What's the Catholic Church's position on this?

Factual Questions
1

Now I don’t know a lot about religion but as I understand it (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) if you have committed sins and you haven’t confessed them before you die then you take these sins into heaven with you, the more serious the sins the less chance of you getting through the Pearly Gates. I know this is simplistic but as far as I understand it this is what the Catholic Church teaches.
Now there’s a man, a hypothetical man, whose just committed double homicide and he’s driving himself crazy with hypothetical guilt and he wants to confess to a hypothetical priest. Now he’s so upset that as he’s crossing a hypothetical road he doesn’t look both ways and pays the price when a hypothetical juggernaut kills him stone dead.

Now this guy has committed very serious sins but he intended to confess them. Would his good intentions be taken into account by the Church?

I’ve looked on the net for ages trying to find an answer for this but everything I read just seems to confuse the issue and nothing gives me a straight answer, perhaps there isn’t one but I just thought I’d see if you guys could help me out.

2

I’m not 100% sure on this one, but since confession is really you confessing to God (using the priest as intermediary) I guess that the his feelings of guilt and remorse would be taken into account.

I suppose he’d just have to tell God he was sorry directly; which I suppose might be a bit scarier, but there you go…

3

Its simple mr. hypoth…I mean “Gomez,” just look both ways before crossing the street and all will be forgiven.

4

this is why catholics have purgatory. they get to spend some time there working off any sin debt before they can go to heaven.

his guilt might come into account, but strictly speaking, the confession has to be given to a priest to really count.

i’m not sure what effect last rights would have. i think they can be given after death.

5

As a recovering catholic, I’m pretty sure that Lilah is right. The Church puts a great deal of emphasis on the intercession of the priest, and just BEING sorry isn’t enough (if it were, how would the Church make money selling indulgences and whatnot?) Your double-murderer would have to spend a LONG time in Purgatory to suffer off those sins (although since he’s being given an infinite reward afterward, I’d still have to consider that he’s getting off far too easily.)

Then again, what’s so bad about murder, if you buy the Catholic worldview? You’re just rushing those nice people you killed right off to heaven, where they’ll sing in perfect happiness forever! Why should you be punished for such a wonderful GIFT to them?

Guess that’s why they had to make suicide a deadly sin – they spend so much time making being dead sound nice, you’d wonder why anybody stayed alive…

6

Actually, I don’t believe the church sells indulgences anymore, although they DO sell anullments, believe it or not.
I guess it would depend on which priest you asked. Not all priests will give you the same answer, I don’t think.

7

That was a bit of sarcasm – of course they don’t have indulgences anymore, they must make it up in tithes…

8

The church would not take your (excuse me, your “hypothetical” double murderer’s) intentions into account. They would have not access to you (him), since he (you?) is dead. That kind of decision would now be handled by the Boss Himself (as if he wouldn’t get the last call anyway). The Allmighty would have a much better insight into the nature of your (his) remorse, and would probably make a better call than the earth bound church anyway. That’s one of the perks of being omniscient. I was taught that remorse and regret do count, and atonement is important, but if The Big Guy decides to take you up before you have the chance to go through the steps on earth, it would be a contradiction to allow someone the chance to be forgiven, and then to take the possiblity of achieving the forgiveness away. I think He would therefore take it into account.

Although for a double homicide? Wait - are you talking about Bill and Hillary!? Free pass!

9

IIRC you do not need a priest to confess to or to receive last rites from in a pinch. While a priest is preferrable I believe that any shmo standing nearby will do.

I imagine this was originally allowed so the church could send its warriors off to distant lands to help the ignorant locals find the true path (even if they had to kill them in order to help them). Even though many warriors would confess just prior to battle this still wasn’t always an option and if you’re on a battlefield chances are slim you’ll have access to a priest. Even if one is around he’s likely to be very busy and you may get missed. As a result your buddy can stand in if necessary. Without this possibility I imagine it’d be hard to get real holy-roller types to wade into certain death if they thought they might die without absolution.

10

During my own Catholic upbringing, I was taught that you don’t need a priest for confession, just for Confession. That is, in the eyes of God, Mr. Hypothetical is okay if he confessed his sin in his heart; God will forgive him. However, he has not received absolution from a priest, and hasn’t received the sacrament of Penance, so he may face some serious punishment once he gets to Purgatory.

That’s what I remember, but it would be better to get the input of a practicing Catholic.

