Confession

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Albert_Kopsho

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I do not go to individual confession and I will never go to individual confession ever again. I just go to Communal Reconciliation Service twice a year near Easter and Christmas where the Priest gives general absolution.
 
So, what’s your point? Your thread doesn’t state why you don’t go to individual confession and you’re not asking a question, so why bring it up?:confused:

Scout :tiphat:
 
Albert Kopsho:
I do not go to individual confession and I will never go to individual confession ever again. I just go to Communal Reconciliation Service twice a year near Easter and Christmas where the Priest gives general absolution.
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The priest is no longer allowed (he actually never was allowed) to give “General Absolution” to several people without individual Confession, except in very rare emergency circumstances.

However you must be aware that “General Absolution” is only useful if you were to die before having the opportunity to go to Confession. When you receive “General Absolution” you are required to go to individual Confession as soon as it is available to you. If you survive the grave situation that required the “General Absolution” and do not Confess in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the “General Absolution” is of no value to you!

Since “General Absolution” is not a Sacrament when illicitly used. We are not questioning the effectiveness of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
 
Albert Kopsho:
I do not go to individual confession and I will never go to individual confession ever again. I just go to Communal Reconciliation Service twice a year near Easter and Christmas where the Priest gives general absolution.
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Have you tried going behind the screen (so the priest can’t see you) for confession? Maybe it would feel more comfortable.

Do you live somewhere remote without access to a priest, that they give general absolution twice a year and don’t hear the confessions at that time? It is not supposed to be given, unless absolutely necessary.
 
A couple months ago after converting back to to Church, I went to my first confession. It does take a lot of humility to do so and it was extremely difficult. I put off doing it for so long, because of my pride, I thought, why do I need to confess my sins to a priest? In addition to that I was ashamed of my sins and I didn’t want to even face confession.
Who really wants to bare your true self, it is extremely hard to do. Going to confession means that you have to face up to your sinfulness and no-one wants to do that without the grace of God. It is so easy just to lie in bed, or go to your closet and confess your sins directly to God. This takes no real effort, humility or real submission. That is why it is so tempting to do so and to say that is how it should be.
The Bible says we should confess our sins to one another, and that Jesus gave the power to forgive sins to his Church. (if I need to base it on the Bible), regardless, I should listen to the teaching of the Church as my guide, since that is what Jesus created here on earth.
I can’t argue with Jesus’s Church, I have to submit to Him. Therefore I confess my sins, to God, as a priest listens to me and guides me.
 
Most of the Catholic Churches in the area where I live have Communal Reconciliation Services with only one Priest present and general absolution is given and every time that I go to Communal Reconciliation Service the church is always filled up and nobody goes to individual conession as soon as possible. I do not go to individual confession because I do not like to confess sins to the Priest and I will never go to individual confessin again. Every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day. I do not care what the Catechism states about that general absolution is not to be used all the time and obviously neither do other Catholics who go to Communal Reconciliation Service.

Albert
 
Albert Kopsho:
Most of the Catholic Churches in the area where I live have Communal Reconciliation Services with only one Priest present and general absolution is given and every time that I go to Communal Reconciliation Service the church is always filled up and nobody goes to individual conession as soon as possible. I do not go to individual confession because I do not like to confess sins to the Priest and I will never go to individual confessin again. Every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day. I do not care what the Catechism states about that general absolution is not to be used all the time and obviously neither do other Catholics who go to Communal Reconciliation Service.

Albert
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Aparently you can’t be too sorry for your sins if you are unwilling to go to confession. Confession is supposed to be for healing and to help you to quit your sins. If you are hiding your sins then you don’t seem too repentant.
 
Albert Kopsho:
Most of the Catholic Churches in the area where I live have Communal Reconciliation Services with only one Priest present and general absolution is given and every time that I go to Communal Reconciliation Service the church is always filled up and nobody goes to individual conession as soon as possible. I do not go to individual confession because I do not like to confess sins to the Priest and I will never go to individual confessin again. Every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day. I do not care what the Catechism states about that general absolution is not to be used all the time and obviously neither do other Catholics who go to Communal Reconciliation Service.

