Confessions....

[cmotherofpirl]

bump

[BLAZEr]

Don't know where I read it, but I remember clearly learning that one liturgical action is not to impinge upon another; i.e., that Confessions should stop when Mass begins so that one's whole and undivided attention is given to one Sacrament at a time.

Anyone know the source?

This has more to do with YOU than with the priest . . . if you are going to confession during mass and then planning to participate in the mass (so you kind of do a "break for confession") then you are improperly doing BOTH sacraments . .. however, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a priest hearing confessions while another priest is celebrating mass . . . all throughout Latin America this is very much the practice . . . during daily mass a priest is in the confessional while another priest is celebrating mass and then the priest goes to the confessional after he is done with mass . . .

This one parish in Santiago, Chile (Sagrado Corazon en Providencia) is amesome . . . first of all, daily mass in the evening has like 500 people there (no joke) and daily mass at noon has about 150. Second I have NEVER, EVER EVER been to that mass and not found a line for confession . . . I used to go to mass there 3 times a week (and other times just to pray) and every time there was at least one priest in the Confessional . . . AND they had Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration . . . it's no surprise that this parish has produced something like 85 priests in the last 100 years. It was amesome . . . I'm sure there were other parishes like this in Santiago, but I never found one quite as amesome as this one.

[BLAZEr]

I was told by a very good priest that if you are unable to go to confession prior to mass but had the intention to do so that you may receive the Eucharist.  You should make a heartfelt act of contrition at the beginning of mass and this assumes that you plan to go to confession right after mass.  He said something that has stuck with me; "The Eucharist is not for perfect people, it's to help people become perfect."  Hope this helps.

By the way, I like your nick 

God Bless,

Joe

I've also heard that his is allowable . . . but that you MUST intend to make your confession immediately after your communion . . . still I'm mighty scrupulous . . . and I remember my priest saying to me "Stephen, you can attend mass, make your confession, and then I can give you communion right after your Confession. Relax." and I thought, oh, well, geez, that solves it! I think its better to confess and then ask the priest if he can give you communion rather than receiving communion and then going to confession.

[cmotherofpirl]

Blaze it doesn't matter if you heard its "allowable", the Catechism says it is not .

THe catechism is authoritative, your priest is in error.

[jbliss145]

I think maybe I was missing something here. Are we speaking solely of mortal sin? If we are then I think we MUST go to confession prior to muss unless it is a situation where you are in fear of death etc.

I was speaking in a more general sense. Many people, especially when they begin going to confession regularly, will begin to feel as if they must go to confession before communion all the time. This is when the priest was telling me to make a good act of contrition at the beginning of mass and go to confession afterwards. If you are in a state of mortal sin, however, I would NOT receive communion until confession.

Sorry about the confusion.

God Bless,

Joe

[cmotherofpirl]

THere are two exceptions to confession of mortal sin before recieving Communion.

1 i f you are a priest in mortal sin you still have to say Mass.

2 If you are in iminent danger of death.: a soldier in Iraq walking into battle.

If you do not meet these conditions, you incur a further mortal sin which will ALSO have to be confessed.

[Uncle Gus]

Venial sins are forgiven in the Mass.

[Aloysius]

Venial sins are forgiven in the Mass.

but it is still a holy and pius act to confess them, and i believe that helps in the way of indulgences and such. i know my venial sins are absolved by the Mass, but i still feel i must confess them. you technically don't have to, but it helps heal the spiritual damage done to your soul by your sins, and helps relieve the temporal punishment that would purify u since you have already been purified from that through the Church's treasury of indulgences.

[traichuoi]

A person who is conscious of mortal sin must first make a sacramental confession and receive absolution. If no legitimate opportunity exists for first going to confession, then a person may make an act of perfect contrition with the pledge to the Lord to go to Penance as soon as possible before receiving Holy Communion (Code of Canon Law, #916).

[Confessionator741]

i havent posted since i posted the thread, and im glad to see that there has been discussion on the topic...

when i "threaded" my post, i didnt mean that my work schedule is the only thing not allowing me to go to confession...

I have found ways around that, i was just mearly trying to make a point in stating that it would seem to make more sense to offer confession before mass.

Now, there also has been some going ons about when you can, and when you canNOT recieve the Eucharist. Now, i did a little research on this in the cathechism, and i found some entries, but im not sure how to relate them or take them a step further.....

CATECHISM:

1735: Imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.

CATECHISM:

1791: This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin." In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

CATECHISM:

2352: By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action." "The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose." For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved." To form an equitable judgment about the subjects' moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, 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.

now, i guess what im getting from this is that if the sin is a force of acquired habit, or an addiction, the sin is lessened or even extenuated???

my question is...what qualifies a habit?, or something of that nature?

"There are no hidden, or secret doors by which the devil enters a soul. There is only one door, the will." St. Pio

if anybody can please offer some insight, im just curious to see what all this means...

in search of knowledge...

B

[M.SIGGA]

If I might jump back to the original post... I haven't been to communion in almost three weeks b/c I can't seem to get to confession! Last week it was soo sad, I church hopped 3 times last Saturday and all three church's confession times were different than posted online at the Archdiocese website. I burned almost 1/4 tank of gas and I had to get back to school for a meeting before I could try any others. It would really be a big help if confessions were heard before masses, even just for a little while if there were only a couple of people, b/c it's so hard to hunt for a church w/ confession times! Plus people who haven't been in years might be convicted to go.

