I can only accept, and act, on the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives me in my own relationship with God.
That being said, I have lived in a heavily Catholic, 3rd world country, and I can guarantee you that, at the time that I was living there,the sacraments were sort of a magic formula to gain heaven to a lot of the parishioners.m I do not know what their priests taught them, of course, but we have the example of the liberation theologians to show us how priests may go astray.
A very honest and humble answer...and I am in the same position. We pray for illumination from the Spirit, in the confidence that it will all become clearer on the other side of the veil.
That being said, I have lived in a heavily Catholic, 3rd world country, and I can guarantee you that, at the time that I was living there,the sacraments were sort of a magic formula to gain heaven to a lot of the parishioners.
I understand. If the sacraments are received with devotion then yes, they can bear us to heaven. If, though, people are receiving Communion in a state of mortal sin, if they are Confessing without true contrition, then they are in for a rude awakening. As Paul says in 1 Cor 11, eating and drinking unworthily brings judgment upon oneself.