| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| re Masterbation | Judith | Wednesday, January 26, 2005 |
Question: Hi Brother, I just went back to this question because the nagging feeling about it was coming back and I wanted to re-read what you said in your response. While reviewing it, I remembered that while I was doing the supposed masterbation, that I was thinking relatively impure thoughts - as impure as a relatively chaste ten year old could get and spurred by a R rated movie I should not have been watching :( Also, the story about the nun is really frightening to me. I'm a bit of a paranoid person in aspects like that, and now I am really worried that there is a mortal sin on my conscience that I have not realized that will result in me going to hell. I'm so scared about that. I was also wondering, does last rights take away all stain from the soul, even mortal sins that have been intentionally unconfessed? Please reassure my troubled conscience! In Christ, Judith |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
Dear Judith: It is not possible to commit a mortal sin and not know it. For a sin to be mortal you MUST know that it is grave sin. If you are not aware of that, then the grave sin committed is not counted as mortal to you. Thus it is impossible to go to hell for mortal sin that you did not realize is a mortal sin. If is possible, however, to forget that we committed a grave sin. That is why we should end our confession with something like, "for these and all other sins that I do not now remember....". Then at a future date if you just happen to remember, you can bring it to confession at that time. But you need not be scared. If you did not know something was a mortal sin it will not be counted to you as mortal. You still need to confess it, however, when you do find out that it was grave. "Last Rights" usually includes a Confession thus if absolved then all sins are forgiven during the Sacrament of Anointing (Last Rites). If one is so disposed, Last Rites also affords a person a plenary indulgence. Last Rites, however, will NOT absolve you of intentionally unconfessed mortal sin. If one refuses to confess what they know to be mortal sin and die without confessing it, then they go to hell. But there is no need to ever worry about that. Just confess all grave sins in the Sacrament of Confession. If you commit a grave sin on Monday and cannot get to confession until Saturday, making an Act of Perfect Contrition with firm intention of going to Confession at the next opportunity will forgive the sin and restore you to a State of Grace. Thus if you die before Saturday, you are covered. Since we can never know when we will die, we should all make an Act of Perfect Contrition as soon as we realize we have committed a grave sin. While making a Perfect Act of Contrition will forgive the grave sin and restore us to a state of grace on the spot, we must promise to get to the Sacrament of Confession as soon as possible and we may NOT receive the Eucharist until we do. Staying out of hell is easy -- just be sure to confess all "known" grave sin in the Sacrament of Confession. It is only when we refuse to confess our known grave sins that we are in trouble. God Bless, Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum
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