Can one go to confession by e-mail?

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sistermouse

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I know this may sound stupid, but with the hi-tech world we live in, could I recieve confession by e-mail or by phone?? Could I fill my Sabbath obligation by watching Mass on EWTN?? I am in such a bad situation, I know I could never “get away” to go to confession without lying about where I was going. I am married to a man whose parents are Pentacostal preachers. We live on their property. I don’t come and go without detection. To further complicate matters, I am “coming back” after over 35 years and fear my confession will be very long. Thanks you for your time.
 
Sorry, all sacraments are personal and have to be done in person.

You need to somehow make an appointment with a priest or meet with one after Mass.

Your confession, even after 35 years, might really not take all that long.

You didn’t elaborate on your marriage situation, but if you have trouble “getting away” to do things on your own, you may need some other kinds of advice as well.
 
Confession cannot be over the phone and a televised Mass does not fulfill your Sunday obligation. Why do you feel that you need to hide your faith from your family?
 
Sacraments, including the Mass and Confession, need to be received in person, so no long-distance technological ways out for you, I’m afraid.

You may not need to lie about where you’re going - if you can, make a legitimate appointment somewhere else, before or after confession, and tell the family about that appointment - it’s true, after all. Could you maybe visit with a friend who could help you out by providing an alibi?

If you have enough freedom at home to watch Mass on TV or what have you, could you possibly ask your priest to come to your home (or to the home of said trusted friend) to give you confession and/or Holy Communion?
 
We live in an area that is about 98% Protestant,mostly Baptist and various Pentecostal denominations.I know a lot of these churches have been taught lies about Catholics.Please find some way of recieving the sacraments(without lying).You and your family will be in my prayers.
 
As other have stated before me, the answer is no. You need to do this in person.

Though your question did raise thoughts in my mind and made me take it a step further. What if you could somehow schedule a webcam video conference with the priest? Would this ALMOST count? You can both see and hear each other in real time, as if you were physically there. God could, if He wanted, transmit the blessings and forgiveness through the computer, through internet, or just instantly upon you, even though you’re physically in a seat in your home rather than a confessional booth.

Although, this quickly falls apart when we realize the one element that’s missing and makes all the difference: the blessing of being in the church itself, in God’s house, and directly in His presence in the form of the Tabernacle, which you can then go sit near to do your penance (if it was prayers) and receive even more blessings.
 
The_Otaku said:
As other have stated before me, the answer is no. You need to do this in person.

Though your question did raise thoughts in my mind and made me take it a step further. What if you could somehow schedule a webcam video conference with the priest? Would this ALMOST count? You can both see and hear each other in real time, as if you were physically there. God could, if He wanted, transmit the blessings and forgiveness through the computer, through internet, or just instantly upon you, even though you’re physically in a seat in your home rather than a confessional booth.

Although, this quickly falls apart when we realize the one element that’s missing and makes all the difference: the blessing of being in the church itself, in God’s house, and directly in His presence in the form of the Tabernacle, which you can then go sit near to do your penance (if it was prayers) and receive even more blessings.
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No I don’t think the above method would be allowed. All this technology is wonderful but it does not preserve the element of privacy to ensure the “seal of the confessional” .
 
I’ve thought of something.

Perhaps you can e-mail your sins to the closest priest you have access to. And he can e-mail any spiritual advice he has to offer back. Very shortly after, you can nip out of your home, go the priest and get your absolution, do your penance and come right home. That way, you didn’t take too much time, you were there in person for the most important part and the suspicion will be lessened.
 
Reynardus said:
I’ve thought of something.

Perhaps you can e-mail your sins to the closest priest you have access to. And he can e-mail any spiritual advice he has to offer back. Very shortly after, you can nip out of your home, go the priest and get your absolution, do your penance and come right home. That way, you didn’t take too much time, you were there in person for the most important part and the suspicion will be lessened.
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If memory serves, you’ve got to confess your sins by mouth (unless, say, you had no power of speech or something such that it was physically impossible). So it wouldn’t save much time.
 
Sistermouse, are you able to drive yourself, or are you dependent on others for transportation?

