Good morning Father Angelo, I wanted to ask you:
If a person repents and converts, does he obtain the Grace of God even if he does not confess?
Thank you.
Kind regards
Anna
Priest’s answer
Dear Anna,
1. God’s grace is obtained only if one has the intention of confessing.
In fact, if one converts, one willingly disposes oneself to do what the Lord commanded when he instituted this sacrament: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:23).
2. If it was as you say, Our Lord would have instituted the sacrament in vain.
He could have said in a simple and clear way: it is enough that you repent and convert in your heart before me.
3. There are many reasons why the Lord wanted the remission of sins to take place through this Sacrament.
I would just like to point out that the meeting with the priest has a strong therapeutic character.
The priest has the task of stimulating and verifying authentic repentance.
In fact, authentic repentance includes the intention of not sinning again in the future, and not of remaining in one’s own situation of sin.
4. I would also like to recall that sacramental confession made with a priest who is a minister of the Church intends to reconcile not only with God, who has been crucified anew in our hearts (cf. Heb 6:6), but also with the Church, which has been offended and impoverished by our sin. In this regard, Saint Pope John Paul II says: “ By virtue of human solidarity which is as mysterious and intangible as it is real and concrete” (Reconciliatio et Paenitentia 16) it is intimately related to others, “each individual’s sin in some way affects others. This is the other aspect of that solidarity which on the religious level is developed in the profound and magnificent mystery of the communion of saints, thanks to which it has been possible to say that “every soul that rises above itself, raises up the world.” To this law of ascent there unfortunately corresponds the law of descent. Consequently one can speak of a communion of sin, whereby a soul that lowers itself through sin drags down with itself the church and, in some way, the whole world. In other words, there is no sin, not even the most intimate and secret one, the most strictly individual one, that exclusively concerns the person committing it. With greater or lesser violence, with greater or lesser harm, every sin has repercussions on the entire ecclesial body and the whole human family. ” (Ib.)
5. It is also nice to report what St. Augustine says: “Whoever repents, let him repent completely, and show his sorrow with tears.
Let him present his life to God through the priest, let him forestall the judgment of God with confession…
Shame (erubescentia) itself has a part in remission.
For out of mercy the Lord has ordered that no one should do penance secretly.
For by the very fact that someone personally tells the priest his sins and overcomes the shame because he has offended God, the forgiveness of the sin occurs: with confession, in fact, what was guilty when it was done becomes worthy of forgiveness; and if it is not immediately completely purified, whatever was mortal has been committed becomes venial. In fact, he who, overcoming shame, has not denied to the messenger of God any of those things that he has committed. (…).
And since shame is a great punishment, he who blushes for Christ becomes worthy of mercy” (De vera et falsa paenitentia, 10,25). T-N
6. Infine desidero ricordare quanto afferma San Francesco di Sales, dottore della Chiesa e grande maestro di vita spirituale: e cioè che nella confessione il fedele “non solo riceve l’assoluzione dei peccati, ma anche una forza per evitarli nell’avvenire, una luce più viva a ben distinguerli e una grazia abbondante per rimediare ai danni causati.
Inoltre fortifica le virtù dell’umiltà, dell’obbedienza, della semplicità e della carità; di modo che con una sola confessione si faranno più atti di virtù che in qualsiasi altro esercizio di pietà” (Filotea, cap. 19).
Augurandoti di fare tanti atti di virtù con un solo atto qual è quello della confessione sacramentale, ti benedico e ti ricordo nella preghiera.
Padre Angelo
23 Febbraio 2024|Un sacerdote risponde – Teologia dogmatica – Sacramenti
6. Finally, I would like to recall what Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church and a great master of spiritual life, says: that is, that in confession the faithful “not only receive absolution from sins, but also a strength to avoid them in the future, a brighter light to distinguish them well and abundant grace to remedy the damage caused.
Furthermore, it strengthens the virtues of humility, obedience, simplicity and charity; so that with a single confession more acts of virtue will be done than in any other exercise of piety” (Philothea, chap. 19). T-N
Wishing you to do many acts of virtue with a single act such as that of sacramental confession, I bless you and remember you in prayer.
Father Angelo
