Can Protestants attend confession?

[benjohnson]

sadly how we drag Him down to our miserable , limited , damaged images , and bind Him with rules and regulations .

I can understand your point, but those rules are in place to help ensure that the the church doesn’t do anything harmful.

Yes… as a Lutheran, I think that some Catholic rules are too strict, but that’s why I’m a Lutheran. But, those rules have kept the Catholic on track and from doing harm, and any recent harms that have happened in the Catholic church happened precisely because the rules we’re not being followed.

 

[jlkelly]

I thank all those who have weighed in on this question. I have had the question on my mind for some time. As I watch news and commentary programs, I am often struck by the anger and emotional force put foward on some questions by some commentators. Often they are responding to a measured, logical point offered by someone with whom they disagree. I often feel sorry for some of these otherwise intelligent people and wonder why they act as they do. Then, perhaps too judgementally, it occurs to me that they might be carrying a lot of guilt around - that they have perhaps grave sin and have no way to rid themselves of its effects. Then I begin to wonder what might happen to them if they had a means by which they could be forgiven. Hence I come to the question of a non-Catholic, non-Orthodox person receiving the sacrament of penance.
At those times, I wonder whether the Pope could invite these others to this sacrament. They are certainly in need. There would have to be a few new rubrics for these folks to follow, and paramount would have to be belief in the effacacy of the sacrament. I certainly don’t know whether the Pope could legally make such an invitation or allow one to be made by others.
But if we could make this loving offer, I think that many would respond to it, and the world might be a bit more in tune with God and His Church. Many would be relieved of the terrible burden they are carrying, and many of those would eventually seek greater communion with God’s Church.
Am I just wishing for things that are not possible?

 

[KnightIHSV]

I am thankful to everyone who weighed in on this thread. I have learned a great deal. I have reflected on this and am reasonably sure most of the attendees were Anglicans-Episcopalians, though we did have a couple of Baptists who were discerning RCIA.

I realise that there is a major sacramental issue here and I do not, in anyway downplay it. I also fully grant that it is, in a sense, illogical for Christians who only believe in 2 sacraments to also present for confession and absolution. I will say that war has significant impacts upon people and that the need for forgiveness and Grace was deeply felt.

However, I would make 2 points here which I would differentiate:

(1) if someone in a crisis situation, such as a war zone, believes in the efficacy of Catholic confession and absolution and seeks to avail themselves of it, surely that is enough?

(2) generally, is it not a good thing that Christians (of any kind) would seek to confess their sins and seek absolution for them? If we urge people to repent of their sins and seek forgiveness, how or why would we stop that?

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed.

 

[JRKH]

You make very good points above.

God is merciful

Peace
James