BAD
CONFESSIONS ARE THE ROAD TO HELL FOR MANY; AND OF PERSONS WHO HAVE
MADE SACRILEGIOUS CONFESSIONS
St.
Alphonsus: “Of Persons Who Have Made Sacrilegious Confessions. I.
IN the chronicles of St. Benedict it is related that a solitary named
Pelagius, who kept sheep for his poor parents, led a life so
exemplary that all called him a saint. He lived in this manner many
years. After the death of his parents he sold the little property
that they had left him and retired into a hermitage. He,
unfortunately, consented once to an unchaste thought. After this sin
he fell into a state of great melancholy because he would not confess
it, lest he should lose the good opinion
of his confessor. While he was in this state of melancholy a pilgrim
who passed by said to him: "Pelagius, confess your sin: God will
pardon you, and your peace shall be restored." The pilgrim then
disappeared. After this Pelagius resolved to do penance for his sin,
but not to confess it, flattering him self that God would perhaps
pardon him without confession. He entered into a monastery, in which
he was immediately received on account of his reputation for
sanctity, and there led an austere life, crucifying himself with
fasts and penances.
At last the hour of death came: he made his last confession; as he
had always through shame concealed the sin during life, so he also
concealed it at death; he received the viaticum, died, and was
buried, with the reputation of a saint. On the following night the
sacristan found the body of Pelagius out of its grave. He buried it
again; but on the second and third nights he found the body out of
the grave. He called the abbot, who, in the presence of the other
monks, said: "Pelagius, you were always obedient during life; be
obedient now also in death. Tell me, on the part of God, if it be the
divine will that your body be kept in a particular place?" The
deceased, howling, said: "Alas! I am damned for having concealed
one sin in confession. O Abbot, look at my body!" And behold!
his body appeared like red-hot iron sending forth sparks of fire. All
fled away; but Pelagius called back the abbot, that he might remove
the consecrated particle that still remained in his mouth. The abbot
removed the sacred host. Pelagius then told them to take his body out
of the church and to throw it on a dunghill
like a dog. It was done as he desired.
“II.
In the annals of the Capuchins we read of one who was esteemed a
saint, but made bad confessions. Being seized with a grievous
illness, he was told to go to confession. He sent for a certain
Father, to whom he said, "My Father, you tell me to go to
confession; but I will not make any confession." "And why?"
said the Father. "Because," replied the sick man, "I
am damned; for I have never confessed all my sins; and now God
deprives me of the power of making a good confession." After
this he began to howl, and to tear his tongue, saying, "Accursed
tongue, that would not confess sins when you were able." And
thus, gnawing his tongue to pieces, and howling, he breathed forth
his soul into the hands of the devil. After death he became black as
a cinder, a terrible noise was heard, and the room filled with an
intolerable stench.
“III.
Father Seraphine Razzi relates that in a city in Italy there was a
married lady of noble rank who was reputed a saint. On her deathbed
she received all the sacraments, and died with a high reputation for
sanctity. After death her daughter, who always recommended to God the
soul of her mother, heard one day, while she was at prayer, a great
noise at the door. She turned round, and saw a horrible figure all on
fire, and exhaling a great stench. At this sight she was so much
terrified, that she was on the point of throwing herself out of the
window; but she heard a voice saying: "Stop, stop, my daughter:
I am your unhappy mother, who was considered a saint; but for some
sins committed with your father, which I was ashamed ever to confess,
God has condemned me to hell. Do not pray to God for me any more; for
you only increase my pains." She then began to howl, and
disappeared.
“IV.
The celebrated Doctor John Ragusino relates that a certain very
spiritual woman practised meditation and frequented the sacraments,
so that she was considered by her Bishop to be a saint. The unhappy
woman looked one day at a servant, and consented to an unchaste
thought; but because the sin was only one of thought, she flattered
herself that she was not bound to confess it. However, she was always
tortured with remorse of conscience, and particularly in her last
illness. But even at death she concealed the sin through shame, and
died without confessing it. The bishop who was her confessor, and
believed her to be a saint, caused her body to be carried in
procession through the whole city, and through devotion got her
buried in his own chapel. But on the following morning on entering
the chapel he saw a body above the grave, laid on a great fire. He
commanded it in the name of God to tell what it was. A voice answered
that it was his penitent, and that she was damned for a bad thought.
She then began to howl and to curse her shame, which had been the
cause of her eternal ruin.
“V.
Father Martin del Rio relates that in the province of Peru there was
a young Indian called Catharine, who was a servant to a respectable
lady. Her mistress induced her to receive baptism, and to frequent
the sacraments. She often went to confession, but concealed some of
her sins. Just before her death she made nine confessions; but they
were all sacrilegious. After her confession she said to her
fellow-servants that she concealed her sins. They told her mistress,
who, on questioning her, found out that these sins were certain acts
of impurity. She therefore told the confessor, who returned, and
exhorted his penitent to confess all her sins. But Catharine
obstinately refused, and got into such a state of desperation, that
she turned and said to her confessor, "Father, leave me; take no
more trouble: you are only losing your time;" and then she
turned her face to him and began to sing some profane songs. When she
was near her end her companions exhorted her to take the crucifix.