11

The Church doesn’t offer indulgences any longer? Au contraire! Not in the corrupt, cynical, Middle Ages, indulgences-for-sale manner, but in the Papal Bull declaring 2000 as a Jubilee Year for the Church, the Pope stated:

(from http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/docs/documents/hf_jp-ii_doc_30111998_bolla-jubilee_en.html)

"This doctrine on indulgences therefore “teaches firstly how sad and bitter it is to have abandoned the Lord God (cf. Jer 2:19). When they gain indulgences, the faithful understand that by their own strength they would not be able to make good the evil which by sinning they have done to themselves and to the entire community, and therefore they are stirred to saving deeds of humility”.(18) Furthermore, the truth about the communion of saints which unites believers to Christ and to one another, reveals how much each of us can help others — living or dead — to become ever more intimately united with the Father in heaven.

Drawing on these doctrinal reasons and interpreting the motherly intuition of the Church, I decree that throughout the entire Jubilee all the faithful, properly prepared, be able to make abundant use of the gift of the indulgence, according to the directives which accompany this Bull (cf. attached decree)."

"CONDITIONS FOR GAINING
THE JUBILEE INDULGENCE

By the present decree, which implements the will of the Holy Father expressed in the Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, and by virtue of faculties granted by the same Supreme Pontiff, the Apostolic Penitentiary defines the discipline to be observed for gaining the Jubilee indulgence.

All the faithful, properly prepared, can fully enjoy, throughout the Jubilee, the gift of the indulgence, in accordance with the following norms.

While indulgences granted either generally or by special rescript remain in force during the Great Jubilee, it should be noted that the Jubilee indulgence also can be applied in suffrage to the souls of the deceased: such an offering constitutes an outstanding act of supernatural charity, in virtue of the bond which, in the Mystical Body of Christ, unites the faithful still on pilgrimage here below and those who have already ended their earthly journey. Then too, the rule that a plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day remains in force during the entire Jubilee year.(20)"

12

Nah, that wasn’t necessary, but you’re close. The pope actually said that anyone who died in the crusades was gauranteed a seat in heaven, no questions asked, no need for battlefield confessions. Its good to be the pope.

13

Jeff_42

Add Baptism to this list. And the schmo does have to be Catholic.

14

Right – and while you’re correct that a priest is only required for big-C Confession and not for ordinary remorse, that would still land the murderer in Purgatory for 2 murders’ worth of pain. His own confession saves him from enernal damnation, but only the priestly Confession can save him from Purgatory.

Of course, since none of this is based in fact OR scripture, I’m not sure where they came up with these rules…

15

Let me just clarify a few points here (repeating mostly what other posters have already said):

Confession is not strictly necessary. As long as one sincerely repents of one’s sins, then hell can be avoided. A priest in my high school used to relate this story to illustrate the concept:
A grieving mother goes to the parish priest for comfort after her son commits suicide by jumping off a bridge. She is in despair because suicide is a mortal sin, and her son is now in hell. The priest answers “Between the time he jumped and the time he died, he had time for an act of contrition.”

Merely relating your crimes to a priest is not what guarantees you absolution. Sincerely repenting your sins is what guarantees you absolution. The sacrament of confession is still, in my mind, helpful because many people are comforted by being able to discuss issues that trouble them, and hear someone tell them “you are forgiven now.”

16

I’m sure the question was rhetorical, but I’ll answer anyway: the rules are based on church fathers’ interpretation of biblical verses.

Catholic Encyclopedia - The Sacrament of Penance

from a declaration by the Council of Trent (1551)

The article has much more information on the subject.

17

I agree with what you were saying, Arnold – my point was that while the Church considers personal contrition enough to get you out of hell, sins which are absolved by a priest are erased completely, and do not even warrant time in Purgatory.
cannot believe he’s arguing about this

18

This comes from the vague memories of catholic grade school in the 70’s, so my memory might be faulty and/or I misunderstood as a kid, but –

IIRC, sincere repentance avoids Hell, but does not gain you Heaven. If you have sinned, you must still spend time in purgatory. IOW, you may be forgiven, but you still must do the time.

Sua

19

You’re correct PaulT, and that position does not seem to me to be inconsistent with the church’s position on other points - e.g. only priests can give communion, only priests can perform marriages, etc…

The Catholic church has always held that priests (in an unbroken succession since St. Peter) represent God on Earth and are thus vested with special “powers.”

20

SuaSponte, from the Catholic Encyclopedia article referenced above:

Effect (of the sacrament of penance)

Contrition

The way I read it is in accordance to the statement by PaulT, namely:

  • sacrament of penance erases the sins
  • contrition will cause you sins to be forgiven, but they will not be “erased” until either you receive the sacrament of penance or else you expiate them in purgatory.