholic Christian receive the sacrament of penance?
A: Yes, under certain circumstances and with the permission of the bishop. The Catechism states:
When, in the ordinary’s judgment, a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, penance, and anointing of the sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and possess the required dispositions. (CCC 1401)
Q: I arrived a few minutes early for confession, but the priest never showed. If I had I been hit by a bus and died, would my sins have been forgiven since I showed up for confession?
A: While the act of showing up for confession does not, in itself, obtain forgiveness of sins, it may be an indication of contrition—"sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with a resolution not to sin again" (CCC 1451). Contrition does forgive sins when it is perfect. The Catechism explains: "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" (CCC 1452).
Q: My Protestant friends point to 1 Peter 2:9 and say, "Look, we are all priests. You don't need to go to a priest to confess your sins." How do I answer?
A: In a sense we are all priests. But this title is not what bestows the power to forgive sins. God sent Jesus to forgive sins, and Jesus conferred the power to forgive sins on the apostles when he said, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21-23). This power to forgive sins has been passed on to the apostles’ successors and to priests ordained to the ministerial priesthood through the sacrament of holy orders.Catholics recognize the difference between the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood:
Priesthood: (1) Of the faithful: The priestly people of God. Christ has made of his Church a "kingdom of priests," and gives the faithful a share in his priesthood through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. (2) Ministerial: The ministerial priesthood received in the sacrament of holy orders differs in essence from this common priesthood of all the faithful. It has as its purpose to serve the priesthood of all the faithful by building up and guiding the Church in the name of Christ, who is head of the Body. (Cardinal Levada’s glossary)
A: Because Christ was talking only to the apostles when he gave the power to forgive sins (Jn 20:21-23). Only a small number of disciples were present, for they were in an enclosed room (20:19). In fact, one disciple, Thomas, was not even there and had to have a special encounter with Jesus (20:24ff). This shows it was not all the disciples generally who received the power to absolve, but only the core group of the disciples--the apostles.Confirmation for the fact that only clergy can absolve is found in James 5:14-15, where the sacrament of holy anointing is discussed: "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters [priests] of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil . . . and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."In the sacrament of anointing we see forgiveness tied to the clergy, therefore how much more will it be when we are dealing with the sacrament of confession itself.
Q: What's the difference between contrition and attrition?
A: Contrition is perfect sorrow for one's sins based on the selfless motive of love of God and sorrow for having offended him. Attrition is sorrow for one's sins based on fear of punishment. For someone in the state of mortal sin (1 Jn 5:16-17) perfect contrition is required in ordered to reconcile with God.
Q: Isn't confession to a priest an option? If you're sincerely sorry for your sins and confess them in your own heart, aren't you already forgiven?
A: The power to forgive sins was one Christ gave to his apostles (Lk 10:16, 2 Cor 5:18-20). After he rose from the dead Christ said to the apostles, "'As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on then and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained'" (Jn 20:22-23). We can be truly sorry for our sins--that is essential for forgiveness--but we can't forgive our own sins. We can't absolve ourselves. That is a power reserved to God alone.
Through Christ that power was conferred on his apostles and their successors, the bishops, and their helpers, the priests. Confession is not an option. It is the ordinary (normative) means through which sins are forgiven.
Q: It is my understanding that we should be cleansed of our sins before we receive the Eucharist because God cannot be in the presence of sin. What happens to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist if someone receives but has not repented or has not gone to confession? Does Christ cease to be present? If he remains present, what happens?
Who says God cannot be in the presence of sin? One need only read Scripture to find Jesus in the presence of sin. Perhaps you’re confusing this notion with "nothing unclean shall enter [heaven]" (Rev. 21:27).Receiving Christ in the Eucharist forgives venial sins. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, "As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins" (CCC 1394).However, the reception of the Eucharist does not forgive mortal sins, so a person who is conscious of mortal sin must go to confession before receiving communion. The Code of Canon Law states,
A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to . . . receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible. (CIC 916)
When a person conscious of mortal sin receives the Eucharist without prior forgiveness he commits another mortal sin and only compounds his desperate situation. Paul tells us, "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:27). The Church calls this sacrilege:
Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us. (CCC 2120)
Q: Is it necessary to confess how many times one has sinned?
A: To the best of your ability you should confess how many times you committed each grave sin. The Code of Canon Law is clear on this point:
A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience. (CIC 988)
If you don’t know an exact number, you can give a best estimate or provide an approximation (e.g., "several times"). If you forget to do this or later remember additional occurrences of grave sins, your sins are still forgiven, but you should remember to acknowledge those sins at your next confession.
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