She answered: "What crucifix? I know not Christ crucified, and I
do not wish to know him." And thus she died. So great were the
noise and stench during the night, that the mistress was obliged to
leave the house. The deceased afterwards appeared to one of her
companions, and said that she was damned on account of her bad
confessions.
“VI.
Father Francis Rodriguez relates that in England, when the Catholic
religion flourished in that country, King Augubert had a daughter,
who, on account of her rare beauty, was sought by many princes. Being
asked by her father whether she wished to marry, she answered that
she had made a vow of perpetual chastity. The father obtained a
dispensation from the Holy See, but she resolutely refused to accept
it, saying that she wished for no other spouse than Jesus Christ. She
only asked of her father permission to live a solitary life in his
house. The father, because he loved her, complied with her request,
and assigned to her a suitable maintenance. In her retirement she
began to lead a saintly life in meditation, fasting, and works of
penance, frequenting the sacraments, and frequently going to the
hospitals to attend the sick. While she lived in this manner she fell
sick in her youth and died. A certain lady who had been in her
governess, while at prayer one night, heard a great noise, and saw a
soul in the form of a woman in a strong fire, and bound in chains, in
the midst of a multitude of devils. The soul said, "Know that I
am the unhappy daughter of Augubert." "What!" replied
the governess; "are you damned after a life so holy?"
"Yes," replied the soul; "I am justly damned through
my own fault. "And why?" "You must know that in my
youth I took pleasure in listening to one of my pages, for whom I had
an affection, reading a certain book. Once, after reading the book
for me, the page kissed me; the devil began to tempt me, till in the
end I committed sin with the page. I went to confession, and began to
tell my sin; my indiscreet confessor instantly reproved me, saying,
"What! has a queen been guilty of such a sin?" I then,
through shame, said it was a dream. I afterwards began to perform
penitential works and give alms, that God might pardon me without
confessing the sin. At death I said to the confessor that I was a
great sinner; he told me to banish the thought as a temptation. After
this I expired, and am now damned for all eternity." She then
disappeared amid such noise, that the whole world appeared to be
falling in pieces, and left in the chamber an intolerable stench,
which lasted for many days.
“VII.
Father John Baptist Manni, of the Society of Jesus relates that a
certain lady had for several years concealed in confession a sin of
impurity. Two religious of the Order of St. Dominic passed by the
place. The lady, who was always waiting for a strange confessor,
entreated one of them to hear her confession. When the Fathers
departed, his companion said to the confessor of the lady that while
she was confessing her sins he saw many serpents coming from her
mouth, but that there was a large, horrible-looking serpent, whose
head only came out, but afterwards went back entirely into the lady’s
mouth. He then saw all the serpents that came out return again. The
confessor went back to the house of the lady, and on entering heard
that she had died suddenly. Afterwards, when he was at prayer, the
unhappy woman appeared and said to him, "I am the unfortunate
person that made my confession to you; I committed one sin, which I
voluntarily concealed from the confessors of the place. God sent you
to me; but even then I could not conquer the shame of telling it. He
therefore struck me suddenly dead when you entered the house, and has
justly condemned me to hell." After these words the earth
opened, and she fell into the chasm and instantly disappeared.
“VIII.
Saint Antony relates that there was a widow who began to lead a holy
life, but afterwards, by familiarity with a young man, was led into
sin with him. After her fall she performed penitential works, gave
alms, and even entered into a monastery, but never confessed her sin.
She became abbess. She died, and died with the reputation of a saint.
But one night a nun who was in the choir heard a great noise, and saw
a spectre encompassed with flames. She asked what it was. The spectre
answered, "I am the soul of the abbess, and am in hell."
"And why?" "Because in this world I committed a sin,
and have never confessed it. Go, and tell this to the other nuns, and
pray no more for me." She then disappeared amid great noise.
“IX.
In the annals of the Capuchins it is related that a certain mother,
on account of having made sacrilegious confessions, began at death to
cry out that she was damned for her grievous sins and for her bad
confessions. Among other things, she said that she was bound to make
restitution to certain persons, and that she had always neglected to
do so. Her daughter then said to her, "My mother, let what you
owe be restored; I am satisfied to sell all, provided your soul be
saved." The mother answered: "Ah, accursed child! I am
damned also on your account; for I have scandalized you by my bad
example." Thus she continued to howl like one in despair. They
sent for one of the Capuchin Fathers. When he arrived he exhorted her
to trust in the mercy of God; but the unhappy woman said: "What
mercy! I am damned: sentence is already passed upon me, and I have
already begun to feel the pains of hell." While she spoke thus,
her body was raised to the ceiling of the chamber, and dashed with
violence against the floor, and she instantly expired.” (The
complete ascetical works of St. Alphonsus, pp. 571-78)
“In
the life of Father John Ramirez, of the Society of Jesus, it is
related that, while preaching in a certain city, he was called to
hear the confession of a girl who was dying. She was of noble birth,
and had apparently led a holy life; she went frequently to Communion,
fasted, and performed other mortifications. At death she confessed
her sins to Father Ramirez with many tears, so that he was greatly
consoled. But, after returning to the college, his companion said
that while the young lady was making her confession he saw a black
hand squeezing her throat. The Father immediately returned to the
house of the sick lady, but before entering he heard that she was
dead. He then returned to his college, and while he was at prayer the
deceased appeared to him in a horrible form, surrounded by flames,
and bound in chains, and said that she was damned on account of a sin
committed with a young man, which she voluntarily concealed in
confession through shame, and that at death she wished to confess it,
but the devil induced her, through the same shame, to conceal it.
