repentance at death

repentance at death Question from on 05-26-2007:

Father, I know the church wants us all to repent our sins before death, but many times I have read where the Pope says "we have to have trust in God's grace" although not be presumptous. Saints have said that souls have repented after death or that "twilight period" before death and were with the Lord. I think that strict thinking about mortal sin keeps most people from practicing Catholicism devoutly. One quick example I was given recently at work. A person told me any religion that says that a good young man who trys to always follow church teaching,commits a moral sin with a female friend and on the way back home, gets killed instantly with a head-on collision. No priest would tell the parents that their son was in hell, but if that teaching is unbending, that's where he would be. I would like to think that Jesus being God and perfectly just, would see beyond our human thinking and offer the young man a choice.

Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 06-12-2007:

Dear Deb, Thanks for your e-mail. I must answer you with this: God DID offer the man a choice before his accident. No one can be forced to commit mortal sin, because for a sin to be mortal requires the person fully intend to do what they did. Actions have consequences, and sometimes people don't want to accept responsibility for their actions. Yes, it sounds harsh, but it only takes one bad move by an otherwise good person to have serious consequences in an auto accident or an accidental death, etc. As it can happen in our natural lives, so it can happen in our supernatural lives.

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