I have a question about Catholicism?

Question

If I am correct, confessional is a place to confess your sins and ask for forgiveness?
are there any sins that are 'unforgivable'?

Answer 1

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unpardonable. The Bible also says that pride is the worst sin-Psalms or Proverbs-I can't remember which at this moment.

Answer 2

Yes. There is a sin that is unforgivable.

If we read the Sacred Scriptures, we can read these words of Jesus Christ:

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather me in scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in his age or in the age to come" Matthew 12:30-32.

What is the sin against the Holy Spirit? I once asked this question to my uncle who was a former seminarian, he said that the sin against the Holy Spirit is "intentional sin against God". When we commit sin, it is a sign that we are weak in the faith. We are sometimes doing things that we don't know that we are already commits sin. When we are talking to God or to a priest in a confessional, we regret our sins and asks for God's pardon and mercy. But, when we commit sin intentionally, because we know that God will someday forgive us, that is the sin against the Holy Spirit.

May my answer helped you in your faith in God and in the Catholic faith. Have a blessed New Year!

Answer 3

+ Confessional +

Yes.

The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin." When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven.

Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.

This sacrament usually takes place in a small room called a confessional. Modern confessionals give the penitent a choice of remaining anonymous behind a screen or talking to the priest face to face.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm

+ Blasphemy against the Spirit +

Blasphemy against the Spirit
- Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31)

Is the sin of attributing to Satan
- But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons." (Matthew 12:24)

What is the work of the Spirit of God
- But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Matthew 12:28)

We really do not know why Jesus said this sin is unforgivable.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 4

If you believe that God is omnipotent then there is nothing He can't accomplish. If you believe there is something God cannot do then you have just placed limits on an all powerful being. That is blasphemy. If you believe in an unforgivable sin then you have committed it.
As a former Catholic and priest I can tell you that in Catholicism there is no sin that is unforgivable.

Answer 5

Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable.

This is when you either deny the power of the Holy Spirit, or attribute it to some other entity (as the Pharisees did).

Since the Holy Spirit is the one who sanctifies, cleanses, seals you for salvation and guides your life as a Christian - if you deny his power to do that, you effectively deny your own salvation, or the ability of the Holy Spirit to bring about your salvation.

ie - it's not that God will not forgive you - you make yourself unforgivable.

Answer 6

Matthew 12:30-32
30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
31And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Blasphemy is when you teach other people about God from your opinion and not the written word. To say that the word of God is an opinion that you should expand on says that you don't trust the written word therefore you don't really believe.

Hebrews 10:35-39
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
37For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.
38But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him
39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

2 Corinthians 4:1-4
1Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3And even if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing.
4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Food for thought; every time you teach someone something about God and it is not what God said, then you are responsible for that lost soul. That's why it is unforgivable.

Romans 16:17-18
17I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

Answer 7

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, basically meaning that you didn't accept Christ before you died.

Answer 8

The essential elements of confession on the part of the person seeking absolution are contrition and repentance -- which involve sorrow for our sins, and sincerely resolving not to commit the same sins again. Contrary to popular belief, a Catholic cannot use the sacrament of confession as a revolving door, commiting all sorts of sins during the week and then confessing them but turning right around and doing the same things again the following week. If one has no intention of turning from the sin that brought them to confession in the first place, they might as well not bother.

I believe this is true of any confession of sins -- sacramental or not.

Answer 9

Yes, confession is a sacrament which is an outward sign that your sins have been forgiven. The ONLY sin that is unforgivable is the sin of final despair. It is generally preceded by pride which refuses to accept heaven as an unearned gift. The gift of forgiveness and heaven can be offered right up the the very last second of our life even if you are limited to just the intention of going to confession if given the opportunity. Any and all sins can be forgiven up to that point, but the unwillingness to accept that unearned gift at that final second is the sin of final despair.

Answer 10

To the best of my knowledge, no, there are no sins that cannot be forgiven during Confession as long as the person has not been excommunicated. If the individual has been excommunicated, then there's a longer process which I believe involves the Bishop of the diocese.

The only "unforgivable sin" is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but what that constitutes is open to interpretation. And since that is a matter between God and the soul, I don't think that there is a way that it *could* be brought up during Confession.