After these words she disappeared, amid the most frightful howling
and terrific clanking of chains.” (The complete ascetical works
of St. Alphonsus, vol 15, p. 548)
“A
similar misfortune befell a sinner who was damned on account of
having deferred his confession. Venerable Bede relates that this man,
who had been fervent, fell into tepidity and mortal sin, and deferred
confession from day to day. He was seized with a dangerous illness;
and even then put off his confession saying that he would afterwards
go to confession with better dispositions. But the hour of vengeance
had arrived: he fell into a deadly swoon in which he thought that he
saw hell open under his feet. After he had come to his senses again,
the persons who stood round his bed begged him to make his
confession, but he answered: "There is no more time; I am
damned." They continued to encourage him. "You are losing
time," said he; "I am damned, I see hell opened; I there
see Judas, Caiphas, and the murderers of Jesus Christ; and near them
I see my place, because, like them, I have despised the blood of
Jesus Christ by deferring confession for so long a time." Thus
the unhappy man died in despair without confession, and was buried
like a dog outside the church without having a prayer offered for his
soul.” (The complete ascetical works of St. Alphonsus, vol
15, p. 528)
“Tell
me, my sister, if, in punishment of not confessing a certain sin, you
were to be burnt alive in a caldron of boiling pitch, and if, after
that, your sin were to be revealed to all your relatives and
neighbors, would you conceal it? No, indeed, if you knew that by
confessing it your sin would remain secret, and that you would escape
being burnt alive. Now, it is more than certain that, unless you
confess that sin, you will have to burn in hell for all eternity, and
that on the day of judgment it will be made known to the whole human
race. "We must all," says
the Apostle, "be manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ"
(i. Cor. v. 10). "If," says the Lord, "you do not
confess the evil you have done, I will proclaim your ignominy to all
nations; I will discover thy shame to thy face, and will show. . .
thy shame to kingdoms" (Nah. iii. 5).” (The complete
ascetical works of St. Alphonsus, vol 15, pp. 549-50)
St.
Alphonsus: “There is a more terrible example related in the
"Teresian Chronicles." A girl fell into a sin, which she
was ashamed to confess, and afterwards made three sacrilegious
Communions. After the third Communion she was suddenly struck dead
before the altar. Her countenance appeared, not black, but full of
splendor. All cried out; "A saint! a saint!" and her body
was carried in procession through the whole neighborhood. But mark
what happened, and tremble at the thought of receiving Communion in
mortal sin. An angel appeared to a Teresian Carmelite friar, who was
in his cell, during the night on which the body of the unhappy girl
lay unburied in the church. The angel conducted the Father to the
church, and commanded him to open the mouth of the deceased. He
opened her mouth, and found the three Hosts that she had received in
the state of sin, and placed them in a ciborium. After the removal
of the Hosts her countenance appeared no longer bright and
resplendent, but black and horrible.”
St.
Alphonsus: “It is necessary to communicate; but, as has been said,
it is necessary to communicate in a state of grace; otherwise the
Communion will become a poison, or rather a halter to strangle the
unworthy communicant. St. Cyprian relates that a Christian woman who,
in order to conceal herself, had through fear of the persecution done
an action contrary to faith, came to the church, and went to
Communion without confessing her sin. But what was the consequence?
The sacred Host remained in her throat; the throat instantly swelled
in such a manner that she began to tremble from head to foot, and so
expired.”
St.
Alphonsus: “Listen to this example: A boy used often to go to
confession; and every one took him to be a saint. One night he had a
hemorrhage, and he was found dead. His parents went at once to his
confessor, and crying begged him to recommend him to God; and he said
to them: "Rejoice; your son, I know, was a little angel; God
wished to take him from this world, and he must now be in heaven;
should he, however, be still in purgatory, I will go to say Mass for
him." He put on his vestments to go to the altar; but before
leaving the sacristy, he saw himself in the presence of a frightful
spectre, whom he asked in the name of God who he was. The phantom
answered that he was the soul of him that had just died. Oh! is it
you? exclaimed the priest; if you are in need of prayers, I am just
going to say Mass for you. Alas! Mass! I am damned, I am in hell! And
why? "Hear," said the soul: "I had never yet
committed a mortal sin; but last night a bad thought came to my mind;
I gave consent to it, and God made me die at once, and condemned me
to hell as I have deserved to be. Do not say Mass for me; it would
only increase my sufferings." Having spoken thus, the phantom
disappeared.” (The complete ascetical works of St.
Alphonsus, vol 15, p. 167)
