Can Protestants attend confession?

[KnightIHSV]

Greetings. When I was serving in Iraq a few years ago, I was a Lector in our base’s Catholic Chapel and otherwise did my best to assist our Chaplains by encouraging Catholics deployed over there to attend our Masses and services.

One of the most important services was regular confession. I had a number of Protestants (high Anglicans especially from the British forces) who asked if they could attend confession. I said yes as I assumed that, despite confessional differences, a full and honest confession by any baptised Christian of their sins would/should result in forgiveness and absolution.

However, I am now wondering if this was right. Do you need to be a Catholic to make a valid confession?

Can anyone shed light on this question?

Thank you to any who can help on this question.

 

[anon1234567]

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=19886

 

[YoungTradCath]

You must be Catholic to go to confession and receive absolution.

Normally, with full knowledge and consent it would seem that what you did would be a mortal sin. However, I don’t think you are culpable for it since you didn’t have full knowledge and didn’t give full consent.

You’re fine.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Greetings. When I was serving in Iraq a few years ago, I was a Lector in our base’s Catholic Chapel and otherwise did my best to assist our Chaplains by encouraging Catholics deployed over there to attend our Masses and services.

One of the most important services was regular confession. I had a number of Protestants (high Anglicans especially from the British forces) who asked if they could attend confession. I said yes as I assumed that, despite confessional differences, a full and honest confession by any baptised Christian of their sins would/should result in forgiveness and absolution.

However, I am now wondering if this was right. Do you need to be a Catholic to make a valid confession?

Can anyone shed light on this question?

Thank you to any who can help on this question.

I would also assume that the priest (chaplain) would have been told at the time, that they weren’t Catholic, and it would be up to him whether their sins were absolved. I have a feeling that some of the normal rules are relaxed in the field of battle. It’s just a feeling, I have no personal knowledge. You probably should have just said, “Go and talk to the chaplain about it, he’s the one who will know.”

 

[constantconvert]

You can go to confession if you’re protestant, you just can’t receive absolution.

 

[Neofight]

You must be Catholic to go to confession and receive absolution.

Normally, with full knowledge and consent it would seem that what you did would be a mortal sin. However, I don’t think you are culpable for it since you didn’t have full knowledge and didn’t give full consent.

You’re fine.

Dogma can be very confusing.

Certainly non Catholics normally cannot participate in sacraments.

However, by claiming one must be Catholic to go to confession and to receive absolution almost dooms all non catholic Christians to hell because of the likelihood of dying in mortal sin. Current church policy is not to assume all non Catholics are condemned. Another issue with that assumption is we might unintentionally leading Protestant brothers and sisters into the sin of dispair, and leading others into sin threatens our condition of grace.

Thankfully, God is more forgiving and merciful than man!

Pax

 

[Stylites]

Dogma can be very confusing.

Certainly non Catholics normally cannot participate in sacraments.

However, by claiming one must be Catholic to go to confession and to receive absolution almost dooms all non catholic Christians to hell because of the likelihood of dying in mortal sin. Current church policy is not to assume all non Catholics are condemned. Another issue with that assumption is we might unintentionally leading Protestant brothers and sisters into the sin of dispair, and leading others into sin threatens our condition of grace.

Thankfully, God is more forgiving and merciful than man!

Pax

Of course in matters of grace, God is not bound by the Sacraments, only Catholics are.

 

[JRKH]

I agree with the others that what you did was OK. Certainly if there were problems the Chaplain would have mentioned it.

First and foremost, I agree with the idea that in a war zone certain rules could be relaxed.

Plus - military chaplains are trained to work with many faith traditions and to be sensitive to all. So if an Anglican came to confession, the chaplain would be able to properly understand and deal with it. Even is the person did not say they were Anglican he would probably know it as I understand the Anglican method of confession is different than the Catholic.

One of the key things that I noted in your post was this:
“despite confessional differences, a full and honest confession by any baptized Christian of their sins would/should result in forgiveness and absolution.”
You are absolutely correct. A full and honest confession would result in forgiveness - regardless of whether the priest was able to grant formal absolution.

That said, it might be interesting, if you have the opportunity, to ask a Catholic Chaplain directly about this.

Peace
James

 

[YoungTradCath]

Dogma can be very confusing.

Certainly non Catholics normally cannot participate in sacraments.

However, by claiming one must be Catholic to go to confession and to receive absolution almost dooms all non catholic Christians to hell because of the likelihood of dying in mortal sin. Current church policy is not to assume all non Catholics are condemned. Another issue with that assumption is we might unintentionally leading Protestant brothers and sisters into the sin of dispair, and leading others into sin threatens our condition of grace.

Thankfully, God is more forgiving and merciful than man!

Pax

I don’t understand how this relates to my post. Certainly Eastern Orthodox people may under circumstances declared in the Code of Canon Law receive certain of the sacraments from Catholic sources.

Otherwise I don’t understand how this is a rebuttal of what I said. Protestants and non-Christians cannot go to confession.

Where did I ever place a limit on God’s forgiveness or mercy? I just said non-Catholics (and okay, non-Orthodox) cannot go to confession. “Going to confession” naturally means, in practically every circumstance in the Catholic sphere, to confess one’s sins and receive absolution. Certainly there is nothing wrong at all with a non-Catholic non-Orthodox person telling a priest his/her sins and asking for advice, but then this likely wouldn’t be called “going to confession” in the normal Catholic sense of that phrase.

And that’s not to say that a non-Catholic non-Orthodox Christian, or non-Christian, can’t receive forgiveness. They certainly can.

But in any case, if a person is not a Catholic or Orthodox or not of any religion considered in the same boat as the Orthodox by the Church, it should be mentioned to the priest.

