Ask a Priest Anything...about Confession!

[edward_george1]

Confession is for confessing sins, not hiding things that you want to be absolutely private. If you committed a sin somehow in the course of your duties as a juror, that’s one thing. If you just want to use the confessional to talk about something in absolute confidence, that would be inappropriate.

 

[edward_george1]

Is it possible that the excommunication would not be lifted?

I suppose it’s possible, yes. But I would imagine not, given that if the person is confessing it, they’re obviously contrite on some level.

 

[edward_george1]

Do you mean someone who isn’t really Catholic? If that’s the case, then no, they can’t go to confession.

If it’s a Catholic who struggles to agree with one teaching or another, that’s different.

I don’t know about leaving before absolution. Again, confession isn’t just for dumping/talking about things. It’s for confessing sins and getting absolution. If you want to talk about problems you’re having to a priest, make an appointment to talk to a priest. And if you can’t get an appointment with the priest, feel free to PM me.

 

[jack63]

How so? If it’s a good idea, why would I care that it’s common in corporate settings? I didn’t learn it in a corporate setting. I learned it in Scouting.

I’ll need to think about this. Your point is fair of course. I hated getting evaluated when working. I’m good at being an academic or running the company, but I struggled at being an employee and being evaluated.

Personally, I struggled being made to do things that were too specific, and I also struggled with time specific deadlines. I thought all of these things held me back. I’m not saying SMART won’t work for most people, it very likely will. I just don’t think it would work for everybody.

Thanks for the response though!

 

[woolycaterpillar]

Can it be that Purgatory is linked in some way to a reaction to sin and to the major bad happenings in life?

I know someone who suffers extreme interior pain when faced with various sins either committed by themselves at one time or another, or the horrible things that take place and are reported in the news. This individual claims that the pain becomes unbearable. Describing it as a swarm of bees attacking him and not letting go. This person does go to confession often, but talking about some things, like cruelty, sets him off. Tears just dribble down his face involuntarily. He hates to see the underdog stepped on and says he wishes he could help - he mentioned a retarded lady in his family that was always being mistreated when he was a youngster living at home, and he feels awful about it.

 

[edward_george1]

I’m not sure what this has to do with confession per se. It could be something spiritual. It could just be a stress reaction to hearing bad news. Some people are empathetic that way.

 

[jvickers]

We have a total of 10,000 parishioners in our Parish. I’m not sure how that breaks down into families. That number might just be counting registered adults. Unfortunately, we only have 3 priests. These poor priests are certainly overworked. But, with the priest shortage, it’s difficult to avoid the situation of so few priests.

God bless our priests everywhere!

 

[Edmundus1581]

I won’t say that it’s not appropriate, but confession is for confessing sins. Sometimes people will come into the confessional and start listing all the good things that have happened, the good things they’ve done, or the things they want to ask God for. That’s not really what it’s for. Just confess your sins and move on.

That is certainly what I’ve learned from CAF.

Just to understand people who may think it’s a good idea to say more, such as to thank God for blessings, they may well have been given that advice somewhere along the way.

 

[GladTidings]

Feel free to ask what you’d like, and I will answer as best I can!

Do you have any advice on how I could get my kids, ages 11, 13, and 15, to want to go to confession more often? I feel like it is wrong to push them, and I’m afraid it would make them harbor ill feelings toward the Church.

 

[edward_george1]

The same way you get them to want to do anything else. Set the example, and instill the habit of going. Take them to confession every month. Be the parent. It isn’t about trying to sell them on something or negotiate. Use your authority as a parent.

 

[macska]

Feel free to ask what you’d like, and I will answer as best I can! And perhaps @InthePew could offer his (name removed by moderator)ut as well; I don’t know if any of our other Fathers posters are still around, but feel free to tag them as you see fit.

Who gives the absolution, the priest, of God? The question is important, because the words “ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, + et Spiritus Sancti” come from the priest’s mouth. But the priest cannot know if the penitent is “really” serious about his repentance, or just utters the proper words. God, of course would know, but the priest does not.

