Is a confessor's advice considered infallible?

[Gord_Fistriker]

Several months ago I went to confession with a heavy heart fearing that my wife and I were living a sinful life because of the way we made love. To my relief the priest said we were NOT sinning.

Later on I began reading on this forum describing such activity as sinful, contradicting my confessor’s advice. How do I resolve this problem?

 

[baltobetsy]

Unless what you read here was from Father Vincent Serpa or one of the other professional apologists, I would believe your priest. It’s certainly more likely that one of us laypeople on an internet forum would be wrong than the priest who studied for years in the seminary, was ordained, and who, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, acted in the person of Christ in your confession.

We forum members are most definitely NOT infallible. We give opinions, many of which are based on good scholarship and formation and many of which are based on ignorance and our own personal feelings. It’s not always easy to tell the difference.

Perhaps you might submit a question to the Ask An Apologist forum for a more authoritative answer to your moral question if you are not sure of what your priest told you. Alternatively, you could ask your priest for more information.

Betsy

 

[puzzleannie]

Several months ago I went to confession with a heavy heart fearing that my wife and I were living a sinful life because of the way we made love. To my relief the priest said we were NOT sinning.

Later on I began reading on this forum describing such activity as sinful, contradicting my confessor’s advice. How do I resolve this problem?

you make your confession to a good priest, you follow his advice and counsel, and you do not monday-morning quarterback your confession, and you do not take marital counselling or spiritual direction from internet forums. if you want specific advice from one of the CA priests they will be happy to give it, and there are directions on how to contact them directly, but even they cannot hear your confession on-line

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I agree with the above posts about how to resolve the problem. In general, though, to the question in your subject line, I can’t imagine a confessor’s advice would be considered “infallible.” Wise and personal, maybe, but I think the term “infallible” has a very limited use which wouldn’t apply here. I think a confessor’s advice is likely to be more reliable than an internet forum. With this many people posting, you’re going to find somebody who thinks practically anything is a sin.

Alan