Dear Diego:

Whoever said this is a minor point needs to be horsewhipped; so does the idiot who doesn't want to step on toes (read about the Three Secret Strategies of Satan). St. Paul tells us that some people are sick and some even die because they have received our Lord unworthily (1 Cor. 11:29). That sounds major to me. The Church teaches that we are to admonish the sinner. To fail to do that when one has the opportunity not only makes us an accomplice, but can give us a measure culpability if that person goes to hell for lack of being admonished.

The Canon Law on this subject is (bold, my emphasis):

Can. 916  A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or to receive the Body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession unless a grave reason is present and there is no opportunity of confessing; in this case the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible.

EWTN's comment is precisely correct (bold my emphasis):

This is a truly exceptional permission that needs to be properly understood. It requires moral or physical impossibility to go to Confession and the necessity to receive Communion - such as a priest who MUST celebrate Mass.

The fella you quote, "I know that I can receive Communion even if I am not in a state of grace if I have the intention to go to confession" is dead wrong, he is risking his soul.

The commentary on this Canon states:

This Canon refers to any person who administers or receives the sacrament. An act of perfect contrition does, indeed, provide forgiveness of mortal sin; however, as the second precept of the church reminds us, the obligation to confess before receiving the Eucharist remains. This obligation can only be dispensed a iure when, perfect contrition being presumed, the following two conditions are met (bold, my emphasis):

1) A grave cause: danger of death, or of embarrassment if Communion is not taken or celebrated;

2) The impossibility of making a prior confession through lack of confessor. Naturally, the act of contrition requires, as one of its integral parts, the firm intention to confess, which must be satisfied at the earliest opportunity.

Impossibility does not mean that one is too busy to go to Mass because they need to mow the lawn, fix the roof, prepare Christmas dinner, other such excuses. Impossibility also does not mean that one can forego confession because the priest who is normally one's confessor is not available, but other priests in other parishes are available.

Embarassment refers to the availability only of a confessor who is known personally and who cannot be approached without embarrassment. One should never allow embarassment to prevent confession. But, for some who are immature or lack self-esteem or some other psychological impedement, then the person, after making a Perfect Act of Contrition, may receive the Eucharist. The person, however, must go to the Sacrament of Confession as soon as possible. Failure to do this constitutes mortal sin.

There is a story told about a Nun in the monastery where St. Teresa was the Mother Superior. Everyone thought this Nun was very saintly and surely went straight to heaven when she died.

One day when St. Teresa was in the chapel praying an apparition appeared before her. It was this Nun who had died. St. Teresa expected to see the Nun in bless thinking that God allowed her to appear from heaven, or at least in the pain of purgatory. Neither was the case. This Nun, whom everyone thought be very saintly, was in hell.

The Nun asked St. Teresa to tell the other sisters to never refrain from confessing sins that are embarrassing. This Nun had done that. There was some sin to which she was so embarrassed to confess that she never confessed it and died in a state of sin.

Folks, never but never allow embarrassment to keep you from the Sacrament of Confession.

In the case of which we are discussing, however, we are presuming that the person who refrained from confession because of embarrassment that the priest knows him later did go to confession with some other priest. Remember then this prayer circumstance there must be an Perfect Act of Contrition and a solemn promise to confess properly in the sacrament at the earliest opportunity.

An Perfect Act of Contrition is one in which a person is sorry for their sins because they love God home they have disappointed. An Imperfect Act of Contrition is one in which the reason the person sorry for their sins is because they fear hell. the difference between these two is that the motivation is love in the first case and fear in the second case.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary