How Persona Christi during confession?

[dfp42]

I’m trying to understand how it is that the priest does this and yet won’t remember who you are or your sins the moment you walk out of the confessional. During confession on time I told my parish priest the concerns and he said not to be afraid because he doesn’t remember our sins, but how can you not remember someones sins. Also, I get confused on the part where the priest talks to you as himself giving you personal opinions about what to do vs it actually being God speaking through him 100 percent of the time. Some of the things I’ve heard from going to different confessors seems like opinions at times. When the priests starts to talk to you about his own life should I let this bother me? Either way I know I need the certainty of the priest to be forgiven and I won’t take the chance of not doing that but I wonder these things.

 

[Bookcat]

A Priest may not break the seal of confession…

Some priests may remember…some may not…but this has nothing to do with their acting in persona Christi …

Nor does such mean that what a Priest may say is from God…

hence as you say they can have different opinions…

But when a Priest validly absolves a rightly disposed penitent…their sins are absolved…

CCC

1548 In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis:

It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).

Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ.

875 “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?” No one - no individual and no community - can proclaim the Gospel to himself: “Faith comes from what is heard.” No one can give himself the mandate and the mission to proclaim the Gospel. The one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of Christ’s authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, bishops and priests receive the mission and faculty (“the sacred power”) to act in persona Christi Capitis; deacons receive the strength to serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word and charity, in communion with the bishop and his presbyterate. The ministry in which Christ’s emissaries do and give by God’s grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a “sacrament” by the Church’s tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.

 

[dfp42]

Nor does such mean that what a Priest may say is from God…

hence as you say they can have different opinions…

But when a Priest validly absolves a rightly disposed penitent…their sins are absolved…

I was always under the assumption that whatever advice a priest was to give in the confessional was Jesus himself speaking to me. Or even outside of the confessional. Should I not think this way anymore? I trust in the Church knowing that I need to go to a priest for confession but I always thought that regardless what the priest says it’s God saying it.

 

[Bookcat]

I was always under the assumption that whatever advice a priest was to give in the confessional was Jesus himself speaking to me. Or even outside of the confessional. Should I not think this way anymore?

Correct I would set aside this understanding…

for such is not the Teaching of the Church…

The advice of the Priest is good to the degree that it conforms to the Teachings of the Church etc and dependent on the Priests knowledge, experience, virtues and his wisdom and prudence etc…

Some advice can be very good…some less so…and on occasion one may find a Priest who does not follow the teachings of the Church either knowingly (contrary to his baptism and ordination…) or unknowingly by mistake…

Though the Sacrament of Confession is a good place to seek advice from a good Priest…and the grace of God can be assisting in that forum.

And of course the Holy Spirit can always inspire a Priest or other Christian…

And there is something of course to “referring a question to ones confessor”…such can be a very good practice in the spiritual life.

Especially for those with scruples …

 

[dfp42]

Correct I would set aside this understanding…

for such is not the Teaching of the Church…

The advice of the Priest is good to the degree that it conforms to the Teachings of the Church etc and dependent on the Priests knowledge, experience, virtues and his wisdom and prudence etc…

Some advice can be very good…some less so…and on occasion one may find a Priest who does not follow the teachings of the Church either knowingly (contrary to his baptism and ordination…) or unknowingly by mistake…

Is it wise or ok to go to a priest you trust more vs your parish priest? The only reason I ask is because I want the truth and I really don’t want watered down Catholicism in the confessional where the priest can tell me its ok to commit a certain sin as long as my conscience tells me its ok. I wish I could say or trust that all priests are the same on their knowledge, experience, etc but I don’t think they are all the same. But it does lead into the question of why say during advent confessionals are parishes with multiple priest present to listen to confessionals that some people like other priests better then others. Is it because the advice is watered down and that priest says its ok to commit some sin and yet another priest says its not ok.

 

[Bookcat]

Is it wise or ok to go to a priest you trust more vs your parish priest? The only reason I ask is because I want the truth and I really don’t want watered down Catholicism in the confessional where the priest can tell me its ok to commit a certain sin as long as my conscience tells me its ok. I wish I could say or trust that all priests are the same on their knowledge, experience, etc but I don’t think they are all the same. But it does lead into the question of why say during advent confessionals are parishes with multiple priest present to listen to confessionals that some people like other priests better then others. Is it because the advice is watered down and that priest says its ok to commit some sin and yet another priest says its not ok.

One may go to confession to any Catholic Priest …it does not have to be ones Parish Priest.

Canon Law (Roman):

Can. 991 Every member of the Christian faithful is free to confess sins to a legitimately approved confessor of his or her choice, even to one of another rite.

One can have various reasons for doing so. Not just orthodoxy or knowledge… but personality even…some just fit one better.

 

[dfp42]

I know the general rule is to try to stay with your same confessor so he can understand and help you on issues, but if you are new to the faith and confession you really can’t do that until you been to confession in other places about 100 times to actually know.

 

[Bookcat]

I know the general rule is to try to stay with your same confessor so he can understand and help you on issues, but if you are new to the faith and confession you really can’t do that until you been to confession in other places about 100 times to actually know.

No worries…there is no “general rule”…but having a regular confessor that you ordinarily go to can help one in the spiritual life.

I will also note that of course those readers with scruples …such is what would be highly recommended for them.