So, if the words from the priest are just “words”, then they don’t really mean anything, there is no “real” absolution. What is the solution for this discrepancy? And if the words of the priest are really meaningless, then what good are they?

 

[edward_george1]

The priest says the words of absolution, and imparts the grace of God in so doing. By virtue of his ordination, the priest has the ability to do this.

I don’t accept your premise that the words don’t mean anything. You’re assuming an awful lot that isn’t true in order to arrive at your “discrepancy.” At the end of the day, if the person confesses their sins, I assume they are contrite and I absolve them. If they weren’t really contrite, God would know that and it wouldn’t really have any effect on them. I do what I’m supposed to do and leave the rest to God.

 

[Gorgias]

the priest cannot know if the penitent is “really” serious about his repentance, or just utters the proper words. God, of course would know, but the priest does not.

So, if the words from the priest are just “words”, then they don’t really mean anything, there is no “real” absolution. What is the solution for this discrepancy?

No discrepancy.

From canon law:

In the sacrament of penance the faithful who confess their sins to a legitimate minister, are sorry for them, and intend to reform themselves obtain from God through the absolution imparted by the same minister forgiveness for the sins they have committed

So, divine forgiveness comes “through the absolution”, when the penitent confesses, is sorry, and intends reform. The words aren’t “just words”; they’re the absolution, which is instrumental to the reception of sacramental grace.

Let’s look at it from another perspective: every sacrament has ‘matter’ and ‘form’. The ‘matter’ of the sacrament of reconciliation includes contrition. The ‘form’ is the prayer of absolution by a valid priest in possession of the faculties to celebrate the sacrament. Devoid of the ‘matter’, the sacrament does not take place. It’s not that the words (i.e., the ‘form’) are ineffective; it’s that the ‘matter’ is not present. The sacrament fails to take place, but not because the form “is meaningless.”

 

[Beryllos]

Who gives the absolution, the priest, [or] God?

The priest does, because Jesus said so. Jesus explicitly granted this authority:

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23)

 

[Anna5]

Do you always know what to say/which advice to give to the penitent? Do you feel that the Holy Spirit gives you the words/clarity about what to say to a particular penitent? Or is it just your own wisdom and experience as a priest?

 

[Anna5]

Can you (sometimes) see people through in confession? For example that God gives you some insight into a penitent life/heart, even if he or she has not disclosed this to you?

 

[Anna5]

How do you experience hearing confessions? Is it just another task among many other important tasks for you or perhaps one of your most or least favourite things about being a priest?

 

[macska]

The priest says the words of absolution, and imparts the grace of God in so doing. By virtue of his ordination, the priest has the ability to do this.

That is fine. So God will follow the words, even if they are not sincere?

I don’t accept your premise that the words don’t mean anything.

You misunderstood me. It was a conditional! IF the penitent is not sincere, what is the effect of the words of absolution?

If they weren’t really contrite, God would know that and it wouldn’t really have any effect on them.

So your words would have no effect in that case?

 

[edward_george1]

So God will follow the words, even if they are not sincere?

Are you talking about the words of the priest or the sincerity of the penitent? It really isn’t clear what you’re getting at.

The Sacrament isn’t that complicated.

Penitent confesses sins.

Priest says words of absolution.

Sins are absolved by the power of God through the act of the priest.

If the priest says the words properly, his intention is presumed and the Sacrament is valid.

If the penitent is at least minimally contrite, the Sacrament is valid and the sins are absolved.

I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but it’s really very simple.

 

[macska]

Are you talking about the words of the priest or the sincerity of the penitent? It really isn’t clear what you’re getting at.

The penitent, of course. Why would anyone doubt the sincerity of the priest?

If the penitent is at least minimally contrite, the Sacrament is valid and the sins are absolved.

What is “minimally contrite”? What if the penitent just says his confession, but is not really contrite? The problem is that the priest does not know it, he assumes that the penitent was sincere and utters the words of absolution. What happens then?