not trolling

[Combatchuc11]

It was being discussed that catholics don't use birth control and the reason stated was that it's God's will whether you will have kids or not. My question is if this is the case, then is getting a vasectomy a sin as well? And seriously, no flaming or banning

 

[Benedicta00]

Yes

 

[Skripper]

Voluntary sterilization (e.g. a vasectomy) is, objectively, grave matter, one of the factors required for mortal sin. Whether or not it is actually mortally sinful, or whether or not there is subjective culpability for sin at all, depends upon other factors, including the level of knowlege of the person being sterilized.

 

[vrunca]

Sure is.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Objectively speaking, it is a mortal sin.

If however, a person were to have a vasectomy and a later point in life experience conversion and conviction in this regard, they would need to go to confession and confess this sin. It would not be necessary, however, for them to reverse the vasectomy, although I have known people who have done so and were blessed with children.

The Catholic Church holds in very high regard the gift of life.

 

[Carrye]

Getting a vasectomy is sinful, as is getting a woman's tubes tied. Both prevent pregnancy, and separate the unitive from the procreative aspects of the sexual union.

 

[seamonster]

If a doctor warns a woman not to have children again or she will die in childbirth, is it still immoral, or are there certain circumstances in which it would be allowed, such as the above situation?

 

[poppinskw]

Voluntary sterilization (e.g. a vasectomy) is grave matter, one of the factors required for mortal sin. Whether or not it is actually mortally sinful, or even sinful at all, depends upon other factors, including the level of knowlege of the person being sterilized.

What about all those things that happened in a persons life before they came into the Catholic Church, i.e. sterilization, ABC, and other things like that, Does one have to do anything about those things in ones past before entereing or are those things in the past and dealt with?

What I am really asking in my muddled way is that when one enters the Catholic church do they start with a clean slate, or do the things of the past still need to be dealt with?

Thanks again

Les

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

What about all those things that happened in a persons life before they came into the Catholic Church, i.e. sterilization, ABC, and other things like that, Does one have to do anything about those things in ones past before entereing or are those things in the past and dealt with?

What I am really asking in my muddled way is that when one enters the Catholic church do they start with a clean slate, or do the things of the past still need to be dealt with?

Thanks again

Les

They should be repented of and confessed. But it is not necessary to reverse the sterilization.

 

[poppinskw]

So even though something may have been confessed to God and forgivness asked for, there is still a need to take those or anything like that to confession?

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

So even though something may have been confessed to God and forgivness asked for, there is still a need to take those or anything like that to confession?

Yes, any mortal sin (which this is) must be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession.

 

[poppinskw]

Yes, any mortal sin (which this is) must be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession.

O.K. thank you I think I have it clear now... if its a mortal sin, then it needs to be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession, which will be done before entering the Church...

Sorry to be a pain, but there is so much to learn and even to unlearn thanks for your patience.

Les

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

O.K. thank you I think I have it clear now... if its a mortal sin, then it needs to be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession, which will be done before entering the Church...

Sorry to be a pain, but there is so much to learn and even to unlearn thanks for your patience.

Les

If you will be receiving Baptism when coming into the Church, it may be possible that you will not have to confess. I don't know what the Church does in this case, because Baptism wipes out mortal sin, but they still may have you confess.

I don't know, even if it is not mandatory to go to confession in this case, I would highly recommend that you go to confessiona and confess it anyways.

I just got back from a retreat in which I made a general confession to the priest putting on the retreat. In this general confession, I went over my life's sins again (even those mortal sins in which I already confessed) and I felt great afterwards, it was healing and humbling to be able to lay all that junk down in front of another person and receive spiritual direction.

So perhaps, somebody can state what the Church does with those who receive baptism in their reception in to the Church, because it may be the case that confession is not necessary. But that would be the exception to the rule.

 

[Carrye]

If baptism, no confession. Baptism is the "door" to the other sacraments. You could not sacramentally confess before being validly baptized.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

If baptism, no confession. Baptism is the "door" to the other sacraments. You could not sacramentally confess before being validly baptized.

But she could go after her baptism and do a confession, correct? But it's not mandatory?

 

[Carrye]

But she could go after her baptism and do a confession, correct? But it's not mandatory?

She could, but probably wouldn't. Unless, like you said, the goal was a lifetime confession.

It would be an entirely different case if she'd already been baptized. Then the next steps would be Confession, Eucharist, Confirmation. (But you already knew that)

 

[GK]

If you receive your first baptism, you do not need to confess, as you are cleansed at that point. If you were baptized earlier in life, you will need to confess before receiving first communion. This confession should go back as far as your baptism. This should be addressed at RCIA and time should be spent on this, both to help you understand what is going on and to help you prepare for that confession.

You need to confess all the mortal sin you remember (and should really work hard to remember as much as possible). Mortal sin are those grave sins that you commited with full knowledge they were grave sins. IOW, things you now know are sinful that you did not know were sinful at the time might not need to be confessed. That said, it doesn't hurt to err on the side of caution and confess those things that might be "on the line."

It isn't as important to be able to detail every instance of a particular sin as much as to be able to say what it was, how serious it was, how often it took place, and how recently. IOW, you don't have to go back and remember the name of every boy or girl you looked at with lustful thoughts.

Hopefully, it won't be something to be nervous about, but something to anticipate eagerly. Look to it as an opportunity for freedom.

This has everything to do with the OP, as well. Guilt plays an important role. It shows us where we have strayed and (assuming we listen and are obedient) leads us to repentance and confession. Once we have repented and confessed, the guilt has done it's job and there is no reason for it to linger! We need not continue to feel guilt for stuff in our past that has been properly dealt with.

Penance may include "making things right," but not always. Some things can be put back together with ease. In many cases, though, you can't unring the bell, so to speak. Vascectomies are in the middle. In some cases, the right thing to do might be to have it reversed. In other cases, it shouldn't. If in doubt, talk to your priest and/or spiritual director and listen for the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

Yes, a vascectomy is a sin. No, that does not mean you are cut off from God with no chance for redemption.

 

[CarrierOfChrist]

It was being discussed that catholics don't use birth control and the reason stated was that it's God's will whether you will have kids or not. My question is if this is the case, then is getting a vasectomy a sin as well? And seriously, no flaming or banning

It is a sin for the same reason that using artificial birth control is a sin...it doesn't allow for the possibility for creating or being open to creating life.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Okay, thanks for the clarification Carrye.

Are you clear now, poppins?

 

[Skripper]

What about all those things that happened in a persons life before they came into the Catholic Church, i.e. sterilization, ABC, and other things like that, Does one have to do anything about those things in ones past before entereing or are those things in the past and dealt with?

What I am really asking in my muddled way is that when one enters the Catholic church do they start with a clean slate, or do the things of the past still need to be dealt with?

Thanks again

Les

This is my opinion, nothing more, so take it as such . . . no more and no less. I would say that, according to my understanding of Catholic teaching, one should confess, in sacramental confession, all that one becomes aware of that was objectively grave matter, even if one, at the time in the past, was not aware that it was objectively grave matter. While one's personal culpability will, no doubt, be mitigated based upon one's own level of knowledge at the time, one should still confess that which he/she later came to realize was grave matter, even if he/she was not aware that it was grave matter in the past. To use an imperfect analogy, if I hurt someone or harm someone, unknowingly/unintentionally, and only later come to understand the wrongness of my actions, I should still apologize and ask forgiveness, once I come to the realization that I committed the wrong . . . even if I didn't realize it when I actually did it.