Confession After Death

Quoniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui: in inferno autem quis confitebitur tibi? Movere potest quare dicat, in morte, nullum esse memorem Dei, dum vicina possit amplius ira judicis contremisci? Sed bene perfidos dicimus immemores Dei, de quibus et Isaias ait: Non enim qui in inferno sunt laudabunt te; neque qui mortui sunt benedicent te. Nam cum dicit Apostolus: in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur coelestium, terrestrium et infernorum, hic de solis infidelibus ac pertinacibus debet accipi dictum, qui nullam fiduciam confessionis suae habere promerentur. Merito ergo sibi festinat dimitti: quia post lucis occasum, non restat nisi sola retributio meritorum. In inferno autem quis confitebitur tibi. Subaudiendum ad veniam; sicut et Salomon de impiis dicit: Quia dicent inter se, poenitentiam habentes, et prae angustia spiritus gementes, etc. Nam et dives qui Lazarum videbat in requie constitutum, mala sua probatur esse confessus, sed non est ad votum supplicationis auditus: quia in hoc mundo proprie confessio dicitur, ubi et venia reperitur. Et ut aliquam divisionem in his verbis intelligi debeamus, in morte, significat transitum vitae; in inferno vero custodiam locorum quam pro suis meritis animae sustinere noscuntur. In utroque tamen negatur absolute suscipienda confessio. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus VI Source: Migne PG 70.62d-63b

Because in death there is no one who is mindful of you. In hell who confesses you? 1 Why is he able to be so troubled that he says that in death there is no memory of God, when he has just been more deeply distressed by the anger of judgement? 2 But we speak well when we say that the faithless are not mindful of God, concerning whom Isaiah said: 'In hell there are none who praise you, nor do any of the dead bless you.' 3 For when the Apostle says: 'In the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of heaven and of earth and of hell,' 4 then here only of the faithless and obstinate should it be understood as spoken, who have no hope that their confession will profit them. Rightly then he makes haste to absolve himself, because after the passing of the light, there remains nothing but the reward for goods. 'In hell who confesses you.' Hear in this a reference to forgiveness, as even Solomon spoke of the impious: 'Because they will speak to one another of repentance, and because of the anguish of the spirit they will groan.' 5 For even the rich man who looked on Lazarus established in rest is known to have confessed his evils, 6 but there is no hearing for the vow of his prayer, because only in this world it is proper to make confesssion, where forgiveness is obtained. And a certain division in these words should be understood, 'in death' signifes the passing out of life, 'in hell' is the confinement in places which for their reward their souls are known to suffer. And in both these states confession is utterly refused. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, Psalm 6 1 Ps 6.6 2 Ps 6.1-2 3 Isaiah 38.18 4 Philip 2.10 5 Wisd 5.3 6 Lk 16.23