Do you have to be Catholic to receive Confession?

[mercygate]

ERose, in order to validly receive the Sacraments, you must be a baptized Catholic. That takes some common sense to come to that conclusion. While a non-Catholic may receive the sacrament of matrimony, by virtue of the Catholic spouse, this does not entitle the person to receive the other sacraments. They have to be in full communion with the Church, meaning they need to go through the RCIA process.

Perhaps it would do you well to consult with a priest or a diocessan official who is well versed in this issue. It is apparent that we are not offering you sufficient answers because you find ways to refute what all of us havei been telling you.

ERose does not refute anything. She rejects what is stated.

The notion that a person must be properly disposed to receive the sacraments, and that a proper disposition includes accepting Christ on HIS terms, in HIS Church hasn’t clicked for her. She seems to ignore the problem that a non-Catholic who might wish to come to Confession but rejects the Church is in an untenable position.

 

[ERose]

ERose, in order to validly receive the Sacraments, you must be a baptized Catholic. That takes some common sense to come to that conclusion. While a non-Catholic may receive the sacrament of matrimony, by virtue of the Catholic spouse, this does not entitle the person to receive the other sacraments. They have to be in full communion with the Church, meaning they need to go through the RCIA process.

Perhaps it would do you well to consult with a priest or a diocessan official who is well versed in this issue. It is apparent that we are not offering you sufficient answers because you find ways to refute what all of us havei been telling you.

Benedictgal,

Thank you for your response. I guess I have been leading you guys off a little which I shouldn’t but I was not originally referring to normal reception of the Sacrament of Penence. I was referring to extraordinary condition of the non-Catholic person being in a supernatural state of contrition, would a Catholic priest have the power to forgive that person?

I think that it was answered by Fix’s quotes.

I think that it is so easy for us to assume that there are easy answers to this question and questions like it but we must remember that the issue of separated Christians is relatively new to the Christian world and to be honest I see that there is still some struggle on the Church’s part in coping with this issue.

Remember that in the eyes of the Church these separated Christians are still ultimately part of the Church.

Some questions have been answered on this issue such as communion, initiation, and baptism. I just do not think that all issues have been dealt with as of yet.

There are so many references in the New Testament in the Gospels and the Book of Acts were people were moved by contrition to the New Church and were in fact given the Holy Spirit before they knew anything about the Church except for Jesus being the Lord and having the ability to forgive sins. The Bible teaches that God is quick to forgive sins. Read the Book of Jonah for a perfect example of God’s mercy. His mercy was given to a people who were not his followers because they expressed contrition after the preaching of Jonah.

I guess what I am saying is that from everything I have read and studied God forgives anyone he pleases to forgive. You do not have to be Catholic to receive God’s forgiveness nor to be honest do you have to be Christian to receive His forgiveness either. God wants to forgive! God will never turn away someone, anyone, who comes to him with a humble and contrite heart. The Church nor our Scriptures teach anything contrary to this.

What I am saying is this: I do not know the complete answer. Fix’s quotes have supplied the best answer so far and that I accept. I am Catholic and I will continue to go to my priest for Confession. I am not going to go out and tell every protestant I meet to go to our confessional booth. I am not going to condemn or condone the action if a protestant does go to a priest. And as soon as I can I will ask someone more knowledgable than me if they know what the stance of the church is on forgiveness.

The only problem that I have had with the comments of some in this string is the lack of proof for their arguments. I have never been a person who accepts something just because another person said it is so. I like to have proof either by displaying evidence of the Church’s teaching or by providing a very good argument for their point.

God Bless.

 

[ERose]

ERose does not refute anything. She rejects what is stated.

The notion that a person must be properly disposed to receive the sacraments, and that a proper disposition includes accepting Christ on HIS terms, in HIS Church hasn’t clicked for her. She seems to ignore the problem that a non-Catholic who might wish to come to Confession but rejects the Church is in an untenable position.

Again I ask for proof or a reasonable argument. Should I accept what you are saying because you said so?

 

[wifeandmomoftwo]

Why can it not? Should I believe this because you, who claim to be far superior to me in the understanding of the Catholic faith, just said so?

Where is your proof? Where are quotes? I don’t go off of “I said so statements” only a fool would do so. So show me proof of your comments please?

Why not just offer all of the Sacraments to non-catholics ERose?

As to why noncatholics can not recieve the Sacrament of Confession…
*Under normal circumstances the Church can administer its sacraments only to its members. The sacraments are the core of the life of the Church, and one of the major signs of its unity and universality. Some relevant sections of Canon Law are:

Can. 840 The sacraments of the New Testament were instituted by Christ the Lord and entrusted to the Church. As actions of Christ and of the Church, they are signs and means by which faith is expressed and strengthened, worship is offered to God and our sanctification is brought about. Thus they contribute in the most effective manner to establishing, strengthening and manifesting ecclesiastical communion.

