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I need help, because I’ve committed what might be a mortal sin, and I’m not sure if it counts is your conscience tells you it’s

I need help, because I’ve committed what might be a mortal sin, and I’m not sure if it counts is your conscience tells you it’s  | IF ALL THREE ELEMENTS OF A MORTAL SIN ARE PRESENT, BUT IT DOESN’T BUG YOUR CONSCIENCE, IS IT TRULY A MORTAL SIN? BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW WRONG IT IS, BUT YOUR CONSCIENCE TELLS YOU IT’S OK. | image tagged in black background | made w/ Imgflip meme maker
368 views 4 upvotes Made by TheBaconTaco25 4 years ago in ItsACatholicThing
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14 Comments
2 ups, 4y,
1 reply
That's a really good question. I'll answer as best I can.

If you're aware that it's wrong and plan to do it anyway, I think it's possible that it could still be a mortal sin even if it doesn't bug your conscience. I've been in a similar situation where I was a told what I was doing was wrong, but it didn't really feel wrong to my conscience, but I knew logically in my head it was. Since I don't know the exact sin and situation, I can't say for sure, but to play it safe, my advice would be to go to confession before you receive Communion again, and while you're there you can ask the priest for clarification. He'll be happy to help, and he'll probably give you a better answer than mine. If you can't go to confession before your next Mass, and this is still bugging you, you can always just not get Communion just in case. Most people today aren't taught to abstain from Communion when not in a state of grace, and it can be really intimidating when everyone else is getting it and it feels like you're the only Catholic not receiving, but if you think you've committed a mortal sin, waiting a week for confession is always an option. Believe me, I know from experience how hard it is to not receive, but I've found it feels better than also having to worry about whether or not the Communion I would have just taken was sacrilegious. (Just to be clear, don't overthink this so much that you're constantly afraid of not being worthy to receive. Receive as often as you can, absolutely, but if you're sure or almost positive you're not in a state of grace then it's usually just better to go to confession first.)

Hope that wasn't all too confusing. I'd be happy to clarify anything or answer anything further if need be. Thanks for your question, and I hope this helps! God bless!
0 ups, 4y,
2 replies
Ok. I’ve already asked a priest and he says that, the more you do it, the less mortal it is, only because it numbs your mind
2 ups, 4y,
1 reply
Huh....that's certainly not what I would've expected a priest to say. So he said it was a mortal sin, but that the more you do it, the less mortal it becomes? I would've expected the opposite: it's less bad when you first start since you don't fully understand what it is, but it's worse after you've done it for a while and fully understand what you're doing and why it's wrong. What do you think of that priest? I could be wrong, but that explanation doesn't really make sense to me.
0 ups, 4y,
1 reply
Yeah. Both sides make sense, so it’s hard to understand
2 ups, 4y,
1 reply
Yeah. My guess is that even if it becomes less mortal, it's still mortal, so I'd play on the safe side if you can. I asked a friend what they think so I'll get back to you if I hear anything different.
0 ups, 4y,
1 reply
Ok thanks :)
2 ups, 4y,
1 reply
Of course! :)

My friend got back to me, and the explanation that priest gave doesn't really sound right to either of us. The way he said the more you do it, the less mortal it is; that almost sounds like encouragement, and it didn't really sit right with either of us. Whatever the case, I wish you best with whatever struggle you're going through, and I'll pray for you
1 up, 4y,
1 reply
Thank you so much
2 ups, 4y
Absolutely, it's my pleasure
K8. M
1 up, 4y,
1 reply
It doesn't become less moral but perhaps he meant it seems less serious in your mind because your conscience has been numbed so to speak. Just like for a serial killer after awhile murder doesn't bother them and in fact gives them a feeling of power and a rush so they want to keep doing it. Please clarify with another priest. No one should be encouraging you to commit sin.
1 up, 4y,
1 reply
They’re not “encouraging me to comment sin”, but I will do it anyways
K8. M
1 up, 4y,
1 reply
Well, that's why we have free will. But please be aware that you hurt yourself more than anything when you sin. In the scheme of things especially when you have eternity before you is it truly worth it? Pray for guidance. You will be more at peace following what you know to be right.
1 up, 4y
Ok
[deleted]
0 ups, 3y
Your conscience is a tool. All tools fail you at some point in some way. Different people have different moral compasses- dependent on upbringing, belief, and plain nature. The criminally insane are dubbed so because they are lacking sanity to a dangerous point- their conscience does not in fact function. Rather, their conscience has been, in some way, corrupted. Take John Brown, abolitionist vigilante, or Vlad Tepesh, Dracula. Both were supposedly fighting in God's name (Brown was a self-proclaimed prophet, Vlad Tepesh was a member of the Order of the Dragon, which actually had the Romanian word for satan in its name due to a lack of "dragon" in their dictionary. The OOTD was a Catholic warrior group, similar to the Templars), but brutally killed many people (Brown, ten. Tepesh, countless), many of which were innocent. One could consider their moral compasses to be skewed. They committed sins without necessarily believing them to be so. I'm aware I'm seven months late to the game, but if this ever happens again, seek confession anyway.
Hope it helped!
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IF ALL THREE ELEMENTS OF A MORTAL SIN ARE PRESENT, BUT IT DOESN’T BUG YOUR CONSCIENCE, IS IT TRULY A MORTAL SIN? BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW WRONG IT IS, BUT YOUR CONSCIENCE TELLS YOU IT’S OK.