Forced Confession question

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On my confession app…1st commandment - it asks “have I formally or informally left the Catholic Church”…going to a non-Catholic community for 3 years…seems to me to fit the bill…
Yes. There is a big difference between visiting non-Catholic services on a special occasion, especially a wedding or funeral, and forsaking Mass to be there for a solid three years - and I would venture that the OP wasn’t just attending, but fully participating. That’s heresy/schism.
 
I wish to remind you that you ARE Catholic and will remain so, since your baptism left an indelible mark on your soul. You can be nothing other than a Catholic, no matter what church you attend. You will always be a Catholic.
I’ve known and seen Catholics even on CAF tell Baptized Catholics they are not Catholic so this was well said.
 
how culpable you are depends on your knowledge and acceptance that the catholic Church was and always will be the one true Church of Jesus Christ. To formally leave knowing and believing that would have been a mortal sin as Vatican II taught. Only you can know how much you knew and believed three years ago.
So when CCC says if one knows the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation and does not remain, they could not be saved… it’s not enough to simply know this is what the Catholic Church teaches? But you also must accept and believe it? And if one doesn’t or no longer does, they can be saved?
 
A pastor who isn’t gentle and welcoming to people who are returning to Mass is really turning people off.
While I think a lot of things by pastors and laity for that matter can turn people off, a lack of gentleness is certainly one.
 
Um, as to believing what the Church teaches… Let’s look at it this way: We cannot enter Heaven with a mortal sin on our souls. Whether not believing in the Church’s teachings is a mortal sin or not, well, it depends on the circumstances.
 
Umm… So saying that other religions are sinful is how one expresses interreligious dialogue. That works well with outreach… The poster should find another priest because her current one doesn’t strike me as very welcoming or reassuring. He really “doesn’t smell like his sheep.”

And no… I never feel the weight of God’s forgiveness when I go to confession. It is a yucky obligation I have to do. I get nothing from it. (*Pleazse ask me about my bad confession experiences.) Perhaps if Catholic nuns didn’t threaten confession for “bad children” then the whole experience would be better.
Boy you sure are putting a lot of words in this poor priests mouth…words that I don’t see they ever said. Please refrain from such…especially with the clergy!

Sorry not going to ask you about your experience with confession because it doesn’t appear like you have anything constructive to say. It might have to with how you approach it. Ya…the fact I get to go in and have God hit the delete button…it’s awesome!

Never did the OP say that this priest wasn’t welcoming. But the fact of the matter is that leaving the Church and receiving communion at a “interreligous” denomination is in fact a sin. And any priest worth his salt knows that. This priest is concerned about the OP’s soul and them receiving communion unworthy…certainly sounds like a good Shepard to me.

What doesn’t sound good is your lack of charity about this priest and/or your leaps of what this priest did/did not do.
 
Yes. There is a big difference between visiting non-Catholic services on a special occasion, especially a wedding or funeral, and forsaking Mass to be there for a solid three years - and I would venture that the OP wasn’t just attending, but fully participating. That’s heresy/schism.
Geez… Again saying Protestant services are evil are oh so great for that whole year of faith thing going on and trying to return people to Catholicism. Frankly, I think questioning one’s faith is healthy.
So when CCC says if one knows the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation and does not remain, they could not be saved… it’s not enough to simply know this is what the Catholic Church teaches? But you also must accept and believe it? And if one doesn’t or no longer does, they can be saved?
Do you think that people outside the Catholic religion get into Heaven? I cannot abide by a God who for instance denies people who don’t believe in Christianity but lived good lives that.
 
Boy you sure are putting a lot of words in this poor priests mouth…words that I don’t see they ever said. Please refrain from such…especially with the clergy!

Sorry not going to ask you about your experience with confession because it doesn’t appear like you have anything constructive to say. It might have to with how you approach it. Ya…the fact I get to go in and have God hit the delete button…it’s awesome!

Never did the OP say that this priest wasn’t welcoming. But the fact of the matter is that leaving the Church and receiving communion at a “interreligous” denomination is in fact a sin. And any priest worth his salt knows that. This priest is concerned about the OP’s soul and them receiving communion unworthy…certainly sounds like a good Shepard to me.

