sacrilegious confession

Started by idipsum, September 18, 2022, 03:18:06 PM

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idipsum

I struggle with temptations, and i can go weeks without issue but there are times where i fall into mortal sin. I always go to confession and always sorry for my sins, and I make a firm resolution to never sin again.

Now, I know that there are 3 things necessary for it to be a mortal sin. My dilemma is if I sin, and there is no confessions until the end of the week, I end up committing more of the same mortal sin, believing that if i get it out of my system, and truly confess my sins with perfect contrition, then all will be forgiven.

At today's sermon, the priest spoke about sin and confession, he mentioned that those who sin, thinking that they will just go to confession and all will be well, are committing a sacrilegious confession. On hearing those words, my heart sank. Every time i went to confession, is because i had the desire to atone for my sins because i never want to be separated from God .

I just sat there, with a cold feeling running through me, never did I have the intention or knowledge that what I have done, is considered a sacrilege.

I have heard of people, that sin, and just think that they can go to confession but are never truly sorry and will sin again at the earliest opportunity but I always have sorrow for my sins, I detest them and never want to do them again but I am weak.

When the time came for Holy Communion, I just knelt in my pew. I had a desire to receive but I could not approach the Blessed Sacrament, all I could think about is, what have I done.

I left after Mass and had a sombre drive home.

As I did not know this was a sin of sacrilege, did I commit a mortal sin, and where do i go from here?


Thank you.

andy

#1
Probably the best solution in this case is to ask this priest to explain it again in the context of your situation.

If in a case of recurring mortal sins you still get absolution, it means  the the priest giving it to you judged that your intentions are good enough.

If I am not mistaken (and could very well be), a perfect act of contrition is not a required for a valid confession.


Michael Wilson

Our Lord told St. Peter that we had to forgive our neighbor "seventy times seven" i.e. Always.
Quote[21] Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? [22] Jesus saith to him: I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times
You are right in going to Confession as often as you can, even twice a week; but the "getting it out of my system" is wrong; what you are doing is sinning deliberately, and repeatedly; which causes sin to sink more deeply into a habit. If you cannot go to Confession immediately after committing a Mortal Sin; make a perfect act of contrition: tell Our Lord that you are truly sorry because you have offended Him, because He is all good and deserving of all your love; and promise to to all in your power to not only not sin again, but to avoid those people, places or things which are the near occasion of sin.
As to going to Communion; if you have recently gone to Confession and have not sinned Mortally since then, go to Communion; if you have, then you cannot approach the altar in that state. Never stop using the Sacraments, prayer and penance such as fasting and alms-giving, in order to obtain God's grace to lead a virtuous life, Also, devotion to our Blessed Mother, is extremely efficacious in overcoming our sinful habits.
"The World Must Conform to Our Lord and not He to it." Rev. Dennis Fahey CSSP

"My brothers, all of you, if you are condemned to see the triumph of evil, never applaud it. Never say to evil: you are good; to decadence: you are progess; to death: you are life. Sanctify yourselves in the times wherein God has placed you; bewail the evils and the disorders which God tolerates; oppose them with the energy of your works and your efforts, your life uncontaminated by error, free from being led astray, in such a way that having lived here below, united with the Spirit of the Lord, you will be admitted to be made but one with Him forever and ever: But he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit." Cardinal Pie of Potiers

Lavenderson

Quote from: idipsum on September 18, 2022, 03:18:06 PM
where do i go from here?

You really need to stop with that free-for-all approach after one slip up. Easier said than done I get it, we've all been there to some degree. But I genuinely hope you are denied absolution next time you go off the rails like that, because once upon a time that was my experience and it was a lasting reality check. Catholicism is masculine, so at some point you have to stop asking questions you already know the answers to. Man-up, grit your teeth, and pull the beads out. It gets better with time

I find it useful to put myself in my confessor's shoes. Suppose your job was to wash dirt off people, and you have one person who decides to wallow and roll in mud without restraint for the whole week, then expects you to wash him afterwards. A little disrespectful no? There's a lot on the line as well from the priests perspective, since one day he will be held accountable for every absolution he gave. So strive to eliminate doubt in his mind regarding your firmness of resolution.