Albert
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Albert, I am glad that you came back to explain your first post. A communal Penance service is a great way to get in touch with your contrition in a community setting. Since you are familiar with the Catechism, you realize that the absolution in the kind of service that you describe might be ok for venial sins but as Brother Rich explained, is not a valid absolution of mortal sins except under certain condidtions. Instead of planning to go to individual Confession as soon as possible, you are planning NOT to. Therefore, the conditions for general absolution are not being met, in your case.

Not liking to tell your sins to a priest or not agreeing with the Catechism are not valid reasons for not doing as the Church teaches. Being a Catholic is hard sometimes.

A couple of sugestions you might want to try. See if there is someone at your diocisan offices you can speak to about the sitution in your parish. Perhaps they can be helpful in making sure that the parish is getting the help it needs to administer the Sacraments.

They might also be able to point you in the right direction for a good adult religious ed program. Perhaps if you understood the “why” of the Sacrament, it would help you to assent to Church teaching. ( I see from one of your other posts that you are having a bit of trouble with transubstantian too. 🙂 ) Even a good RCIA program would do. These are both (confessing sins to a priest and transubstantiation) points that are often hard for non-Catholics to grasp. Even though you are already Catholic, RCIA leaders are usually quite experienced at explaining these doctrines. A lot of people go to RCIA as a refresher if regular adult religious ed is not available.

Good luck.
 
Albert, that is a reasonable stance to take but it’s not what Jesus said, so I guess that’s just a decision you have to make. Jesus and the Bible also did not say “read my Word and consider those parts with which you are comfortable”. It’s all or nothing, we are not in power, we don’t have a coice on that one. We can choose to disagree/disobery however.

Confessing your sins is humiliating for all of us, it’s supposed to be. It’s part of what gives you conviction not to sin again.

Any grave sins, mortal sins, that you have committed cannot be fogiven in normal situations without confessing your sins. Again, if you believe in Jesus and the Church, you risk eternal death by not confessing these sins, especially if your failure to confess is a conscience thought-out decision.

And, no one here can “absolve” you or give you guidance/permission that your stance is correct. But it is your decision. Maybe reading more of the Bible and CCC will help you come to grips with the feelings you have, and what Jesus taught.

Good luck and God Bless you…
 
Albert Kopsho:
Most of the Catholic Churches in the area where I live have Communal Reconciliation Services with only one Priest present and general absolution is given and every time that I go to Communal Reconciliation Service the church is always filled up and nobody goes to individual conession as soon as possible. I do not go to individual confession because I do not like to confess sins to the Priest and I will never go to individual confessin again. Every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day. I do not care what the Catechism states about that general absolution is not to be used all the time and obviously neither do other Catholics who go to Communal Reconciliation Service.

Albert
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If it is really true that the only opportunity provided by churches in your area is the communal penance service you describe, it is the fault of the bishop, not your fault, and you and all Catholics in the area are being badly served by one of the gravest abuses a priest or bishop can be guilty of: denial of the sacraments.

If you are not making an individual confession because you reject Catholic church teaching, that is another matter. If you reject big chunks of Catholic doctrine, then you have willfully separated yourself from communion with the Catholic Church, and if this is to the extent you no longer consider yourself Catholic, then you are not bound by Catholic Church discipline on these matters.

the attitude you describe on the part of so many is proof of the damage done by these communal reconciliation services and is a scandal.
 
puzzleannie,

Yes I do not believe in some Catholic doctrines. I do not believe that Baptism has anything to do with salvation. I still consider it ok to Baptize infants because I consider Infant Baptism to be just a dedication of infants to Jesus and an initiation ceremony into the church.

I do not pray to the Virgin Mary or the Saints. I do not believe that the Pope is infallible. I do not believe in Purgatory. I do not believe that the Mass is a sacrifice. I do not believe in transubstantiation. I consider the Holy Eucharist to be just like the Lutherans do and that is I believe in consubstantiation.

