Hi Teemu,
First I want to thank you and thank the Lord for
repenting and working with you to come around to
an active Christian life. Praise the Lord!
You said:
Now, I'm wondering:
- Should I confess my crimes to
the police, or
- Is it enough that I have confessed them
to God?
It depends on the severity of the crimes performed.
If you have defrauded someone, you can go and repay
them, even anonymously. If it is a more severe crime
or set of crimes: Yes, you have to confess them to
the police.
If they were minor ones, consider casually talking to a policeman
at the corner about what you did and ask him for
his assessment. For short,
[and both | God and Police] would be wise.
I would recommend you talk to a Catholic priest or
Lutheran minister known for his holiness. They will be able to help you appropriately assess your past.
We have a forgiving God, but appropriate recompense [to
pay or give compensation for; make restitution or
requital for (damage, injury, or the like).] still
has to be made.
For example: If I smash my colleague's Bob computer,
Bob can forgive me, but I still have to pay to get
him another computer.
You said:
- What does the Catholic church teach
about people in my situation?
This portion of the Catechism should answer your question:
I can also send you a Catechism of the Catholic Church if you wish.
Mike
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