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Holland
Guest
What happens if a priest decides not to absolve you of a mortal sin? Are you out of the Catholic Church or do you go to another priest or what?
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jmcrae
Guest
The priest will tell you what you need to do before you can be absolved of your sins. Typically, this kind of thing occurs if there is an ongoing occasion of sin in a person’s life.
Living together without marriage, divorced and remarried without a Declaration of Nullity, and working for Planned Parenthood or similar organization that exists primarily to promote evil are three situations I know of where the person would not be able to receive Absolution until the situation was taken care of.
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Denise_Shae
Guest
What about a woman using the Pill? If she confesses it and has no intention to discontinue using it, can the priest rightly absolve her? Can she even be truly contrite, if she refuses to stop taking it?
Thanks and God Bless!
In His Most Sacred
,Denise
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jmcrae
Guest
I don’t see any need to outline every possible situation, or to mount a soap box here - I was just giving some of the more obvious examples.What about a woman using the Pill? If she confesses it and has no intention to discontinue using it, can the priest rightly absolve her? Can she even be truly contrite, if she refuses to stop taking it?
Thanks and God Bless!
In His Most Sacred
Denise
Again, again, and again - if you are in a situation where you can’t receive the Absolution, the priest (not me) will tell you what you need to do.
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thechrismyster
Guest
you just answered your own question.
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Denise_Shae
Guest
I don’t see any need to outline every possible situation, or to mount a soap box here - I was just giving some of the more obvious examples.
Again, again, and again - if you are in a situation where you can’t receive the Absolution, the priest (not me) will tell you what you need to do.
Truly, that was not my intention. I’ve been curious about that issue for quite some time, because most of the Catholic women I know use the Pill. They also go to Confession and receive Holy Eurcharist.
I’ve read a lot of your posts, and you do seem very knowledgeable. I thought maybe you knew whether or not a priest could absolve a woman under that circumstance.
I’m very sorry if I came across as trying to challenge your response. It wasn’t my intention at all.
Thanks and God Bless.
In His Most Sacred
,Denise
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Denise_Shae
Guest
Well, I wasn’t exactly sure. That’s why I asked that question.you just answered your own question.
Thanks for the reply.
In His Most Sacred
,Denise
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jmcrae
Guest
I can see that you have good intentions, but I have no idea how one would know who is on the Pill or not, or what they had confessed in Confession?
If you’re in that situation, then this is something you want to ask your priest. If not, then let’s leave it to the priests to deal with.
In theory, I would expect them to require that she get off the Pill before receiving the Sacraments again.
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Denise_Shae
Guest
Yeah, that’s what I thought. ThanksI can see that you have good intentions, but I have no idea how one would know who is on the Pill or not, or what they had confessed in Confession?
If you’re in that situation, then this is something you want to ask your priest. If not, then let’s leave it to the priests to deal with.
In theory, I would expect them to require that she get off the Pill before receiving the Sacraments again.
Believe it or not, some women have no qualms about disclosing such personal information, in normal conversation, without even being asked.
Personally, I don’t like hearing about other people’s sins/weaknesses, etc. I’m not a priest and they’re none of my business. I have my own faults and failures to struggle with and wish they’d keep their personal lives to themselves.
Thanks again and God Bless you!
In His Most Sacred
,Denise
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Walking_Home
Guest
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Thanks
Believe it or not, some women have no qualms about disclosing such personal information, in normal conversation, without even being asked.Personally, I don’t like hearing about other people’s sins/weaknesses, etc. I’m not a priest and they’re none of my business. I have my own faults and failures to struggle with and wish they’d keep their personal lives to themselves.
Thanks again and God Bless you!
In His Most Sacred
Denise
I agree with what Denise stated here. Many times a persons deeds are dropped on our laps ----with our asking for this information. It does leave us in a bind.
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Denise_Shae
Guest
Hi Walking_Home,
I don’t know about others, but my family and friends know that was a non-practicing Catholic for many years. I finally came back Home in 1996. I try to practice my Faith to the best of my ability.