What doesn’t sound good is your lack of charity about this priest and/or your leaps of what this priest did/did not do.
  1. Yep… perhaps we shouldn’t teach it as a form of a punishment in Catholic school then. It was what the naughtiest children had to do when I went to school. And there wasn’t anything about a delete button. It was punishment for the naughty kids.
  2. Based on my reading of the situation, I don’t think that the priest was at all being a “good shepherd.” Many people have turned away from the faith, which is why the Church is trying to get them back. The Catholic Church has done a great job turning people off with all the scandals and general lack of welcoming. The poster feels uncomfortable with the priest; if so, he/ she will likely feel uncomfortable with the parish itself and will likely go back to the Protestant church. This should be viewed as a sign that this parish isn’t a good fit for him/ her and that they should get a second opinion. Perhaps the priest in question will learn how to be better in his outreach and counseling because of it.
 
Geez… Again saying Protestant services are evil are oh so great for that whole year of faith thing going on and trying to return people to Catholicism. Frankly, I think questioning one’s faith is healthy.

Do you think that people outside the Catholic religion get into Heaven? I cannot abide by a God who for instance denies people who don’t believe in Christianity but lived good lives that.
Quite frankly our salvation is not based of off our feelings…

God can do anything so people who have not heard the Gospel yes can be saved and only God knows who is in heaven for sure.

But to counsel people that its ok to turn their back on their faith is not loving, kind, or welcoming. We should do all we can to help our brothers/sisters into heaven.

Counseling people in ways contrary to the faith is neither loving or kind. From your answers and your thinking that consent questioning of the faith is a good thing…it seems that it would be good for you to spend some time in the catechism.
 
There is a difference between questioning one’s faith legitimately, and repudiating one’s faith obstinately. I never said I wasn’t happy that you chose to return, but you really need to search your conscience a bit more in this regard. I am beginning to think your priest is right.
 
Umm… So saying that other religions are sinful is how one expresses interreligious dialogue. That works well with outreach… The poster should find another priest because her current one doesn’t strike me as very welcoming or reassuring. He really “doesn’t smell like his sheep.”

And no… I never feel the weight of God’s forgiveness when I go to confession. It is a yucky obligation I have to do. ** I get nothing from it.** (*Please ask me about my bad confession experiences.) Perhaps if Catholic nuns didn’t threaten confession for “bad children” then the whole experience would be better.
How is it you can say you get nothing from confession? You receive God’s mercy and forgiveness in confession. What more could you want?
If you mean to say there is no warm and fuzzy feeling, then I understand how that could be.

Re the Catholic nuns…I assume you attend a Catholic high school? Be happy you even have nuns at your school. We have not had a nun in our school in some years now. When I graduated high school 35 years ago we had none (no pun intended). I’m sure there are a few nuns who do not present confession properly at every school, but most do.
 
Quite frankly our salvation is not based of off our feelings…

God can do anything so people who have not heard the Gospel yes can be saved and only God knows who is in heaven for sure.

But to counsel people that its ok to turn their back on their faith is not loving, kind, or welcoming. We should do all we can to help our brothers/sisters into heaven.

Counseling people in ways contrary to the faith is neither loving or kind. From your answers and your thinking that consent questioning of the faith is a good thing…it seems that it would be good for you to spend some time in the catechism.
  1. I don’t think that a loving God would do that. I just cannot abide by that.
  2. I invite you to look up what our Holy Father says about the subject of evangelization and how it should be done. (Hint… by our actions not our words.)
  3. I was away from the Church for nearly ten years due to a rash of issues with Catholic education and bad interactions with priests and nuns. I only returned a few years ago due to interactions with a wonderful parish. I was told by my pastor that questioning one’s faith was actually healthy because it leads to a more mature, adult faith. He’d actually be concerned if someone didn’t experience a period of doubts.
 
There is a difference between questioning one’s faith legitimately, and repudiating one’s faith obstinately. I never said I wasn’t happy that you chose to return, but you really need to search your conscience a bit more in this regard. I am beginning to think your priest is right.
I’m not the original poster. I just think he/ she should seek out another parish. Having a poor experience with a parish will cause him/ her to slip away from the faith again.
 
How is it you can say you get nothing from confession? You receive God’s mercy and forgiveness in confession. What more could you want?
If you mean to say there is no warm and fuzzy feeling, then I understand how that could be.

Re the Catholic nuns…I assume you attend a Catholic high school? Be happy you even have nuns at your school. We have not had a nun in our school in some years now. When I graduated high school 35 years ago we had none (no pun intended). I’m sure there are a few nuns who do not present confession properly at every school, but most do.
Look this is going down the rabbit hole. Let’s stay on topic. I just believe the best advice is for the OP to find a new parish.
 
Look this is going down the rabbit hole. Let’s stay on topic. I just believe the best advice is for the OP to find a new parish.
?.
I repsonded directly to your post. I didn’t introduce the material.
:confused:
 
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