Confession by Internet

[Mom_of_5]

I just read an article on the internet that a priest is giving absolution VIA the internet. Are these confessions considered valid? Can someone go to confession by telephone? I am not against it since it may bring people back into the church who are afraid to go to confession directly to their priest. On the other hand, it seems quite cold and impersonal. Thoughts anyone?

Love and peace,
Mom of 5

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

You have to receive the sacraments in person. Thus there is no absolution by e-mail or telephone. Similarly, watching Mass on TV is a nice thing for shut-ins, but it doesn’t fulfill one’s obligation to attend Mass. (If someone is unable to attend due to illness then there is no obligation.)

 

[jackneal]

Yoga classes assist in improving digestion system.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I just read an article on the internet that a priest is giving absolution VIA the internet. Are these confessions considered valid? Can someone go to confession by telephone? I am not against it since it may bring people back into the church who are afraid to go to confession directly to their priest. On the other hand, it seems quite cold and impersonal. Thoughts anyone?

Love and peace,
Mom of 5

No, no and no!
Oops there was only two questions,

 

[dashso40]

I’ve asked this question to a few priests and they all say that one needs to confess in person.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Even easier, put your hand on your monitor and I’ll absolve you. Just send me your credit card number …

I find it hard to believe there is a real priest offering to absolve over the internet.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Even easier, put your hand on your monitor and I’ll absolve you. Just send me your credit card number …

I find it hard to believe there is a real priest offering to absolve over the internet.

He is not an active Catholic priest or won’t be for very much longer.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

I just read an article on the internet that a priest is giving absolution VIA the internet. Are these confessions considered valid? Can someone go to confession by telephone? I am not against it since it may bring people back into the church who are afraid to go to confession directly to their priest. On the other hand, it seems quite cold and impersonal. Thoughts anyone?

Love and peace,
Mom of 5

All sacraments have to be administered in person.

 

[Sarabande]

I just read an article on the internet that a priest is giving absolution VIA the internet. Are these confessions considered valid? Can someone go to confession by telephone? I am not against it since it may bring people back into the church who are afraid to go to confession directly to their priest. On the other hand, it seems quite cold and impersonal. Thoughts anyone?

Love and peace,
Mom of 5

I read about a similar situation in Philadelphia, where a priest from the Antioch church was doing it. He’s been in some trouble with the Archdiocese and Catholic priests there. The columnist is Catholic, but she is totally in favor of this guy and his church.

philly.com/philly/blogs/what_happened/Confess_sins_hit_send.html

Here’s the article about the trouble he’s been in:

I also know enough about the archbishop there to know that since he’s been there the archdiocese has become more traditional and less liberal in certain aspects. He may have asked this priest to help celebrate the funeral mass of the police officer since he had ministered to the officer’s family at the hospital, but I doubt he approves of what this priest has been doing at his own church.
philly.com/philly/blogs/what_happened/33924309.html

reform-network.net/?m=20081023

 

[Claire_from_DE]

All sacraments have to be administered in person.

I believe I was told in Catholic school that one could be married by proxy. If the ministers of the sacrament are the couple, how could this be? Has anyone else heard of this?

 

[Sarabande]

I believe I was told in Catholic school that one could be married by proxy. If the ministers of the sacrament are the couple, how could this be? Has anyone else heard of this?

I don’t know if this still happens today, but it happened a lot in the past. This usually occurred among royalty and nobility in Europe. Usually, the parents would contract a marriage between their children. When everything is approved regarding dowry, title, lands, etc. they would sometimes have a marriage by proxy. A proxy from the king or nobleman would be sent to the other country or region to legally have the children married and signatures made on the contract. Then the one child, usually the daughter, would be sent to her new home and then another marriage would take place with both together.

One particular was the marriage between Marie Antoinette and Louis the XVI. They were married by proxy first as well. Since she lived in the Holy Roman Empire and was the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, she was in her country when the proxy marriage took place. After her journey to France, they had the royal nuptial mass between she and Louis XVI (although just the dauphin at that point) together.

So, it was apparently permitted in the past. Whether or not the Church allows it today is another question. I have no clue.

 

[withwind]

I just read an article on the internet that a priest is giving absolution VIA the internet. Are these confessions considered valid? Can someone go to confession by telephone? I am not against it since it may bring people back into the church who are afraid to go to confession directly to their priest. On the other hand, it seems quite cold and impersonal. Thoughts anyone?

Love and peace,
Mom of 5

The answer is no. If you read the same article which I posted in the Non-catholic forum, then this “priest” is not from our Catholic faith.

 

[Seatuck]

No this is not valid.

Virtual reality is no substitute for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacramental reality of the other sacraments, and shared worship in a flesh-and-blood human community. There are no sacraments on the Internet;

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_20020228_church-internet_en.html

 

[kristie_m]

Even easier, put your hand on your monitor and I’ll absolve you. Just send me your credit card number …

 

[Brendan]

I believe I was told in Catholic school that one could be married by proxy. If the ministers of the sacrament are the couple, how could this be? Has anyone else heard of this?

Canon 1104 and 1005

Can. 1104 §1. To contract a marriage validly the contracting parties must be present together, either in person or by proxy.

§2. Those being married are to express matrimonial consent in words or, if they cannot speak, through equivalent signs.

Can. 1105 §1. To enter into a marriage validly by proxy it is required that:

1/ there is a special mandate to contract with a specific person;

2/ the proxy is designated by the one mandating and fulfills this function personally.

§2. To be valid the mandate must be signed by the one mandating and by the pastor or ordinary of the place where the mandate is given, or by a priest delegated by either of them, or at least by two witnesses, or it must be made by means of a document which is authentic according to the norm of civil law.

§3. If the one mandating cannot write, this is to be noted in the mandate itself and another witness is to be added who also signs the document; otherwise, the mandate is invalid.

§4. If the one mandating revokes the mandate or develops amentia before the proxy contracts in his or her name, the marriage is invalid even if the proxy or the other contracting party does not know this.

The couple administer the sacrament by their intent and their promise to each other, both of those can be articulated via proxy.

 

[FrDavid96]

I just read an article on the internet that a priest is giving absolution VIA the internet. Are these confessions considered valid? Can someone go to confession by telephone? I am not against it since it may bring people back into the church who are afraid to go to confession directly to their priest. On the other hand, it seems quite cold and impersonal. Thoughts anyone?

Love and peace,
Mom of 5

Confession over the internet? No problem!

Absolution over the internet? No possibility!

 

[wapsi]

I read about a similar situation in Philadelphia, where a priest from the Antioch church was doing it. He’s been in some trouble with the Archdiocese and Catholic priests there. The columnist is Catholic, but she is totally in favor of this guy and his church.

philly.com/philly/blogs/what_happened/Confess_sins_hit_send.html

Yes, we need to remember that when a church or priest claims to be Catholic, it doesn’t mean Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic. There are quite a few nouveau-Catholic churches and denominations which claim to have valid orders and sacraments, but which don’t. And often their teachings are at odds with the Catholic Church.

 

[Sarabande]

Yes, we need to remember that when a church or priest claims to be Catholic, it doesn’t mean Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic. There are quite a few nouveau-Catholic churches and denominations which claim to have valid orders and sacraments, but which don’t. And often their teachings are at odds with the Catholic Church.

And the sad thing is, there are Catholics who are sucked into it. That is what happened with this particular church.