You could also imagine your wife confessing to adultery, and after prying a bit you find out she let the whole neighborhood run through her just because of one slip up. Internalize the words of Fr.Ripperger: "sin darkens the intellect" aka it makes you stupid.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Elizabeth

Quote from: idipsum on September 18, 2022, 03:18:06 PM



I just sat there, with a cold feeling running through me, never did I have the intention or knowledge that what I have done, is considered a sacrilege.

.............................
When the time came for Holy Communion, I just knelt in my pew. I had a desire to receive but I could not approach the Blessed Sacrament, all I could think about is, what have I done.
.............................
I left after Mass and had a sombre drive home....................

Thank you.

Thank God for having the grace to listen to your priest telling you the truth!!!   :pray3: :pray3: :pray3: :pray3:

Elizabeth

Maybe pray a whole Rosary for the priest who told you the truth, and in thanksgiving for finally getting it. 

(just don't be an addict and try to ever use the excuse to continue like that you are playing withlfire- - -people die as they live, they really do all the time)

I took a bunch of sacrilegious Communion back when I was misinformed by clergy, but also because my intellect was darkened by the effects of sin.  Ugh.

Confess this, do your penance and you can do Holy Hours of Reparation.



andy

#6
Quote from: Michael Wilson on September 18, 2022, 04:38:08 PM
but the "getting it out of my system" is wrong; what you are doing is sinning deliberately, and repeatedly;

Quote from: Lavenderson on September 18, 2022, 06:53:34 PM
here's a lot on the line as well from the priests perspective, since one day he will be held accountable for every absolution he gave.

I am saddened by how some forum members quickly reach for a stone, now towards a priest as well.

What if he/she is receiving the absolution every time though? Is not that up to confessor to decide " what you are doing is sinning deliberately " ?


Lavenderson

Quote from: andy on September 18, 2022, 07:51:05 PM
I am saddened by how the forum members quickly reach for a stone, now towards a priest as well.

What if he/she is receiving the absolution every time though? Is not that up to confessor to decide " what you are doing is sinning deliberately " ?

A pat on the back never helped me in my struggles. Just sharing what motivates me.

And I'm not sure how pointing out the gravity of a penitent turning confession into a revolving door from the priest's perspective equates to reaching for a stone to throw at the priest. You'll have to walk me through that logic :huh:
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Miriam_M

OP,
I think what the priest meant by "sacrilegious confession" is a lack of a firm purpose of amendment (addressed to those who have a casual attitude toward putting off confession, or actually think that waiting is no big deal).  Only you can decide if you're one of those same people.

What is needed in our confessions is true contrition.  Sorrow is the single most important factor in the sacrament. Ideally, we want to have that before going into the confessional, but sometimes, I experience it fully only afterward.  Confessing without sorrow is fruitless (or mechanical) because we will not obtain the graces if there is no sincerity.  (Again, I'm not saying that's true of you, as only you would know that.)

Let's put it this way:  The reason that priests don't want to be used as a [mechanical] washing machine has everything to do with the efficacy of the sacrament, rather than their own feelings of disappointment. The priest knows that confessions without sorrow do not result in the very graces that we penitents so need to overcome any kind of a sinful habit, venial or mortal.

When we have knowledge of having committed a mortal sin (or are seriously concerned that we did), the first thing we should do is get to a confessional.  It's not a dramatic exaggeration to say that people get hit by trucks every day, and increasingly, innocent people are slaughtered by gangsters on the loose in major U.S. cities.  We should never risk our eternal salvation on a bet with ourselves that we will outlive possibilities. 

Most importantly, the sooner we confess, the more likely we will receive the grace of true contrition and grow an increasingly sensitive (but not scrupulous) conscience.

andy

#9
Quote from: Lavenderson on September 18, 2022, 08:33:26 PM
Quote from: andy on September 18, 2022, 07:51:05 PM
I am saddened by how the forum members quickly reach for a stone, now towards a priest as well.