I was always taught that Act of Contritions were only good to say before Communion if you only had venial sins; I still think this is true, but I think my mom just wanted us to get in the habit of not being afraid of talking to the priest, even though I still get really nervous every time I go. I'm going on a retreat this weekend and luckily there will be a priest available.

[foundsheep]

If I might jump back to the original post... I haven't been to communion in almost three weeks b/c I can't seem to get to confession! Last week it was soo sad, I church hopped 3 times last Saturday and all three church's confession times were different than posted online at the Archdiocese website. I burned almost 1/4 tank of gas and I had to get back to school for a meeting before I could try any others. It would really be a big help if confessions were heard before masses, even just for a little while if there were only a couple of people, b/c it's so hard to hunt for a church w/ confession times! Plus people who haven't been in years might be convicted to go.

I was always taught that Act of Contritions were only good to say before Communion if you only had venial sins; I still think this is true, but I think my mom just wanted us to get in the habit of not being afraid of talking to the priest, even though I still get really nervous every time I go. I'm going on a retreat this weekend and luckily there will be a priest available.

You couldnt of call ahead to catch a priest for an appointment? By the way are you the one from New Orleans?

[M.SIGGA]

You couldnt of call ahead to catch a priest for an appointment?

I could call and set an appointment, but I'm a full time student and I also work so making an appointment would set me back; confession is really important to me and lately w/ my exam schedule it's been tough making it there. I know there is no excuse, but I'm sure you understand how time flies when you are really busy and have a lot of things to do. I always make it to mass on Sunday, but my point was that I wouldn't have to make an appointment to see a priest if confessions were held regularly before most masses.

By the way are you the one from New Orleans?

I live/work/ go to school in Baton Rouge.

[cmotherofpirl]

So the canon law disagrees weith the Catechism: THeo where are you?

[BLAZEr]

i havent posted since i posted the thread, and im glad to see that there has been discussion on the topic...

when i "threaded" my post, i didnt mean that my work schedule is the only thing not allowing me to go to confession...

I have found ways around that, i was just mearly trying to make a point in stating that it would seem to make more sense to offer confession before mass.

Now, there also has been some going ons about when you can, and when you canNOT recieve the Eucharist.  Now, i did a little research on this in the cathechism, and i found some entries, but im not sure how to relate them or take them a step further.....

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CATECHISM:</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

1735: Imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.

</td></tr></table>

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CATECHISM:</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

1791: This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin." In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

</td></tr></table>

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CATECHISM:</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

2352: By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. "Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action." "The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose." For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of "the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved."

To form an equitable judgment about the subjects' moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, 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.

</td></tr></table>

now, i guess what im getting from this is that if the sin is a force of acquired habit, or an addiction, the sin is lessened or even extenuated???

my question is...what qualifies a habit?, or something of that nature?

"There are no hidden, or secret doors by which the devil enters a soul.  There is only one door, the will." St. Pio

if anybody can please offer some insight, im just curious to see what all this means...

in search of knowledge...

B

The most important thing to remember here is that YOU don't determine what is born out of force of habit nor what is mitigated by habit in terms of mortal sin. . .. a PRIEST determines that . . .

Masturbation is a biggie in this regard (and I should SOOON finish a column on this for Squash the bunkness) . . . it's true that many young men (and women) are addicted to masturbation and its a habit they formed before they knew it was (or even though they knew it was) a mortal sin . . . however a person can't say

"well, I'm addicted to this so I'm gonna go to communion anyway." . . . However, you can go to confession and say to the priest "I confess this sin a lot, and I'm trying to root it out of my life, but its hard. Should I receive communion if I haven't been able to go to confession?" The priest (especially if he is good) will then give you his advice (guided by the Holy Spirit) as to what you should do for YOUR situation . . . BE CAREFUL WITH ANY PRIEST WHO SAYS "IT'S NOT A SIN". . . they exist, and you should avoid going to these priests for confession.

I know testimonies of people who were told by their priest to NOT receive, and how it helped them stop, because they wanted the Eucharist so badly, and I know testimonies where priests have said "Keep receiving and keep confessing" and this has also helped them to stop. Sins, esepecially sexual sins, are some of the hardest to root out, they are also the easiest to work on, because you are usually fully aware when you're doing it . . .

The bottom line: You don't determine what mitigates (lessens culpability) for a mortal sin . . . your confessor does that. If you have committed an act of masturbation, then you need to go to confession. Plain and simple. Let your confessor tell you how often to go, and whether you can receive or not.

By the way, when I was in the Seminary, one of the priests made himself available "ANYTIME" for confession, he said "Come everyday, or every morning, or even in the middle of the night" . . . we all knew what he meant, lol . . . and he was the most popular confessor . . . many guys in the seminary attribute their chastity to his confessional . . .

GO TO CONFESSION . . . even if its not culpable for a mortal sin, the efficaciousnss of the sacrament will help you to overcome attachment to sin . . .