Confession

[Michael_C]

kmktexas:

Again, I ask you, what are you looking for here? How do you want us to help?

Yes, I’m interested in the point of this thread also.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Who do you think you are to state that the Priest of the Catholic Church that I am a member of is a pedophile Priest?

I stated nothing of the kind.

This is what I stated:

One priest is one priest. . .not the Magesterium.
One parish is one parish. . .not the Magesterium.

One pedophile priest is one pedophile priest. . .not the Magesterium.
By your logic, the fact that a pedophile priest existed means that pedophile priests are acceptable. After all, he might believe in your “Catholic” beliefs too. .

I used “one pedophile priest” as an example of “one” of “ANYTHING” not being “the Magesterium”. I also was careful to separate the “pedophile priest” statement from the two statements above.

I did not say “Your priest”, “one same priest”, “this priest”, etc.

I thought it would be quite clear, based on the contextual: “By your logic, the fact that a pedophile priest existed means that pedophile priests are acceptable. After all, he might believe in your “Catholic” beliefs too. . .” that this was a putative “pedophile” priest and not an actual individual, specifically not the individual priest at your church. If you misunderstood this, I am sorry. But I stand by my statement regarding the illogic of assuming that because one priest says or does something, it means that all, or the majority of priests, do or say that thing.

 

[mercygate]

Albert Kopsho:

Who do you guys think you are to state that . . .

Albert – they’re not making it up. The practice of general absolution is an abuse. It is not acceptable except under extraordinary circumstances:
From the Catechism:

[1456](javascriptpenWindow(‘cr/1456.htm’)Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."54

When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know."55

From the Code of Canon Law:

Can. 960 Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the sole ordinary means by which a member of the faithful who is conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and with the Church. Physical or moral impossibility alone excuses from such confession, in which case reconciliation may be attained by other means also.

Can. 961 §1 General absolution, without prior individual confession, cannot be given to a number of penitents together, unless:

1E danger of death threatens and there is not time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents;

2E there exists a grave necessity, that is, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available properly to hear the individual confessions within an appropriate time, so that without fault of their own the penitents are deprived of the sacramental grace or of holy communion for a lengthy period of time. A sufficient necessity is not, however, considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage.

§2 It is for the diocesan Bishop to judge whether the conditions required in §1, n. 2 are present; mindful of the criteria agreed with the other members of the Episcopal Conference, he can determine the cases of such necessity.

 

[Albert_Kopsho]

I did not know that this forum was to ask questions. I thought it was for dialogue. All around the United States there are Catholic Churches that have Communal Reconciliation Services where millions of Catholics go to them instead of individual confession and the Archbishops of those Dioceses including the Archbishop of the Diocese that I am a member of do not put a stop to those Communal Reconciliation Services and so if the Archbishops do not put a stop to them taking place then it really is nobody’s business if the Archbishops do not put a stop to them.

Albert

 

[Pug]

Albert Kopsho:

All around the United States there are Catholic Churches that have Communal Reconciliation Services where millions of Catholics go to them instead of individual confession

I thought I posted something similar to what I’m about to write earlier today, but it seems to have disappeared into cyberspace…

My parish has the communal reconcilliation services too, BUT there are many priests there, and it does not “count” to go to the group thing unless you also at the end go to one of the individual priests for confession. They station themselves around the sanctuary and in the boxes (we’ve only got two). People then line up and have confession with them. We often have 6 priests at these things.

These services go on all around the US, but you have to go to an individual confessor as well. This is standard in any diocese I’ve been in. These are not the same as general absolution services. There is no general absolution for mortal sins given in these services. Maybe someone who has been in a war or some such could describe a general absolution service. I’ve never seen one. To my knowledge, general absolution services are not all over the US.

Albert, are you confusing a communal reconcilliation service with a general absolution service?

 

[puzzleannie]

Albert Kopsho:

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

I believe you are referring to the phenomenon of “cafeteria Catholic” someone who goes through the Catechism picking and choosing what to believe. you are not alone, look around you, sad but true. Can you find the part in the Gospel, please, where Jesus says, “Believe what you want to believe, practice what you feel like practicing, and if you love Me, ignore my commandments.”

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

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

It is really a serious offense that the priest does not tell those receiving General Absolution under those circumstances that they are REQUIRED to go to individual Confession within a year or as soon as it is available or the General Absolution is of no value. I suppose that those who don’t know any better it won’t be held against them, but now that you do know, think twice next time.

 

[Albert_Kopsho]

Every Catholic that I know that goes to Communal Reconciliation Services with General Absolution knows also that they should go to individual confession but they also ignore that and they also never go to individual confession. And anyway, every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day.

 

[Genesis315]

Albert Kopsho:

Every Catholic that I know that goes to Communal Reconciliation Services with General Absolution knows also that they should go to individual confession but they also ignore that and they also never go to individual confession. And anyway, every night when I go to bed I ask Jesus to forgive any sins that I may have committed during the day.

