Confession for non-Catholic?

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A Presbyterian friend told me he liked the idea of going to confession and wondered if he could, to a Catholic priest. Can he?
 
Hokomai said:
A Presbyterian friend told me he liked the idea of going to confession and wondered if he could, to a Catholic priest. Can he?
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He can go to confession, but he cannot receive absolution.

-Prophesy
 
Who says a non-Catholic cannot receive absolution? Who would know what goes on in the confessional, whether the priest said the prayer and absolved the individual and the individual believed it? Cite you references.🙂
 
Most Protestants don’t seem to like the idea of going through a priest to have their sins forgiven. Have you fully explained to your friend how this sacrament works? If you have, and he/she still wants to go to Confession, then he/she may be a potential Catholic in the making. Maybe you could suggest RCIA to your friend?
 
jgeleney said:
Who says a non-Catholic cannot receive absolution? Who would know what goes on in the confessional, whether the priest said the prayer and absolved the individual and the individual believed it? Cite you references.🙂
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A Protestant cannot receive absolution for the same reason that they cannot receive the Eucharist. Confession in this manner is more like council than the Sacrament.

-Prophesy
 
jgeleney said:
Who says a non-Catholic cannot receive absolution? Who would know what goes on in the confessional, whether the priest said the prayer and absolved the individual and the individual believed it? Cite you references.🙂
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I believe it’s permitted in cases of extremis but why not go to the source itself? I’m just another poster on the innerweb.

Normally, Confession is a Sacrament and, unlike a sacramental, such as Holy Water, is not licit for those not in full standing with the Church. At least that’s my belief.
 
Prophesy said:
A Protestant cannot receive absolution for the same reason that they cannot receive the Eucharist. Confession in this manner is more like council than the Sacrament.

-Prophesy
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Aha! To receive the sacraments in the Catholic Church you have to confess that you believe in what the Catholic Church stands for, that is everything that is in the Creed.
If he believes that Christ is talking to him through the person of the priest, that is, that the priest is acting in “persona Christi”, then he should consider becoming a catholic.

In This Rock, Vol 19 N 7 the apologist answers something similar:
Q: I am a Protestant overwhelmed by the guilt of sin. Is it permissible for me to confess my sins to a priest? I think that I would stay more focused on staying closer to the Lord if I were accountable to a mature Christian.

A: Catholics do not primarily go to confession to stay focused, though the sacrament can help in this way. We go to confession because we believe that our sins are absolutely forgiven by Christ’s absolution given through the ministry of the priest. When Jesus breathed on his apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John 20:22-24), we believe that he literally meant that. If you believe this also, then perhaps you need to be a Catholic. To believe that a Catholic priest has the power to forgive sin when one’s own minister does not suggests that one is acknowledging some faith in the Catholic Church. Maybe you are closer to becoming one than you think. As it stands, one must hold the teachings of the Catholic Church to partake of its sacraments.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa

I hope this helps.
 
mariamar said:
Aha! To receive the sacraments in the Catholic Church you have to confess that you believe in what the Catholic Church stands for, that is everything that is in the Creed.
If he believes that Christ is talking to him through the person of the priest, that is, that the priest is acting in “persona Christi”, then he should consider becoming a catholic.

In This Rock, Vol 19 N 7 the apologist answers something similar:
Q: I am a Protestant overwhelmed by the guilt of sin. Is it permissible for me to confess my sins to a priest? I think that I would stay more focused on staying closer to the Lord if I were accountable to a mature Christian.

A: Catholics do not primarily go to confession to stay focused, though the sacrament can help in this way. We go to confession because we believe that our sins are absolutely forgiven by Christ’s absolution given through the ministry of the priest. When Jesus breathed on his apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John 20:22-24), we believe that he literally meant that. If you believe this also, then perhaps you need to be a Catholic. To believe that a Catholic priest has the power to forgive sin when one’s own minister does not suggests that one is acknowledging some faith in the Catholic Church. Maybe you are closer to becoming one than you think. As it stands, one must hold the teachings of the Catholic Church to partake of its sacraments.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa

I hope this helps.
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I’m just tacitly assuming that we’re talking about a Protestant going to confession (of which the answer is yes, but with no absolution).
If the Protestant accepts other Catholic teachings, or wishes to become Catholic, that is another matter (and hopefully that is the case as such). But my original post was to answer the OP’s question.

-Prophesy
 
At least one Protestant ecclesial community (there’s only one Church) in my city feels it necessary to offer “confession.” The people confess to one another in private sessions. There is no absolution, of course. I’d be doggone careful what I confessed, if I were to tell my sins to anyone not a priest under the seal of confession and with the grace of Holy Orders.

As human beings, we need confession. That’s why our Lord instituted this sacrament.

Peace, Jim Dandy
 
Bless me father for I am Jewish. Oh, and I just killed a man.
 
So I get from the responses that a baptised person would have to accept the teachings of the Church as a whole to go to confession and take part in the sacrament. Would anything formal have to be done? I tried to find something in canon law, but failed. Thanks for all the responses so far.
 
Hokomai said:
So I get from the responses that a baptised person would have to accept the teachings of the Church as a whole to go to confession and take part in the sacrament. Would anything formal have to be done? I tried to find something in canon law, but failed. Thanks for all the responses so far.
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Well, yes. He would have to be accepted into the CC. Suggest to your friend to inquire in the nearest parish and ask about RCIA or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This is the first step and classes should start around late summer/early fall.
 