I do not believe that the Catholic Church is the only True Church. I consider the Protestant Churches to also be True Churches with the exception of the cults of Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Science and other cults that deny the Holy Trinity and the Deity of Christ. I still believe that Saint Peter was the first Pope. I have a combination of Catholic and Protestant beliefs.

I do not believe in individual confession. I only believe in going to Communal Reconciliation Services where general absolution is given and I will never go to individual confession again.

I do not believe that the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has anything to do with salvation. I do believe that the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is only to bring about healing. I still believe that there are 7 Sacraments but that the Sacraments have nothing to do with salvation. I still believe in First Holy Communion. I still believe in the Sacrament of Penance but in the form of Communal Reconciliation Service with general absolution. I still believe that the Sacrament of Confirmation is the impartation of the Holy Spirit. I still believe that Marriage is a Sacrament. I still believe in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. There is only one way to obtain salvation and that is by receiving Christ as personal savior.

I still consider myself to be a faithful Catholic because I attend Mass every weekend and I am on the membership roll of the local Catholic Church. I still observe that lenten regulations of fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and no meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. The penance that I do for Lent is attend Mass on Friday mornings during Lent.

Albert
 
Albert Kopsho:
Most of the Catholic Churches in the area where I live have Communal Reconciliation Services with only one Priest present and general absolution is given and every time that I go to Communal Reconciliation Service the church is always filled up and nobody goes to individual conession as soon as possible. I do not go to individual confession because I do not like to confess sins to the Priest and I will never go to individual confessin again. Every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day. I do not care what the Catechism states about that general absolution is not to be used all the time and obviously neither do other Catholics who go to Communal Reconciliation Service.

Albert
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Do you live in Australia? (That’s not a joke. It’s a real question.)
 
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scylla:
A couple months ago after converting back to to Church, I went to my first confession. It does take a lot of humility to do so and it was extremely difficult. I put off doing it for so long, because of my pride, I thought, why do I need to confess my sins to a priest? In addition to that I was ashamed of my sins and I didn’t want to even face confession.
Who really wants to bare your true self, it is extremely hard to do. Going to confession means that you have to face up to your sinfulness and no-one wants to do that without the grace of God. It is so easy just to lie in bed, or go to your closet and confess your sins directly to God. This takes no real effort, humility or real submission. That is why it is so tempting to do so and to say that is how it should be.
The Bible says we should confess our sins to one another, and that Jesus gave the power to forgive sins to his Church. (if I need to base it on the Bible), regardless, I should listen to the teaching of the Church as my guide, since that is what Jesus created here on earth.
I can’t argue with Jesus’s Church, I have to submit to Him. Therefore I confess my sins, to God, as a priest listens to me and guides me.
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An inspiration for us all, Scylla! May God reward you for sharing your story with us.
 
Albert Kopsho:
I do not believe that Baptism has anything to do with salvation.
I do not believe that the Pope is infallible.
I do not believe in Purgatory.
I do not believe that the Mass is a sacrifice.
I do not believe in transubstantiation.
I do not believe that the Catholic Church is the only True Church.
I consider the Protestant Churches to also be True Churches
I have a combination of Catholic and Protestant beliefs.
I do not believe in individual confession.
The Sacraments have nothing to do with salvation.
There is only one way to obtain salvation and that is by receiving Christ as personal savior.
I still consider myself to be a faithful Catholic
Albert
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I tremble. Is there anything we can do to help bring you up to speed? Have you thought of attending RCIA – just as an auditor? What really scares me is that you are surely not unique, although your laundry list of objections is probably longer than most.

You are clearly attempting to be faithful to something. Are you willing to take a few small steps towards accepting the Catholic faith? You could pray for the grace.

Don’t be a weenie about confession. It’s one of the best things about being Catholic. But you are far from ready for confession at this point.

