Do Catholic priests have the authority to forgive sins on earth?

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The role of the papacy is as Christ’s representative and source of unity for the Church…the final authority always rest on Rome, but the many churches, including the Byzantine had their own jurisdictions.

The church has various schools of thought — the Dominican, franciscan, Jesuit…they all can disagree with each other and stress their own points. We are to go to Mass on Sunday and receive the Eucharist…and atleast go to confession once a year.

I think you are rather projecting alot of issues onto the sacrament that isn’t there…is it an issue rather with authority???
 
david_ruiz said:
Why is it that more than half the Protestants I know were educated as Catholics ?
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I would venture to say, david, that these ex-Catholics did not know the faith they left behind.

Ask them 2 questions:
-what is the Immaculate Conception
and
-where in the Mass is Scripture?

They will tell you the wrong answers, most likely.

The Catholic Church did an abysmal job in the past of catechizing its flock.

They left a faith they did not know. :sad_yes:
 
And as far as confessions being developed…don’t you assume that the apostles began all of Christ’s directives, including that to forgive sins through His sanctifying grace?

The Scriptures ended with the last writings of St. John in the Epistles…but it is now the beginning of Christ among us, His Church…the fulfillment of salvation history. So to bypass the work of the Church is to miss the development of the Church itself.

Scripture and Tradition are inseparable…and always it is the Holy Spirit at work through both Scripture and Tradition, Christ always present in the Sacraments.

We share in the ministerial role of the priests…we can baptize…there are deacons who can witness a wedding as a priest…

In any Catholic parish, you find peoples on all different levels of faith, from neophytes up to the most spiritually advance. A Lutheran minister visited our parish and told our pastor he has not seen such diversity of people as the Catholics…and my pastor told him he probably would find every parishioner having his own opinion as well…but it is our unity and oneness of heart and soul and mind…and sound teaching.

I would think all of that would be very good.
 
PRmerger said:
I would venture to say, david, that these ex-Catholics did not know the faith they left behind.

Ask them 2 questions:
-what is the Immaculate Conception
and
-where in the Mass is Scripture?

They will tell you the wrong answers, most likely.

The Catholic Church did an abysmal job in the past of catechizing its flock.

They left a faith they did not know. :sad_yes:
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Yes, it all started with Luther…not.We will use him for a pincussion, however, and simply state again:reformers were generally very well catechumized ,educated in their mother faith.We all need shock absorbers,truth deflectors.Indeed ,you may use that reasoning .The other big one is the 50,000 divisions in protestantism,and certainly that can not be from God.
 
KathleenGee said:
The role of the papacy is as Christ’s representative and source of unity for the Church…the final authority always rest on Rome, but the many churches, including the Byzantine had their own jurisdictions.

The church has various schools of thought — the Dominican, franciscan, Jesuit…they all can disagree with each other and stress their own points. We are to go to Mass on Sunday and receive the Eucharist…and atleast go to confession once a year.

I think you are rather projecting alot of issues onto the sacrament that isn’t there…is it an issue rather with authority???
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No
 
david_ruiz said:
Yes, it all started with Luther…not.We will use him for a pincussion, however, and simply state again:reformers were generally very well catechumized ,educated in their mother faith.We all need shock absorbers,truth deflectors.Indeed ,you may use that reasoning .The other big one is the 50,000 divisions in protestantism,and certainly that can not be from God.
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Huh? Luther? When did we start talking about Luther?

I thought we were talking about ex-Catholics you know.

I simply provided a conjecture that they did not know the faith they left. If you ask them what the Immaculate Conception is, more than likely they’re going to tell you it’s that Mary conceived “immaculately” Jesus.

And if you ask them where Scripture is in the Mass, they’ll probably say, “Um…no where? Except for the 3 readings. Oh, and maybe the Our Father.”

Their knowledge of the faith they left is, most likely, dismal.
 
david_ruiz said:
Jesus sure did separate them.
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You think this because you are using a different definition of “tradition” than the Catholic Church. You think of tradition as customs or rituals that are man-made.

The CC’s definition of Tradition is the revelation of God preserved through the teaching of the apostles. Some of this teaching was written down (Scripture). Some was not.

Thus, Jesus clearly could not separate His revelation.

And the Scriptures confirm this:
  • “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. . . . Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed” (1 Cor. 15:3,11).
  • “I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you” (1 Cor. 11:2).
 
david_ruiz said:
Jesus sure did separate them.
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This is a peculiar comment from a non-Catholic who has his own non-biblical traditions, namely, the “Scripture interprets itself” tradition, which you believe despite it not being in a single page of the Bible.

