First Confession after First Communion--confused

[ConstantineTG]

So any validly baptized person can go to confession?

Technically, yes.

 

[TrueLight]

So now I’m confused. A Protestant who has not undergone instruction but believes and understands the sacrament of penance based on their own research can walk into a confessional and confess?

If that’s the case, I could have gone to confession way before I did.

Apologist Jimmy Akins answers this question

“ Canon 844:4 If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the national 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 they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.”

“36. The celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation with candidates for reception into full communion is to be carried out at a time prior to and distinct from the celebration of the rite of reception.”
*The National Statutes for Catechumenate (passed by the U.S. National Conference of Catholic Bishops November 11, 1986) *

These two citations say to me that under grave circumstances a Protestant can go to confession and of course right before they are received into the Church, but not normally at any other time.

Am I misunderstanding something?

 

[1ke]

So now I’m confused. A Protestant who has not undergone instruction but believes and understands the sacrament of penance based on their own research can walk into a confessional and confess?

No. They can’t.

A Protestant who meets the specific canonical requirements of canon 844 can receive the sacrament of reconiliation, not any non-Catholic walking in off the street. They would have to make their situation known ahead of time and receive permission to confess.

Am I misunderstanding something?

I don’t think so.

 

[1ke]

So any validly baptized person can go to confession?

Any validly baptized person who meets the criteria established in canon law (Can 844) can do so and who receives permission to do so (the OK to confess might come from the priest to whom the non-Catholic explains the situaiton or it might have to come from the Bishop. Depends on the particular law of the Bishop’s conference or diocese).

Not just any person randomly off the street can go to the sacrament of reconciliation.

 

[anp1215]

Any validly baptized person who meets the criteria established in canon law (Can 844) can do so and who receives permission to do so (the OK to confess might come from the priest to whom the non-Catholic explains the situaiton or it might have to come from the Bishop. Depends on the particular law of the Bishop’s conference or diocese).

Not just any person randomly off the street can go to the sacrament of reconciliation.

OK, makes more sense now.

 

[ConstantineTG]

So now I’m confused. A Protestant who has not undergone instruction but believes and understands the sacrament of penance based on their own research can walk into a confessional and confess?

If that’s the case, I could have gone to confession way before I did.

Can and should are two different questions. Can you go to confession? You are baptized and you are inside the Church, yes you can. Should you? No. Because of your beliefs as a Protestant, even though you are subject to the graces of the Sacrament, you are also committing sacrilege. Confession is not only about getting forgiveness but also reuniting you to a Church you don’t believe in.

 

[Cristiano]

Does this mean the priest can tell other people what the non-Catholic just confessed?

I am just going to express my opinion and it is not based on real information but only guesses. I would say that he can but that he may not, he is not bound by the seal of confession but he is bound by other moral laws. It is an obligation of the priest to notify the individual that what is going on is not the sacrament of confession but just a personal conversation. I think that simulation of sacrament by a priest probably is as bad a breaking the seal of confession, I need to read the CCL to make sure of that.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

My understanding is that once catechumens have been through the Rite of Election, they are eligible to make a confession, at least in this diocese.

A person cannot receive any other sacraments until they are baptized. Going through the Rite of Election sets them for baptism at the Easter Vigil. After they are baptized they can go to confession.

In addition, someone who will be baptized has no need of confession. Their baptism will remove any sins they have committed.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I am just going to express my opinion and it is not based on real information but only guesses. I would say that he can but that he may not, he is not bound by the seal of confession but he is bound by other moral laws. It is an obligation of the priest to notify the individual that what is going on is not the sacrament of confession but just a personal conversation. I think that simulation of sacrament by a priest probably is as bad a breaking the seal of confession, I need to read the CCL to make sure of that.

There is no simulation if the priest doesn’t give absolution. If someone walks in and starts saying all his sins and then later on the priest asks some questions which makes him think the penitent is not Catholic, then outright asks the question and is confirmed, then there is no simulation. Simulation is a sin if the priest willingly performs absolution knowingly it is not valid. If he gets to the absolution but at that point he doesn’t know the person is non-Christian, then he has committed no offense.

 

[felsguy]

My understanding is that once catechumens have been through the Rite of Election, they are eligible to make a confession, at least in this diocese.

Also Baptized non-Catholics can do so under some circumstances, for instance imminent danger of death.

As a practical matter, when I was still an Episcopalian, I was never denied Absolution by a Catholic priest, and I never misled my confessor about my status.

