Is there anything the priest will not forgive you for in the confession box?

Answer 1

A priest could refuse absolution only in rare cases, for example, if the person is NOT sorry for his or her serious sins or has no intention of avoiding them in the future, or when there is no confidence in God's forgiving Spirit. This is what Jesus referred to when he spoke of sin which cannot be forgiven. Unless there is true sorrow, there is no forgiveness. We must have confidence in God's mercy and pray to his Spirit for a contrite heart.

"Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven you, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." (Mt 12:31).

Also, some sins are so grave that the sinner is excommunicated. Absolution in these cases must be sought from the Pope, the bishop or a priest authorized by them. The exception to this occurs in the danger of death when any priest, even one deprived of permission to hear confessions, can give absolution for all sin and excommunication. (Catechism 1463)

Hope this helps!

Pax Vobiscum+

Answer 2

Nope. He is there to forgive you, not judge you. It is one reason the confession discussion is not something the courts can get access too - the priest is never required to tell the courts anything, because the priest hears things all day that are very dark as well as things that are light or minor infractions. So please feel free to tell the priest that you hate your neighbors dog or just pretended that you forgot to buy the pumpkin, because the person before you might have been a pedophile or a murderer and the priest does need balance.

Answer 3

First of all, the priest is not the one who forgives sins. It is God who forgives; the priest acts as an intermediary between the person making a confession and God. As to obtaining forgiveness, it is possible to be forgiven for any sin for which one is truly penitent. Just stating the sin is not enough to be forgiven; you have to be truly sorry about it, take steps to right those who may have been wronged, and resolve not to sin again.

Answer 4

The priest has the power to absolve ... or not.

It all depends on the circumstances.

One must be truly sorry for their sin(s) and one must also have a firm purpose of amendment ... and a real possibility of repentence ... in order to receive absolution for sins.

It is up to the priest to determine whether circumstances that would prevent absolution for sins might exist, and it is the reponsibility of the penitent to make a good and complete confession, confessing all serious sins, holding nothing back, and including all the necessary details.

Someone who is "locked in" to a sinful lifestyle (example: shacking up - homo OR hetero) would typically not be able to receive absolution for sins, because absent a total change in lifestyle, there could be no real possibility of repentance.

Answer 5

That's a good question. Veritas gave a good answer, generally speaking. The "in the confession box" makes it interesting". The answer is: "Yes, sometimes". There are a few sins (the concept is called "reserved sins") where he must have express permission from the Bishop Ordinary to grant absolution. Murder and Abortion are the common ones.

Now...the rules are strict. In my case, our Diocesan Bishop makes no such rules.

But "reserved cases" is a sacramental term used for sins whose absolution is not within the power of every confessor, but is reserved to himself by the superior of the confessor, or only specially granted to some other confessor by that superior.

To reserve a case is then to refuse jurisdiction for the absolution of a certain sin. Christ gave power to the rulers of His Church to make such reservations: "Whose sins you shall retain they are retained" (John 20:23).

The reservation of sins presupposes jurisdiction, and therefore the pope alone can make reservation for the whole Church; bishops can do the same for their diocese only, and certain regular prelates for their religious subjects. That a sin be reserved it must be mortal, external, and consummated. If a sin be reserved in one diocese, and a penitent, without the intention of evading the law, confess to a priest in another diocese where the sin is not reserved, the latter may absolve the reserved sin.

Answer 6

To those who say only God forgives sins. This is true in the sense that forgiveness comes from God alone. Yet God chose men to bring forgiveness through them to the repentant individual.

Matt 9:6-8 " But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" --he then said to the paralytic, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to MEN.

Jesus was sent on earth with the authority to forgive sins and He sends His apostles in the same way as He was sent, with the power on earth to forgive sins.

"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."" (John 20:21)

God Bless
Robin

Answer 7

The priest does not forgive you. God does. And there is only one thing God will not forgive. It is when you don't let him forgive you. Judas committed this sin. He felt his sin against Jesus was so evil that he killed himself because he thought he could not be forgiven.

Answer 8

yes the priest forgives everything because that's what god wants and best of all the priest will not tell anybody about your sins

Answer 9

A priest will only refuse to give a person absolution (forgiveness of sins) if you are not truly sorry for your sins.

Answer 10

The purpose of the confession box is to confess one's sins to God and ask for God's forgiveness. The priest's forgiveness is meaningless unless God forgives the sinner.