Just because everyone is disobedient doesn’t make it right. Truth is not determined by the majority. Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession for a reason. Not going to it is disobeying Him.

 

[Genesis315]

When you ask Jesus to forgive you at night, ask for forgiveness for disobeying Him and not going to confession. You have to be truly sorry for not going. The only way you are truly sorry for not going to confession is if you resolve to start going. If you just say you’re sorry to Jesus but you plan to keep disobeying Him, you are not truly sorry, and you’ve essentially lied. But maybe you don’t ask Jesus to forgive you for not wanting to obey Him.

 

[Albert_Kopsho]

Genesis315,

Well the Archbishops do not put a stop to those Communal Services with General Aboslution taking place. And also in the neighboring town there is a Catholic Church that has chairs in the sanctuary with no kneelers instead of pews and the Archbishop of this area knows about it and has not done anything about that.

Albert

 

[Micki]

Albert Kopsho:

scylla,

Well tell that to that Priest from Saint Francis Association For Catholic Evangelism named Father John Bertolulcci. Bertolucci stated in messages on cassette tapes that early on in his priesthood he received Jesus as personal savior and that Bertolucci conducts evangelistic meetings in which he has Catholics receive Jesus as personal savior. And tell that to the Priest of the local Cathollic Church that I am a member of who preaches quite often about the need to receive Jesus as personal savior.

Albert

How about a change of pace? Why don’t you listen to another priest-Fr. Corapi? You seem to only listen to what YOU want to hear.
Micki

 

[Genesis315]

Albert Kopsho:

Genesis315,

Well the Archbishops do not put a stop to those Communal Services with General Aboslution taking place. And also in the neighboring town there is a Catholic Church that has chairs in the sanctuary with no kneelers instead of pews and the Archbishop of this area knows about it and has not done anything about that.

Albert

Well, as long as the people know they are supposed to go to individual confession afterwards, there’s no reason to stop the services. Confession is available to them afterward and they know its mandatory, if they choose not to go, that’s their choice. They just need to be prepared to deal with the consequences. Kneelers also not required. You don’t need kneelers to kneel.

Albert, do what is right, not what everyone else is doing. Unfortunately in our day and age people want to follow the crowd because it is easier. Actually being obedient to Jesus can be hard. Just trust Him and do what He has instructed us to do. Listen to the Pope, he is Jesus’ representative here on earth. Keep praying.

 

[Michael_C]

Albert Kopsho:

Genesis315,

Well the Archbishops do not put a stop to those Communal Services with General Aboslution taking place. And also in the neighboring town there is a Catholic Church that has chairs in the sanctuary with no kneelers instead of pews and the Archbishop of this area knows about it and has not done anything about that.

Albert

Albert you need to investigate the Catholic faith more and determine exactly what Jesus was teaching his Church. When you recite the creed do you state: “We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church”?

 

[4_marks]

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.

I approach this sacrament to reconcile with myself, my imperfection, with God and with the Body of Christ. For me, Reconciliation is not just a cleansing experience (having my sins forgiven), but it is also a strengthening experience enabling God to transform me into what I am intended to be in Christ. I welcome the opportunity of individual confession and absolution. In the priest, I recognize Christ. For me, it is Christ to whom I admit, name and confess my sins.

 

[porthos11]

Hey, I think I recognize this fellow who started the thread.

You might want to look up the EWTN forums and do a search for a questioner named “M. P. Mazar”. You’ll notice a lot of posts that start out just like the one that started this thread (in fact, there are a few that are almost word-for-word identical). When Fr. Echert stopped entertaining “Mazar”, this Kopsho fellow started appearing with almost the same rambling and writing style.

 

[rcn]

Yes, that’s the name.

Several of us contacted Fr. Levis about him too, asking Fr. not to waste time on his posts.

 

[Albert_Kopsho]

rcn,

Who do you think you are to state that all Catholics are to think the same way that you think when it comes to the church teaching regarding confession and that Communal Reconciliation Service with General Absolution is not acceptable? Millions of Catholics in the United States only go to Communal Reconciliation Services with General Absolution instead of individual confession.

Albert

 

[Genesis315]

Albert, you don’t get it. These are not our personal opinions. These are the official and infallible teachings of the Church. We are all called to submit ourselves to them, no matter what we may feel personally*.*

 

[kmktexas]

porthos11:

Hey, I think I recognize this fellow who started the thread.

You might want to look up the EWTN forums and do a search for a questioner named “M. P. Mazar”. You’ll notice a lot of posts that start out just like the one that started this thread (in fact, there are a few that are almost word-for-word identical). When Fr. Echert stopped entertaining “Mazar”, this Kopsho fellow started appearing with almost the same rambling and writing style.

oh no, not him!!! I recognize the name immediately. That guy was truly annoying, he never seemed to read the responses he got and kept posting to multiple forums trying to bait the poor Fathers. I am sure that a few of them earned time off from Purgatory due to their patience with him.

We of course, as simple lay people do not need to be so patient.

Buh Bye.