If you can drive yourself, I see no reason why your family members could prohibit you from going to confession and/or Mass. If they try to physically restrain you, that is illegal (not to mention unChristian!) and you can call 911.

If you are dependent on others for your transportation, give your parish a call. Perhaps Father or someone else could give you a ride to/from the church.

I would recommend that you purchase a copy of “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” by David Currie. It will help you answer your relatives’ complaints against the Church. 🙂

Blessings to you!
 
sistermouse said:
I know this may sound stupid, but with the hi-tech world we live in, could I recieve confession by e-mail or by phone?? Could I fill my Sabbath obligation by watching Mass on EWTN?? I am in such a bad situation, I know I could never “get away” to go to confession without lying about where I was going. I am married to a man whose parents are Pentacostal preachers. We live on their property. I don’t come and go without detection. To further complicate matters, I am “coming back” after over 35 years and fear my confession will be very long. Thanks you for your time.
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FWIW: the Sabbath is the seventh day in the Jewish week, as in the OT. We are Christians & not Jews, & worship a Christ Who rose from the dead on Sunday; not on the day before, which is the Sabbath 🙂 Even though some Christians insist on the (entirely un-Biblical) habit of calling Sunday the Sabbath; it ain’t any such thing. 😃
 
Well said Gottle of Geer! I have heard this a lot too.
Gottle_of_Geer said:
FWIW: the Sabbath is the seventh day in the Jewish week, as in the OT. We are Christians & not Jews, & worship a Christ Who rose from the dead on Sunday; not on the day before, which is the Sabbath 🙂 Even though some Christians insist on the (entirely un-Biblical) habit of calling Sunday the Sabbath; it ain’t any such thing. 😃
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sistermouse said:
I know this may sound stupid, but with the hi-tech world we live in, could I recieve confession by e-mail or by phone?? Could I fill my Sabbath obligation by watching Mass on EWTN?? I am in such a bad situation, I know I could never “get away” to go to confession without lying about where I was going. I am married to a man whose parents are Pentacostal preachers. We live on their property. I don’t come and go without detection. To further complicate matters, I am “coming back” after over 35 years and fear my confession will be very long. Thanks you for your time.
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Wow if you are fearing “detection” it looks to me like you are in an abusive situation. Are you being abused? Emotionally? Do you feel “captive”?

If your in-laws are true and loving people then they will support you in your journey. If they do not…then they are not worth worrying about.

You are not being held against your will are you?

Christ gives us all crosses to bear. Yours sounds terribly heavy at the time. However there is but one church. You need to act.

If you have a husband who TRUELY loves you then he will support you in your life and personal decisions.

I will pray for you.
 
I am not abused, my husband doesn’t even yell…BUT I live here with him and so does my special needs son. The grandkids love him very much. He is the only grandfather they have known as my first husband died in 1992. My son, age 27 died in 2005 and his little boy stays here over half the time. He is my husband’s shadow. My marriage isn’t loveless, there just isn’t any love in it. I’m 52, disabled, and I don’t see any way to start over on my own. Besides breaking my kids and my grandchildren’s heart, I don’t want to break my husband’s heart either.
The problem I have with openly coming back to my faith and God’s Church is the Apostalic/Pennticostal faith that I married into. My in-laws are both preachers and have their own church which I am bullied into attending…I even got baptized into their faith in a nearby creek to appease them. I have never seen such prejudice before in my life. I don’t know if it is all churches in this denomination or not, but I would be better recieved if I just told them I didn’t believe in God. They REALLY hate Catholics and they feel like every Catholic is bound for hell. They control things around here. I got the local priest’s e-mail address and I am going to talk to him that way. Then I will just pray for strength to stand up.
If I do loose the “marriage”, at least I can come back to the church. (I am my husband’s 3rd wife so I can’t “come back” completely) Please pray for me
 
I will pray for you.

You have the choice to be the appeasing victim

Or you have the choice to cease being the appeasing victim.

If I were giving advice or counseling to someone who tells a story like yours I would tell them that they were being emotionally abused by being in a captive relationship.

Being in an abusive relationship often does not involve any yelling or physical threats. If you in-laws are that controlling then they are abusive too. Abusers prmary motive is control…sounds like they are pretty effective in controlling you.
 
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