But I notice that people tell me things just to see how I’d answer them (whether or not I’d judge them) or to get some sort of reaction out of me. As if they’re trying to decide whether or not to believe I’m acting: “Holier-than-thou”; so in most cases, I just keep my mouth shut.
If someone asks my opinion, I either refer them to the Catechism of The Catholic Church (which very few of them have), or I’ll explain, to the best of my knowledge, what the Church teaches on the particular topic.
More often than not; they tend to “shoot the messanger”.
Thanks for your reply.
God Bless you!
In His Most Sacred
,Denise
H
Holland
Guest
I should have been more clear in my question. In the situations being discussed here the person has the opportunity to “fix” things if they so choose. What I am asking about are situations where a serious act has been committed (murder, rape). If a person shows true sorrow for the act does the priest have an obligation to give absolution? If he doesn’t give absolution what recourse would the person have?
A
atsheeran
Guest
Can. 980 If the confessor is in no doubt about the penitent’s disposition and the penitent asks for absolution, it is not to be denied or delayed.
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puzzleannie
Guest
we have absolutely no knowledge of the interior state of their soul, what goes on in their confessions, and what their private behavior is, so we may not make any assumption whatever about whether or not they receive absolution or are in a state of grace. None.
there are plenty of threads here on the moratlity of birth control, and that is off topic for this thread.
if the priest refuses to absolve the penitent he will give clear direction on what the penitent must do, and it is a matter between the confessor and the penitent. there is simply no appropriate way to discuss that private matter in the public forum.
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Denise_Shae
Guest
You’re absolutely correct, “we” do not, but the priest does.
Therefore, if a woman using the Pill has no intention of stopping, then technically, a priest would not be able to absolve her. One must be contrite and have a firm purpose of amendment in order to receive Absolution. IE – stop using the pill.
First of all, I wasn’t over on those other threads. ** I didn’t even notice the other threads**. I found this thread quite by accident and simply posted a question since it was on my mind. My initial post here was in regards to the Pill being an ongoing occasion in a person’s life with respect to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Not on the moratlity of artificial birthcontrol.
I wasn’t sitting in judgment of those who use the Pill or any other form of artificial birthcontrol. It was a simple question that thechrismyster and jmcrae was nice enough to answer for me.
Secondly, are you CAF’s owner? Are you CAF’s Administrator? One of the Moderators?
Because if you are, I’d like you to know that I do not appreciate being reprimanded in public for asking an honest question.
If any of the Forum’s Administrators have a problem with where I place a post, I expect to be told about it in a mature and courteous manner, PRIVATELY. Then I’d be more than happy to comply with their decision to remove the offending post.
If you are not an Administrator or Moderator, and my initial and subsequent posts offend you, please feel free to use the “Report Message” feature and let those in charge contact me, PRIVATELY, with the problem; not out here on the public forums.
And that also includes, you. If you want to “put me in my place”, so to speak, please do so in a PM. Because like I said, before, I didn’t see those other threads. I wasn’t even looking for these types of threads.
As you can see, it wasn’t as if I posted a list of names of women I know who use the Pill.
I only asked if Absolution could be given to people who have no intention of stopping. That, in a General meaning; not a certain individual person, per se.
Thank you.
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Traditional_Ang
Guest
Denise:Can she even be truly contrite, if she refuses to stop taking it?
Thanks and God Bless!
In His Most Sacred
Denise
I think you should look at your question.
True contrition requires a FIRM PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT, a desire to change because I love God more than whatever it is that is then blocking my relationship to Him.
When God said something “is an Abomination to Him”, He did not mean that it was hateful or disgusting, He meant that by it’s very nature, whatever that thing was was inimical to a right relationship with God, that it rendered me unable to accept the love and the grace of God or to Love God with all my mind and all my heart and all my soul and with all my strength.
In the case of Artificial Contraception, the use of Artificial Contraception prevents the action of the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life. It prevents the Spirit from making the marriage Holy and separating it from the world and uniting it to God.
That sounds like a HUGE block in the relationship to God to me.