This topic has come up several times this spring. In some instances, there was confusion because of imprecise terminology. Others might have been due to a misunderstanding, and, who knows, occasionally sometimes things are just done wrong.

Here’s an attempt to deal with the terminology.

The Rite of Election involves only the non-baptized, that is, the catechumens. These individuals would not, should not, could not receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (“go to confession”) until after they have received the Sacrament of Baptism.

There is a second, somewhat similar rite, called the Rite of Calling the Candidates to Continuing Conversion. This is for a) baptized non-Catholics and also b) baptized but uncatechized Catholics.
These individuals can, are encouraged to, and in some cases should receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation sometime between the celebration of this rite and the Rite of Full Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church which is celebrated at the Easter Vigil.

The similarity of these rites and the wordiness of their titles can lead to confusion. Adding to the situation is the fact that these two rites are often celebrated together in a combined rite with the unwieldy title of Celebration of the Rite of Catechumens and of the Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates Who Are Preparing for Confirmation and/or Eucharist or Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church. ( I kid you not.)

In a nutshell, as had been stated by others above, Baptism is necessary for the valid reception of the other sacraments including the Sacrament of Confession. For the unbaptized, “going to confession” would be just a dry run, practice session, rehearsal, counseling session or whatever.

.

 

[Fone_Bone_2001]

…and i thought anyone could turn up at confession whether they are off the street or not. They wouldn’t be turned away.

He won’t turn anyone away, but if the person is unbaptized, they cannot be granted absolution. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is for forgiveness of sins committed after one’s baptism. An unbaptized person who visits seeking confession would probably be directed to RCIA to learn more about the possibility of turning their life over to Christ - to learn about faith in Jesus and the possibility of entering the Church.

Does this mean the priest can tell other people what the non-Catholic just confessed?

No.

This has always confused me. Candidates go to Confession before they are received into the Church, when they are not officially Catholic yet.

It’s because candidates have already been baptized. You don’t technically have to be Catholic to be able to validly go to Confession. I’m not sure what the rules are, but whatever they are, it is possible, whereas for an unbaptized person absolution in confession is not possible yet… their sins will be forgiven in baptism.

So any validly baptized person can go to confession?

I don’t know what the rules are about Protestants going to Confession, but it is possible, yes. I think they have to request it of their own volition, manifest a true Catholic faith in the efficacy of the Sacrament and all that goes with it, and be unable to obtain such a thing from a minister of their own community… but others will correct me if I’m forgetting some other requirement.

These two citations say to me that under grave circumstances a Protestant can go to confession and of course right before they are received into the Church, but not normally at any other time.

Am I misunderstanding something?

No, I think you’re right.

No. They can’t.

A Protestant who meets the specific canonical requirements of canon 844 can receive the sacrament of reconiliation, not any non-Catholic walking in off the street. They would have to make their situation known ahead of time and receive permission to confess.

Ah, okay; that makes sense.

 

[AveMariaMag7]

I am stumped on this one as I’ve never heard of it occurring before. I hope someone can help me figure this one out.

A friend of mine, who I’ve been in touch with during her journey “Crossing the Tiber” in the past year, was received into the Church on Holy Saturday (Praise God). She received the Eucharist that night as well as Confirmation. However, I heard from her lat night (18 nights after Holy Saturday) that she had her first Sacrament of Reconciliation just yesterday.

“Those who were baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but not baptized Cathoic could not take part in the Sacrament until after Confirmation. There was much debate and confusion over this but that was the final call.”

She is an extraordinary Christian woman who I am so grateful has found Christ’s Church. She had been baptized as a child (is now probably in her early 60s) and was so moved by her Sacrament of Reconciliation yesterday. I’m just confused to the order of her reception of the Sacraments.

What am I missing?

Perhaps she was baptized on Holy Saturday.
(If her baptism as a child was not followed by the correct formula. I believe it has to be “I baptize you in the Name of the Father AND of The Son AND of The Holy Spirit”)
In that case her Holy Saturday baptism wipes away all sin and she need not go to confession until she commits a sin after that time. One gets Graces going often, even if they are small venial sins. If she was misinformed by her priest, the onus is not on her. The priest has to answer to a higher authority for not doing things as they should, unless he did it out of ignorance. Seminarian formation sometimes is a bit lacking nowadays.

This question would be better directed to one of the Expert Apologists on this forum. It is a fine line for laymen to answer.