Delayed Confession?

[Good Friday]

If you delay going to Confession, knowing full well that you're in a state of mortal sin, that you could go to Confession at any time, and that remaining in a state of mortal sin could leave one in a weakened state that could cause one to commit further sins, would delaying Confession be a mortal sin?

Obviously, mortal sin or not, it's not a good idea and it certainly doesn't help one to grow in love of God. And that's the point, really. I'm just curious about its status as mortal sin or not.

On a related note, is it bad that I've become uncomfortable confessing to my parish priest? Is that normal?

[Adeodatus]

The worst thing about mortal sin is that if you die unrepentant, then by definition you go to hell. This is far worse than any debilitating effect mortal sin could have on you. Hell is the worst debilitation.

My moral theology teacher used to joke about the "Catholic bus". This was an imaginary bus that used to drive around your neighbourhood, waiting to mow you down the minute you were in a state of mortal sin! I think his point was not that we should be paranoid about buses, but that we don't know when we are going to die. So the thing to do is don't delay. Right now the first thing to do is to make an act of contrition, any act of contrition. Just tell God you are sorry. And make a resolution to go to confession as soon as you can.

Canon Law talks about being 'physically or morally' able to go to Confession. A physical inability means the lack of availability of a confessor near you. A moral inability is when (in rare circumstances) going to confession to a certain priest may endanger either you, the priest or someone else.

Canon Law also says that you are free to go to confession to any Catholic priest in the whole world, of whatever rite. If a Catholic priest is unavailable, you may even confess to any non-Catholic priest in valid orders (Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopian, Assyrian)----provided they are willing to hear you. And when no priest is available at all (highly unlikely), you can confess to any layperson although they can't absolve you. They can still pray for you. But I think that scenario could only happen if you're marooned on a desert island or live in a post-nuclear holocaust (God forbid either!).

You don't have to go to your parish priest. I have to admit that I "shop around" and have my favourite confessors. These aren't the ones with the easiest penances (necessarily) but the ones I feel more comfortable with and whose wisdom I've come to appreciate. Go to another parish. But don't delay. The delay isn't a sin in itself (unless it means you're contemptous of God's mercy), but it is an act of foolishness. Never forget the "Catholic Bus" is looming near!!! :D