I hope this isn’t too depressing, but I think you know what to tell your friend.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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Traditional_Ang
Guest
Puzzleanne:
It’s my suspicion that either our OP is using the Pill and has gone through what’s she’s described or has had a few women break the Code of the Confessional and tell her they weren’t absolved but not exactly why.
Either way, I think we’re witnessing a good example of the general lack of catechesis at many parishes and possibly a problem with obedience.
Catholic Answers has plenty of threads on vairious topics, but sometimes it’s best to charitably explain why what they are doing is separating them from God and then to hope that the information sinks through.
I would be curious as to why these women think they have to use Artificial Contraception when there is a better and more loving way that not only helps to preserve the couples’ relationships to God, but helps to bring added needed Grace into their relationships and to preserve their marriages.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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Denise_Shae
Guest
Hi Michael and may the Peace of Christ be with you and yours.
Actually, as I indicated in one of my previous posts: I don’t have a particular friend/family member in mind.
You see, after nine years in parochial school, I stopped practicing the Faith. Returned in 1996 and have been trying (with all my faults, failures and weaknesses) my best to live a good Catholic Christian life.
My family and friends are aware of this. But for some strange reason, people today; especially women, have no problems about bringing up such topics in conversation, as if they were talking about the weather.
Believe me, when I tell you; I do not ask. I don’t want to know.
Sometimes, it seems as if they’re almost bragging about it.
And while I don’t claim to read anyone’s heart, I do know these women go to Reconciliation. And that’s where my initial question came from.
I did, Michael, and that’s another reason for my post.
You see, since I came back to the Church, my family and friends think I’m over zealous, because I’m trying to tell them what the Church teaches; therefore, they won’t take my word for it.
However, if I point them to this thread, they’ll see I’m not trying to act “Holier-than-thou”, but am merely a messanger, and there are other practicing Catholics (who know much more than I ) that believe what I do with regards to this matter.
But, no; I am not referring to anyone in particular.
And again, thank you so very much for your kind and forthright reply.
God bless you, Frater mei In Christi,
T
Traditional_Ang
Guest
Denise:
Print out my reply to you a couple posts above and use that:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1536985&postcount=16
And, Then show them these from The Catechism of th Catholic Church (I’ve given the links so they can see the context of each of the citations):
V. The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love
*1643 "Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values."150
The openness to fertility
1652 "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."160*
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P55.HTM
The Love of Husband and Wife
Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality… the difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality.159
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P86.HTM
IN BRIEF
2399 The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P88.HTM
If these don’t convince your friends, esp. after their confessors have refused to grant absolution, they just don’t want to listen and they’re in rebellion. and, There really isn’t much you can do for them.
BTW, I’m sorry if that I got a wrong inference from your OP. I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m sorry.
On something like this, it’s better to talk privately to your priest and to remind them to talk to their priests, because the ladies are breaking the Seal of the Confessional, and it shouldn’t go further than that. Under no circumstance do you want to be a partner to that, even if they are insisting.
May God richly bless you for your efforts in living the faith. Oh, and I’m very glod to see that you’ve come back. Congratulations!
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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Traditional_Ang
Guest
Puzzleanne:
We’ve had a long time of posting together, and you haven’t usually don’t say what you said in your post to Denise Shae. You’re usually not that sharp, esp. with new posters who are sharing problems they seem to be having with friends and family who are sharing things they shouldn’t be.
Are you OK? Or did Denise Shae just rub you the wrong way?
I’d appreciate it if you’d just take a look at the OP and the thread and see if your post was really appropriate? I mean, no one else seemed to question whether it belonged here. Thanks.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
We’ve had a long time of posting together, and you haven’t usually don’t say what you said in your post to Denise Shae. You’re usually not that sharp, esp. with new posters who are sharing problems they seem to be having with friends and family who are sharing things they shouldn’t be.
Are you OK? Or did Denise Shae just rub you the wrong way?
I’d appreciate it if you’d just take a look at the OP and the thread and see if your post was really appropriate? I mean, no one else seemed to question whether it belonged here. Thanks.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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