Can. 841 Since the sacraments are the same throughout the universal Church, and belong to the divine deposit of faith, only the supreme authority in the Church can approve or define what is needed for their validity. It belongs to the same authority, or to another competent authority … to determine what is required for their lawful celebration, administration and reception and for the order to be observed in their celebration.

Can. 843 According to their respective offices in the Church, both pastors of souls and all other members of Christ’s faithful have a duty to ensure that those who ask for the sacraments are prepared for their reception. This should be done through proper evangelization and catechetical instruction, in accordance with the norms laid down by the competent authority.

Can. 844 Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to Catholic members of Christ’s faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from Catholic ministers, except as provided in 2, 3 and 4 of this canon and in can. 8612.

Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the eastern Churches not in full communion with the Catholic Church, if they spontaneously ask for them and are properly disposed. The same applies to members of other Churches which the Apostolic See judges to be in the same position as the aforesaid eastern Churches so far as the sacraments are concerned.

If there is a danger of death or if, in the judgment of the diocesan Bishop or of the Episcopal Conference, there is some other grave and pressing need, Catholic ministers may lawfully administer these same sacraments to other Christians not in full communion with the catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who spontaneously ask for them, provided that they demonstrate the catholic faith in respect of these sacraments and are properly disposed.*

 

[ERose]

Why not just offer all of the Sacraments to non-catholics ERose?

As to why noncatholics can not recieve the Sacrament of Confession…
*Under normal circumstances the Church can administer its sacraments only to its members. The sacraments are the core of the life of the Church, and one of the major signs of its unity and universality. Some relevant sections of Canon Law are:

Can. 840 The sacraments of the New Testament were instituted by Christ the Lord and entrusted to the Church. As actions of Christ and of the Church, they are signs and means by which faith is expressed and strengthened, worship is offered to God and our sanctification is brought about. Thus they contribute in the most effective manner to establishing, strengthening and manifesting ecclesiastical communion.

Can. 841 Since the sacraments are the same throughout the universal Church, and belong to the divine deposit of faith, only the supreme authority in the Church can approve or define what is needed for their validity. It belongs to the same authority, or to another competent authority … to determine what is required for their lawful celebration, administration and reception and for the order to be observed in their celebration.

Can. 843 According to their respective offices in the Church, both pastors of souls and all other members of Christ’s faithful have a duty to ensure that those who ask for the sacraments are prepared for their reception. This should be done through proper evangelization and catechetical instruction, in accordance with the norms laid down by the competent authority.

Can. 844 Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to Catholic members of Christ’s faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from Catholic ministers, except as provided in 2, 3 and 4 of this canon and in can. 8612.

Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the eastern Churches not in full communion with the Catholic Church, if they spontaneously ask for them and are properly disposed. The same applies to members of other Churches which the Apostolic See judges to be in the same position as the aforesaid eastern Churches so far as the sacraments are concerned.

If there is a danger of death or if, in the judgment of the diocesan Bishop or of the Episcopal Conference, there is some other grave and pressing need, Catholic ministers may lawfully administer these same sacraments to other Christians not in full communion with the catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who spontaneously ask for them, provided that they demonstrate the catholic faith in respect of these sacraments and are properly disposed.*

Thanks for the information my friend this was what I was looking for. Well done. Again thank you.

 

[wifeandmomoftwo]

Thanks for the information my friend this was what I was looking for. Well done. Again thank you.

welcome

 

[mercygate]

Again I ask for proof or a reasonable argument. Should I accept what you are saying because you said so?

No. Try canon law.

Can. 204 §1 Christ’s faithful are those who, since they are incorporated into Christ through baptism, are constituted the people of God. . . . They are called . . . to exercise the mission which God entrusted to the Church to fulfil in the world.
§2 This Church, established and ordered in this world as a society, subsists in the catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him.
Can. 205 Those baptised are in full communion with the catholic Church here on earth who are joined with Christ in his visible body, through the bonds of profession of faith, the sacraments and ecclesiastical governance.

Translation: Christ’s faithful are those joined with His visible body, the Catholic Church, through the profession of the Catholic faith, the Sacraments (of initiation), and ecclesiastical governance.

Valid reception of the Sacrament of Penance also requires proper disposition:

Can. 987 In order that the faithful may receive the saving remedy of the sacrament of penance, they must be so disposed that, repudiating the sins they have committed and having the purpose of amending their lives, they turn back to God.

Part of “repudiating the sins they have committed” for a non-Catholic would be repudiating their persistence in holding to heretical teachings.

This goes to the question of material versus formal heresy. A non-Catholic Christian, de facto, by failing to accept Christ in His Church, and by rejecting the discipline of the household of fiath, remains, at best, in schism but more likely in outright heresy. “Amendment of life” would include accepting the authority Christ Himself entrusted to His Church.