ASK FATHER: Friends returning to the Church say they can receive Communion without going to confession first

[Michie]

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

After a number of years away from the faith of my childhood, I made the decision to return to the Catholic church. After attending a few masses, my heart longed to receive the Eucharist, so I made the necessary appointment to go to confession at the parish. In my youth, we were instructed to go to confession every 2 to 3 months or as the need arose after an examination of conscience. And I have done this. Each time I received absolution and prayed my penance and reread Psalm 51. During mass, I would repeat my prayers and my Act of Contrition before receiving Jesus again.
Recently people I know who have also been away from the church for years asked me to take them to mass. I did so. But when it came time for communion, they arose and went to receive it, even though they hadn’t made a confession for their lapses from the commandments over the years. After mass, I reminded them of the need for the sacrament of confession and that our priest was very easy to speak with. He makes special appointments as well. I tried to explain that reconciliation is necessary, and they both said it wasn’t. They said since they prayed every day that’s all they had to do and that I shouldn’t judge them. Father, I wasn’t and am not judging anyone. Only God can judge them. But I was trying to share what I was taught before Confirmation, thinking that maybe they had forgotten. It has troubled me deeply. I know the Church requires all of us to go to confession at least once a year and to go to mass every Sunday and Holy Day, whether we receive communion or not. I know that we are called to avoid the 7 deadly sins and to follow the ten commandments, and “to avoid the near occasion of sin.” What should I do? I was taught that what they are doing is sacrilege but I don’t want to lose their friendship. What should I do? Was I wrong to say anything? I am confused by all of this. I hope you have time to answer me. I know that I will get a very straight-forward answer from you. Please help me know what to do, Father.

Continued below.

ASK FATHER: Friends returning to the Church say they can receive Communion without going to confession first

From a reader... QUAERITUR: After a number of years away from the faith of my childhood, I made the decision to return to the Catholic church. After attending a few masses, my heart longed to receive the Eucharist, so I made the necessary appointment to go to confession at the parish. In my yo

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[WarriorAngel]

You have to be in friendship with the Lord to receive.
Instruction is usually upsetting if it differs from what people opt to want/think.
But instruction is necessary.

 

[Ave Maria]

This is really sad. If you've not gone to Mass in a long time then you need to go to Confession. It's a grave sin to miss Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation without a serious reason. Plus, there may be other grave sins that they have committed that need to be confessed.

 

[RileyG]

This is really sad. If you've not gone to Mass in a long time then you need to go to Confession. It's a grave sin to miss Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation without a serious reason. Plus, there may be other grave sins that they have committed that need to be confessed.

Amen. Unfortunately, many Catholics are poorly catechized and do not understand this teaching.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

In Orthodoxy, different patriarchates have adopted different rules. One priest said that in those patriarchates where it is allowed to receive communion without confession, some people go to confession once or twice in their lives. Or maybe they don't confess at all. And in those where confession is obligatory before communion, they confess much more often, 1-2 times a month. External rules greatly affect this.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I know a woman married to an abusive man and she herself is pretty mean to him. [Mutual abuse I suppose or just a big No.
Anyway, [I dont mention names and nobody knows them so as an example] she was going to go to Church with me and I asked she go to confession...
After Mass she said 'The priest said I don't have to listen to people who tell me to leave _____ and it's nobody's business.'

1. She cries to people and still stays. He flippin hit her with a car because he was mad.
2. She went to confession or to find an agreement?
3. Of course she is gonna stay til it maybe too late, her own wedding had to be moved to a month later because of her black eye.

She went a few times then quit going to Mass.
People have to be the right place .... it's the challenge of getting them there. So prayer and fasting is basically the only thing I know that can move a hard heart.

 

[RileyG]

In Orthodoxy, different patriarchates have adopted different rules. One priest said that in those patriarchates where it is allowed to receive communion without confession, some people go to confession once or twice in their lives. Or maybe they don't confess at all. And in those where confession is obligatory before communion, they confess much more often, 1-2 times a month. External rules greatly affect this.

Don't confess at all? Really?

On a side note, I know some monks in Mount Athos that go to confession daily (!!)-

 

[ValeriyK2022]

Don't confess at all? Really?

On a side note, I know some monks in Mount Athos that go to confession daily (!!)-

If I'm not mistaken, he called the Patriarchate of Alexandria. And when he was there, he was surprised that an elderly man, who was already over 70, confessed for the first or second time in his life. Although he took communion many times in his life. But he might not live to that age.

He also said that he had confessed in Greece and that there is a higher quality of confession due to the fact that confessors are specially taught this. There the confessor, like a psychotherapist, asks leading questions that help to confess better. In Eastern Europe, every Orthodox priest can to do it. The skills of priests are lower than those of professional confessors, but the obligation of confession and its availability to everyone has its advantages. So, in his opinion, Eastern Europe is in the middle between Greece and Africa in terms of the quality of confession.