What if he/she is receiving the absolution every time though? Is not that up to confessor to decide " what you are doing is sinning deliberately " ?

A pat on the back never helped me in my struggles. Just sharing what motivates me.

And I'm not sure how pointing out the gravity of a penitent turning confession into a revolving door from the priest's perspective equates to reaching for a stone to throw at the priest. You'll have to walk me through that logic :huh:

First off all, I did not say you threw a stone. Or even you are holding a stone. Just "reached". This is what made me wonder:

Quote from: Lavenderson on September 18, 2022, 06:53:34 PM
But I genuinely hope you are denied absolution next time you go off the rails like that

Is it really your competence to say thing like that without knowing a single detail? Is it? What Catholic teaching gives you an authority to place yourself between the penitent and the priest, pronounce judgment like that where you in fact almost expressis verbis claim that the current confessor is making a huge mistake by giving an absolution. Please explain.

andy

Quote from: Miriam_M on September 18, 2022, 08:40:20 PM
What is needed in our confessions is true contrition.  Sorrow is the single most important factor in the sacrament.

While not perfect, is not a selfish desire to avoid the hell good enough to get the absolution without any pious sorrow feelings? Many people who's lives are mess up beyond believe, with deep psychological issues, unstable emotionally just cannot extract that "nice" and "polite" attitude from themselves yet being aware of their sins just want some good to come out. This is the best they can "afford" if you will.

Melkor

OP, I can kind o understand your situation. I too have had doubts after a Confession. I mentioned it to a good traditional priest and he said that, as long as you made the confession with imperfect or perfect contrition, as well as having the resolve to not sin again and say your penance, that it was a good confession. He said that God knows we're not perfect and gives us this certain leeway in these matters, so to speak, as long as you make a good and honest effort to confess your sins properly.
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.

"Am I not here, I who am your mother?" Mary to Juan Diego

"Let a man walk ten miles steadily on a hot summer's day along a dusty English road, and he will soon discover why beer was invented." G.K. Chesterton

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill." Jesus Christ

Lavenderson

#12
Quote from: andy on September 18, 2022, 09:47:38 PM
Quote from: Lavenderson on September 18, 2022, 06:53:34 PM
But I genuinely hope you are denied absolution next time you go off the rails like that

Is it really your competence to say thing like that without knowing a single detail? Is it? What Catholic teaching gives you an authority to place yourself between the penitent and the priest, pronounce judgment like that where you in fact almost expressis verbis claim that the current confessor is making a huge mistake by giving an absolution. Please explain.

A penitent with the mindset of "I sinned already, might as well sin some more since I have to go to confession anyways," should not be given absolution because that doesn't show purpose of amendment. I don't think this is controversial, and stating my opinion is not equal to claiming authority. I don't know where you are getting this from.

I never said the absolution which OP received already was a mistake. What I did say was, in the future, if OP maintains this mentality with regards to habitual sin, I genuinely hope OP does not receive absolution because that is an abuse of the sacrament. It might also serve as a painful reality check which is good because when it happened to me it was very beneficial, like a jolt of fortitude (since I never was denied absolution up until that point).

Consult Padre Pio if you have issues with being denied absolution.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

andy

It is still unwise to make statements like that. Because if OP gets an absolution next time, you will experience that weird aftertaste of bad prediction and will have to defend your position even more. It is like cutting a branch you seat on.

Lavenderson

Quote from: andy on September 18, 2022, 10:34:43 PM
It is still unwise to make statements like that. Because if OP gets an absolution next time, you will experience that weird aftertaste of bad prediction and will have to defend your position even more. It is like cutting a branch you seat on.

Huh? I'm not even sure what you're talking about anymore.

I'm encouraging him to get rid of his current mindset towards habitual sin by sharing what helped me when I had a similar problem. Do you think a penitent with no purpose of amendment should still receive absolution?
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.