 

[Jim_Dandy]

You can go to confession if you’re protestant, you just can’t receive absolution.

This is correct, assuming the person is not in danger of death. The priest should be informed of the circumstances at the beginning of the Confession.

Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone, without prejudice to the prescripts of §§2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and ⇒ can. 861, §2.

§2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid.

§3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed. This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.

§4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

 

[JRKH]

A thread has been started here concerning non-catholics and confession in the military and particularly in a war zone…
Mostly we are muddling around among our (civilian) selves but would really appreciate some (name removed by moderator)ut from someone with training/experience…

Peace
James

 

[JRKH]

In order to possibly get more direct information, I took it upon myself to post a quick thread directed at any military chaplains (Catholic or not) who might post here.

Peace
James

 

[Neofight]

I don’t understand how this relates to my post. Certainly Eastern Orthodox people may under circumstances declared in the Code of Canon Law receive certain of the sacraments from Catholic sources.

Otherwise I don’t understand how this is a rebuttal of what I said. Protestants and non-Christians cannot go to confession.

Where did I ever place a limit on God’s forgiveness or mercy? I just said non-Catholics (and okay, non-Orthodox) cannot go to confession. “Going to confession” naturally means, in practically every circumstance in the Catholic sphere, to confess one’s sins and receive absolution. Certainly there is nothing wrong at all with a non-Catholic non-Orthodox person telling a priest his/her sins and asking for advice, but then this likely wouldn’t be called “going to confession” in the normal Catholic sense of that phrase.

And that’s not to say that a non-Catholic non-Orthodox Christian, or non-Christian, can’t receive forgiveness. They certainly can.

But in any case, if a person is not a Catholic or Orthodox or not of any religion considered in the same boat as the Orthodox by the Church, it should be mentioned to the priest.

It relates to your first line where saying only Catholics can gain absolution, because absolution implies forgiveness, hence it leads on to believe God only forgives Catholics.

But thanks. now for your clarifation. I now understand you offered your comments in charity and were not implying only Catholics receive grace and full forgiveness of sins, with or without sacraments.

 

[Stylites]

§4.If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

Thanks for quoting from authority which counters uninformed opinions on this thread.

 

[Marchmain1987]

This was my understanding from RCIA:

A Roman Catholic priest would not (and could not) give “formal absolution.”

But most priests would allow those who were not Catholic go through their sins and speak with him about them. Essentially, to help them with perfect contrition, etc. Unless they were in danger of death, etc.

 

[JRKH]

If I may offer…
Perhaps we should clarify what we mean by “attending confession”.

Certainly there is nothing to prevent a protestant from going to a priest and speaking to him about things troubling him…even confessing sins. If this happens during the time when the priest is hearing confessions…Well that may simply be the best time for this person to catch the priest…

Can a Protestant “go to confession” - sure…Can he fully participate in the Sacrament? No since the priest cannot give absolution. Can he gain forgiveness of sins and graces from the act? Yes. Just as he would if he confessed his sins to God lying in his bunk or foxhole.
The idea of the protestant going into the confessional would be no different, in my mind, from a Protestant attending a mass but being unable to go to communion.

Just my opinion

Peace
James

 

[KnightIHSV]

Thank you very much.

I wish to reinforce that almost all of those non-Catholics wanting to confess were high Anglicans (Episcopalians) and that I have since found that in the British high Anglican churches, there is a form of confession and absolution. However I do not think it is a penitent confessing to a priest.

I seem to have erred in the canonical sense.

 

[mamaslo]

Greetings. When I was serving in Iraq a few years ago, I was a Lector in our base’s Catholic Chapel and otherwise did my best to assist our Chaplains by encouraging Catholics deployed over there to attend our Masses and services.

One of the most important services was regular confession. I had a number of Protestants (high Anglicans especially from the British forces) who asked if they could attend confession. I said yes as I assumed that, despite confessional differences, a full and honest confession by any baptised Christian of their sins would/should result in forgiveness and absolution.

However, I am now wondering if this was right. Do you need to be a Catholic to make a valid confession?

Can anyone shed light on this question?

Thank you to any who can help on this question.

On my journey home via the Episcopalian/Anglican church I discovered that while it is not used very often, their own priests are available for their version of confession. I went once or twice on the way back.

 

[DhuAlQarnayn]

Thank you very much.

I wish to reinforce that almost all of those non-Catholics wanting to confess were high Anglicans (Episcopalians) and that I have since found that in the British high Anglican churches, there is a form of confession and absolution. However I do not think it is a penitent confessing to a priest.

I seem to have erred in the canonical sense.

All Anglican/Episcopalian priests, whether Anglo-Catholic, Evangelical, liberal or somewhere in the middle, are trained to take confession and are available for this purpose. Some parishes use it more than others, as confession to a priest is not considered the only method of receiving absolution in the Anglican tradition. The form of the sacrament is slightly different from the Catholic form.

As to whether non-Catholics can go to (Catholic) confession, of course they can. They cannot receive the formal sacrament of absolution from the priest unless they are in imminent danger of death (my guess is the chaplains in an active war zone make frequent use of that last provision), but there is nothing wrong with them speaking with the chaplain about their sins.

 

[arkwright]

However, by claiming one must be Catholic to go to confession and to receive absolution almost dooms all non catholic Christians to hell because of the likelihood of dying in mortal sin.

What sort of God would do that ?

The mercy of God is unfathomable , and surely cannot be boxed in as though God were just some sort of superhuman person .

God is the One revealed by Jesus Christ , but sadly how we drag Him down to our miserable , limited , damaged images , and bind Him with rules and regulations .