Partial Confession

[Paddington]

From what I understand, if Joe has 20 grave sins to confess and fails to confess one of them, he is absolved from the other 19 and simply may not receive the Eucharist until he confesses #20 and the fact that he made a bad Confession. (Joe didn't forget that one sin; he chickened out.)

If I am wrong so far, then sorry.

If it is true (I think it is), then can I go to Confession as a confirmed, fallen-away and [i]non-believing[/i] Catholic without confessing certain sins against the faith (while confessing certain sins against the faith too,) and be absolved as long as I don't confess any that I don't really repent from? Later on, I could confess the remaining sins as a believer?

Just trying to move into a less horrible chamber of Hell until I believe. I realize there are things the penitent says in Confession that pre-suppose belief, but maybe those aren't technically necessary?

Thanks,
Paddington

Edited August 17, 2011 by Lil Red

[Theoketos]

I have never heard or read anything about or like this. The closest thing I can recall is a brief conversation in graduate moral theology about the speculation on whether certain mortal sins were 'more mortal' or whether it is even possible to think about such things.

However, we ended the 30 conversation, a brother monk and I, with the thought that it matters not, because we should work for contrition, that is being sorry for our sins, not out of fear of Hell (though it is sufficient), but out of Love of God.

So my humble advice, is work on Loving, and your desire to stop sinning and yearning for repentance will increase. If God is, then He is Love.