Can we do Confession over the Internet?

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Tetiaroa

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Since counseling, communication and education are now done online with the convenience of internet connectivity, this brought to my attention one of the most important practice of our Catholic faith, and this is Confession.

With the convenience of internet connection, is it possible that a Priest may give confession over the internet?

Likewise, can a Priest use video camera through internet to do confession?
 
No we cannot have confession over the phone or internet, any more than we can distribute communion through the mail or baptise people over the internet.

The sacraments (with one VERY rarely used exception in regards marriage by proxy) MUST be administered by personal contact between minister and recepient - including confession. Not by electronic communication.

Confession is not a mere counselling session, and not to be viewed as such, but instead an imparting of God’s grace

Imagine the security nightmare of such a situation if nothing else. Phone calls and internet links can easily be tapped into, so there is no possibility of guaranteeing the secrecy and seal of the confessional.

No priest would consent to such a thing, neither would any penitent who was aware of the risks.
 
Tetiaroa said:
Since counseling, communication and education are now done online with the convenience of internet connectivity, this brought to my attention one of the most important practice of our Catholic faith, and this is Confession.

With the convenience of internet connection, is it possible that a Priest may give confession over the internet?

Likewise, can a Priest use video camera through internet to do confession?
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no
 
No can do.

Though when I was thinking about returning to the sacraments several years ago, that was an option I looked for. I was pretty disappointed that I was going to have to show up and confess my sins in person; it would have been a lot less painful to just email a list in and check my inbox for absolution. However, that in-person confession turned out to be a wonderful experience and a turning point in my life - something that could never have been accomplished by email, phone or letter. There is a lot of Wisdom in the way the Church does things.
 
acadian said:
No can do.

Though when I was thinking about returning to the sacraments several years ago, that was an option I looked for. I was pretty disappointed that I was going to have to show up and confess my sins in person; it would have been a lot less painful to just email a list in and check my inbox for absolution. However, that in-person confession turned out to be a wonderful experience and a turning point in my life - something that could never have been accomplished by email, phone or letter. There is a lot of Wisdom in the way the Church does things.
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I identify with the above poster. I returned to church after a lengthy absence and put off going to confession for months. I looked in to on-line confession - not an option. I made an appointment with one of the parish priests and turned out to be a wonderful experience.
 
Tetiaroa said:
Since counseling, communication and education are now done online with the convenience of internet connectivity, this brought to my attention one of the most important practice of our Catholic faith, and this is Confession.

With the convenience of internet connection, is it possible that a Priest may give confession over the internet?

Likewise, can a Priest use video camera through internet to do confession?
Click to expand...
NO. The reason is that the Confession is supposed to be done in person (because the idea behind it is that we are coming to the Throne of Justice and meeting with Jesus face-to-face in the person of the priest), and also, on the practical side of things, because of the fact that anybody can intercept distance-communications - you would have absolutely no privacy. Keep in mind that at least three teen-age boys can potentially read your e-mail when they are passing it through their server routers, before it arrives to its intended recipient.
 
Thank you for all the (name removed by moderator)uts.

How about in the case of grave necessity where the Priest is on his way to a dying Catholic who needs confession? Example: the Priest on his way but his car broke down on an isolated drive way. His only means of communication is his cellular or mobile phone.

How would you guys go about with this situation? As a Priest, should he stick to the formula or should he think of the person’s soul?

What you guys suggest the Priest would do?
 
Tetiaroa said:
But he’s the only Priest in that remote area!!

What would he do?
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If he were the only priest in the area and a dying person needed the Eucharist your priest couldn’t FedEx *that *to them. Neither could he tell them over the phone to grab a piece of bread from their pantry and say the blessing over it. Such would NOT be the Eucharist.

If the person dies without confession, or without the Eucharist, God will most certainly take into account that it was not through their own doing or their own desire that they died that way.

It’s not a matter of ‘obeying rules’ or not thinking about the person’s soul, it’s a matter of the simple impossibility of having a valid sacrament happen if absolution is attempted over the phone.

Ever heard of Perfect Contrition? A person who, being unable to go to confession, dies in a state of perfect contrition (motivated by love of God) will be saved, although perfect contrition includes a resolve to go to confession if/when it becomes possible. So of course the priest would counsel the person, pray with them for the God-given grace of perfect contrition. But they will not, because they cannot, offer absolution.

