[Bump in the night]

Are they damned? I can't damn them but let's just say they are in great danger of it, depending on many factors that only God can weigh.

I thought that if you're Catholic, all you had to do was go to confession, tell the priest your sins and do some hail Marys or something and you got to go to heaven. How can someone be damned if that's all they have to do?

[oremus]

As Catholics we have the gift of the Sacrament of Confession, which is a vehicle of grace and a healing Sacrament where we meet Jesus, in the person of the priest (in Persona Christi), and have our sins absolved, and receive graces to help us avoid sin and/or improve. It is not a priest we confess to, but Christ himself. A priest of his own power cannot absolve sins - only Christ can.

However, one must be SORRY, and have a firm purpose of amendment - meaning - you intend NOT to repeat the sin. Doesn't mean you won't, out of weakness or whatever, but that's the idea. Without being truly sorry for that which you are confessing, you are committing a sacrilege in making a "bad confession." Therefore, confession and a few Hail Mary's is no guarantee for heaven. Those conditions must be met.