If you don’t believe that the Mass is a sacrifice or in transubstantiation, I implore you to refrain from receiving the Blessed Sacrament for now.
 
mercygate,

I am not going to refrain from receiving Holy Eucharist, I have accepted the Catholic faith since I was Baptized and raised Catholic and am a practicing Catholic, and I reside in the middle west of the United States.

Albert
 
Albert Kopsho:
mercygate,

I am not going to refrain from receiving Holy Eucharist, I have accepted the Catholic faith since I was Baptized and raised Catholic and am a practicing Catholic, and I reside in the middle west of the United States.

Albert
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This isn’t a quibble, and believe it or not, I’m on your side. But to say that you accept the Catholic faith is a misrepresentation. Your list of “I don’t believes” should show you that. There is something ‘Catholic’ about you: your culture, your custom, perhaps even your desire. But at this point you have distanced yourself significantly from your faith.

I urged you to refrain from receiving the Body of Christ because Paul warns very sternly in 1Cor.11:27-29:
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks withoutdiscerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
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Prayin’ for ya here, Albert. You’ve come to a place where a lot of your difficulties can find resolution. Pray for the grace.
 
I’ll pray for you, Albert.

If I mix up a batch of widely disparate ingredients, like nails, chocolate chips, ginger ale, and matches, into a dough of flour, water, and yeast, and put it into the oven and bake it, I can call what comes out “bread”. After all, it “does” contain flour, water and yeast. . .the main components of any leavened bread. And one can add all sorts of things to those three latter ingredients and still come up with bread. Depending on the ingredients, one can have very good bread, at least “edible” bread, or a toxic, inedible mess barely distinguishable as bread.

Unfortunately for you, the extra ingredients you have chosen for your “bread” of Catholicism have changed that very good bread into something else. You may think it tastes okay. You may think that because it’s “bread”, it’s good enough, even if it isn’t the original bread. You may even enjoy the fact that it has that excitingly “different” taste. You can point out that “other people” seem to eat this bread with no ill effects.

But don’t try to tell a baker that your concoction of “Protestant/ Catholic” bread is “the same as” Catholic bread. That it has the same nourishment, the same effects, the same characteristics, of the original. It doesn’t. It can’t.

You have changed enough from the basic teachings of Catholicism into a Protestant. That’s between you and God. I don’t, and won’t, judge you for your changes. But don’t try to straddle the fence or keep a foot in both camps with your claim that even though you denounce a whole host of basic Catholic dogma and doctrine that somehow the idea that you “feel” Catholic makes you so.

You can’t serve two masters. You can’t be a Protestant-Catholic hybrid. You can’t denounce the teachings of the Catholic and espouse the teachings of the Protestant and yet claim. . .but I’m still Catholic.

Why do you reject the things you do? And what do you reject them FOR? You aren’t just working in a vacuum. If you reject “praying to Mary and the saints”, it’s because you are choosing “I protest that prayer should only be to God”. If you reject “confessing my sins to a man”, it’s because you are choosing “I protest that I should only confess to God”.

So, why do you then identify yourself with a religion whose basic tenets you reject, whose teachings you reject, whose words you reject? Can you give a reason, or can you only give a feeling?
 
Albert Kopsho:
mercygate,

I am not going to refrain from receiving Holy Eucharist, I have accepted the Catholic faith since I was Baptized and raised Catholic and am a practicing Catholic, and I reside in the middle west of the United States.

Albert
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By your own definition you have ~ NOT ~ accepted the Catholic faith. Attending Mass and choosing minor doctrines to believe does not make you Catholic.

By going to communion when you don’t believe, you are profaning the body and blood of Christ, and this is a grave sin; whether you believe that it is Christ, body blood soul and divinity is a moot point. The fact is that he IS, and your refusal to believe does not change that.

You are not Catholic just because you call yourself one. I can sit in a tomato patch all day, paint my legs green and get red in the face, but it still doesn’t make me a tomato.

I will pray for you. I hope everyone else here does, too.
 
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