Imagine a dying woman whose greatest wish is to marry her own son. Even if a priest, in mistaken charity, should perform the words of the ceremony, be assured that no valid marriage would be taking place. Because it is simply IMPOSSIBLE for a valid marriage to happen between a woman and her son! It is equally impossible for absolution to happen over the phone.

It is more cruel to give a dying person the delusion of a valid and effectual absolution (or marriage) when none has taken place than to be honest, surely.
 
LilyM said:
If he were the only priest in the area and a dying person needed the Eucharist your priest couldn’t FedEx *that *to them. Neither could he tell them over the phone to grab a piece of bread from their pantry and say the blessing over it. Such would NOT be the Eucharist.

If the person dies without confession, or without the Eucharist, God will most certainly take into account that it was not through their own doing or their own desire that they died that way.

It’s not a matter of ‘obeying rules’ or not thinking about the person’s soul, it’s a matter of the simple impossibility of having a valid sacrament happen if absolution is attempted over the phone.

Ever heard of Perfect Contrition? A person who, being unable to go to confession, dies in a state of perfect contrition (motivated by love of God) will be saved, although perfect contrition includes a resolve to go to confession if/when it becomes possible. So of course the priest would counsel the person, pray with them for the God-given grace of perfect contrition. But they will not, because they cannot, offer absolution.

Imagine a dying woman whose greatest wish is to marry her own son. Even if a priest, in mistaken charity, should perform the words of the ceremony, be assured that no valid marriage would be taking place. Because it is simply IMPOSSIBLE for a valid marriage to happen between a woman and her son! It is equally impossible for absolution to happen over the phone.

It is more cruel to give a dying person the delusion of a valid and effectual absolution (or marriage) when none has taken place than to be honest, surely.
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The question here is not concerning the Eucharist nor concerning marriage. It is concerning confession.

But the problem may have been resolved with what you mentioned “the Perfect Contrition”.
However, this would bring up another problem. Since a person might be saved through Perfect contrition, would the Protestants be justified by saying that since they don’t have access to a Priest for confession, especially in a remotely Protestant neighborhood, can they die in a state of perfect contrition and be saved?
 
Perfect contrition is not to be relied upon in the same manner as the Sacraments, because it’s not ordinary, it’s extraordinary contrition, a grace given specially. Saying Protestants can “use” it in that fashion is like saying a person can kill someone because “I’ll repent it later.” If one is not repentant NOW, one can’t be assured of repentance LATER, since one cannot know the future.

Addendum: Picture you’re that Protestant (when he is a Protestant) in that neighborhood. You wouldn’t say to yourself “Before I die, I will come to know that I’m wrong, and repent perfectly.” If you said that you already know in some way that you are in error, and not making the greatest haste to be reunited with the Church is a sign of, at best, imperfect contrition.
 
Tetiaroa said:
Thank you for all the (name removed by moderator)uts.

How about in the case of grave necessity where the Priest is on his way to a dying Catholic who needs confession? Example: the Priest on his way but his car broke down on an isolated drive way. His only means of communication is his cellular or mobile phone.

How would you guys go about with this situation? As a Priest, should he stick to the formula or should he think of the person’s soul?

What you guys suggest the Priest would do?
Click to expand...
If a medical doctor is on the way and his car breaks down the person dies. There is no online emergency help and there is no online confession. Seems pretty obvious to me…teachccd
 
teachccd said:
If a medical doctor is on the way and his car breaks down the person dies. There is no online emergency help and there is no online confession. Seems pretty obvious to me…teachccd
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It’s a different story with the case of a doctor. That Doctor could at least call that person and advice what to do over his cellular/mobile phone! Who knows he might be cured miraculously or his condition maybe prolonged by doing what the doctor advises over the phone. It’s different with confession because it’s dealing with the soul (invisible) of a human being. No advise nor communication over the phone can absolve the sins of that soul.
 
The chief exorcist at the Vatican in his book An Exorcist Tells His Story says that he can perform exorcisms over the phone. So I think that God’s power can flow through on a video chat. God’s power is infinite, and He says that what priests bind on Earth stays bound in heaven and what is released on Earth is released in heaven.
 
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