And here’s another non-biblical tradition you’ve professed:
The more all good things are dependent on God ,the less trouble I am with you .The more I have to define what man must do ,the waters get murky,for the formulas and circumstances etc are endless.
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You never did provide Scripture verses for the above doctrine. 🤷
That is a start in the right direction.You are the first to say we (laity) can baptize.
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I am hoping that you’re not an ex-Catholic, david, because this would be another great example of the poor catechesis the Church provided to its flock.

Yes, indeed, laity can baptize.
 
Ne_OrangeKnight said:
david ruiz;7358464:
Okay, you didn’t actually answer the question. I’m asking how you
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know which interpretation is correct. What makes you right and others wrong? I acknowledge that there are differing interpretations, but that doesn’t mean that they are all correct.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

I shall repeat what a Catholic said is the “key”. It is pretty much “divine revelation”. God’s spirit testifies to our spirit (that has been regenerated) what is truth thru the myriad of opinions, and teachings, and churches, and experiences,and scripture itself. The argument then goes how come so much diversity then , for God is not the author of confusion. No, He is not , but this is a natural by product of His word going forth into a sinful, stony ground.Yours is just another variation of this ,to claim divine revelation that He tells you to trust a church, calling it “His Church” for it is a pillar of truth .I believe Jesus understood this diversity over His word , stemming from the Garden , to Cain and Abel to today , where the wheat and chaff are together , for we are hid in Christ , until that glorious day .His word is still pure and goes forth ,regardless of the diversity of outcome. So my revelation could be correct , even though others claim it too, and come out with different peripheral views. It does not negate my revelation. Evangelicalism is quite united in it’s simple view of this divine revelation,that Christ is the Messiah and we can personally experience HIM ,in His salvation and lordship.He places us in His church,with leadership,sacraments,traditions etc.
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PRmerger said:
[You think of tradition as customs or rituals that are man-made.
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Not so .Some are apostolic ,some are not
The CC’s definition of Tradition is the revelation of God preserved through the teaching of the apostles. Some of this teaching was written down (Scripture). Some was not.
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[/QUOTE]
 
david_ruiz said:
Perhaps ,but do not say most likely .Then may I conjecture their knowledge was similar to those who remain Catholic ? I will be fair and say many levels of knowledge of Catholic faith have I met on the "other "side . Most I know were average in knowledge , if not slightly above, other Catholics that remained.
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Oh, absolutely. :sad_yes:

Sadly, you know more about Catholicism, after being here on the CAFs, than most average Joe “Big-Lump-in-the Pews” Catholic.
 
So David,

My question to you is, if I can word it, is it hard for you to accept the authority of Christ working through another person?
 
david_ruiz said:
If so, why are so many Catholics in that position ?
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Because there’s something called “free will”
Because the sacraments are not “magic” and can not force someone into intimate union with Christ unless the Catholic so desires it.
Are these the saints that are going to “Go marching in” ?
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I would never presume to know someone’s eternal destination.

But if you are implying that just because someone is Catholic he is a saint, you are misinformed. The Catholic Church has never professed this.
Are they really born again ? Have they really met Jesus,and remain so ignorant ?
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If they are baptized, then yes, they are “born again.”

What do you think about the thousands of folks who really met Jesus, and yet remained so ignorant. In fact, they urged the authorities to “crucify him”, even after meeting him!! :eek:
 
david_ruiz said:
.Did not say anybody said we couldn’t , just the first in my blogging or forum discussions where a Catholic states the positive .that’s all
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Fair enough. Although it sounded as if you were incredulous that the CC teaches that the laity can baptize.

I’m glad, though, that we are on the same page now! 👍
 
Originally Posted by david ruiz
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Okay, you didn’t actually answer the question. I’m asking how you know which interpretation is correct. What makes you right and others wrong? I acknowledge that there are differing interpretations, but that doesn’t mean that they are all correct.
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david_ruiz said:
Ne_OrangeKnight;7358575:
I shall repeat what a Catholic said is the “key”. It is pretty much “divine revelation”.
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No. No no no, David. You seem to be completely misunderstanding me (or you’re actively dodging the question, but I hope not). I don’t care about how Catholics know true from false interpretations. I’m not asking what you think about what Catholics think about revelation.

I want to know: How do you, personally, David Ruiz, know which interpretation of Scripture is correct? What makes your personal opinions right?

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight
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