So you agree that a Catholic will “receive their forgiveness” before going to a priest?
I don't know if the Baltimore Catechism is a valid one or comparable to the "official" one at the vatican [to be clear...I'm not accusing you of posting false info here].
So much of Roman Catholic theology has changed over the years it's hard to keep up with the changes and what is still "valid" for the Roman Catholic.
I did find this from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston which seems to shed some different light on the topic than what you presented.
God, who created the sacraments for our salvation, is Himself not bound by them. Our sins are first forgiven, of course, through the sacrament of baptism. For post-baptismal sins, the Church has always taught that, for example in a danger of death situation without the possibility of recourse to the sacrament of confession, God could forgive our sins if we pray to him with perfect contrition.
The reality is, however, that we can never know if we’ve made a perfect act of contrition.
The Church teaches, therefore, that “individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession” (CCC 1484). The great gift of this sacrament is that, if we confess all our serious sins with sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment, we do not need to doubt whether our sins have been forgiven. God created this sacrament so that we might know that he has forgiven us through the ministry of priests.http://www.thelightisonforyou.org/confession/faq/
Additionally, when you consider all of the other things the Roman Catholic has to believe it's hard to really know. I know there are a whole bunch of Roman Catholics who don't recognize any popes since V2.....some certainly don't recognize the current one.
To me they're in violation of Unam Sanctam which I would think would be a mortal sin for a Roman Catholic. I cannot find where that has ever been repealed.
Then one has to consider if a Roman Catholic is really a follower of Christ. Those Roman Catholics who've pledged themselves wholly and completely to Mary or who've taken up wearing the false idol of the scapular or miraculous medal are not following Christ. They've gone after another Gospel.
You know I don't believe the NT teaches venial or mortal sins...ALL sin apart from Christ condemns us.
So to be honest, rich.....I don't know from a review of Roman Catholic sources if a Roman Catholic can really know if they've been forgiven.
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I will say though, if a person is a follower of Christ, their sins are forgiven and rubbed out (Col 2:13-14). But this means the person is only following Christ and worshiping and serving Him and Him only.
The Greek behind this, and other places, indicates when you place your faith in Christ you are cleansed from all sins....all of them, past, present and future.
It's what's called the security of the believer.