My question still remains: Who would know if the Protestant had or had not received absolution from the priest? Do you say the prayer of the priest is invalid? This sounds like just a lot of opinion, with no one giving any references. Could prophesy please cite a reference to his “opinion,” like maybe from the catechism?
 
All Sacraments have five criteria for validity, one of which is “valid recipient.”

In the case of Confession, the “valid recipient” is any Baptized person. ANY (Baptized) protestant is perfectly capable of receiving this Sacrament.

Protestants are likewise perfectly capable of receiving Catholic Eucharist. If they go up and receive the Host, they have received Eucharist. The Host does not somehow become plain bread because it was given to a non-Catholic (we do not teach the heresy of receptionism, which says that the Host is the Body of Christ only if you believe it to be so). The protestant may, however, eat and drink damnation upon himself in doing so (1Cor 11:29).

The Church does not generally offer the Sacraments to those who are not Catholic. If the penitent informed the priest that s/he was not Catholic, the priest should withhold absolution (according to Canon Law). But, if this is not disclosed, and the absolution was given, then the absolution is illicit (not done according to the rules of the Church) but is PERFECTLY valid (ie, it “works” even though it broke the rules).

However, the person may incur sin by receiving a Sacrament under false pretenses. If the person knew that the Church generally reserves the Sacraments to Catholics, and gave no indication that s/he was not Catholic, the very act of confessing may incur sin (because it is a deception), which may be mortally sinful (but only God knows for sure if it is).

So a protestant might confess any number of (potentially) mortal sins, and be absolved of them all, but would likely incur mortal sin in the process, thus leaving him in no better position than when he started.
 
Thanks David. Very clear. Is there a specific canon law on this, or is it derived from other specific laws?
 
Hokomai said:
Thanks David. Very clear. Is there a specific canon law on this, or is it derived from other specific laws?
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Yes, it is Canon Law. Per Canon 844:
  1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers with due regard for parts 2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and c.861, part
  2. Whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided (dummodo) that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, 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 may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned.
  4. If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided (dummodo) they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.
  5. For the cases in parts 2, 3, and 4, neither the diocesan bishop nor the conference of bishops is to enact general norms except (nisi) after consultation with at least the local competent authority of the interested non-Catholic Church or community.
    - Code of Canon Law #844
    ​

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So if your friend is dying and has no access to a minister of his own faith, he can ask for and receive absolution as long as the Bishop says it’s OK. It’s not an appealing loophole.
 
Hokomai said:
Thanks David. Very clear. Is there a specific canon law on this, or is it derived from other specific laws?
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My brother David has answered this question correctly but I thought I would elaborate on this in greater detail.

According to Canon 844, §1, here is how one is to understand the ordinary means by which the Sacrament of Reconciliation happens:

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.

So this means that, in ordinary circumstances, only Catholics can licitly participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Therefore, if a Protestant goes to a Catholic priest for this sacrament, the endeavor would be illicit (i.e., not in accord with Church law) but not necessarily invalid (as DavidFilmer explained in Post #14), assuming that such a person has already received a valid Christian baptism (which is required for the valid reception of all Catholic sacraments, as stated in Canon 842).

BUT…in extraordinary circumstances, Canon Law makes this provision which is applicable to baptized Protestants:

Can. 844, §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.

According to the New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law:
“Can. 844, §4 establishes conditions for administering the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick to Christians who do not enjoy full communion.”
  • John Beal, James Coriden, Thomas Green, eds., New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law (Paulist Press: New York, 2000), pg. 246.
So this is basically what all this means. A baptized Protestant can licitly receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation from a Catholic priest if:
  1. He is in danger of death or it is otherwise an urgent matter.
  2. The local bishop permits it.
  3. He is unable to receive this sacrament from a minister of his own denomination.
  4. He believes what the Catholic Church teaches about the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
  5. He is “properly disposed” which means that he has given this matter some thought and preparation, experiences contrition for his sins, and is not doing it “on a lark.”
Allow me to give an example of this. Private confession is permissible in the Anglican Faith between its members and Anglican priests (although it is rarely done - as a former Episcopalian I went to private confession once). Certain Anglicans have greater Catholic sensibilities than others, and embrace Catholic sacramental theology beyond their own Articles of Religion. In light of this, an Anglican inmate in a prison where Catholic Mass is available (but not an Anglican one) could receive the Eucharist at the regularly scheduled Catholic Mass, assuming that the local Catholic bishop permits this practice. In grave or urgent circumstances, it is quite possible that he could also go to the Catholic priest for confession. The priest however, should first check this with the local Catholic bishop (unless there was a danger of death).

As a side note, baptized Protestants who are undergoing R.C.I.A. do not have these same restrictions and are given broader access to Reconciliation in preparation for receiving Confirmation (for example, Canon 206, §1 & §2).
 
Although now a Catholic, I used to use a Catholic priest as my confessor when I still an Episcopalian. I did so because I often could not find an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Michigan who took the matter seriously enough for my tastes, even though The Rite of Reconciliation is in the Book of Common Prayer (with Absolution, and under the Seal of Confession). Often it was treated as a counseling session, which was not what i was seeking. For reasons of convenience, I also occasionally went to Confession in the Catholic church when I lived in Maryland.

In all instances, I never mislead the confessor–he was well aware that I was not a Catholic–yet I was always granted Absolution. (In fact, we once, at my request, used the form in the Book of Common Prayer.)

This experience, led me inquire about RCIA classes. I’m not certain I would have otherwise become a Catholic.

Also, before Reception into the Church, I was required to go to Confession, although I was, technically speaking, not a Catholic. at the time.

Don’t know if this was proper under Canon Law, just giving my personal experience.
 
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