Non-Catholics and confession?

[anodos]

I have a relative who is trying to follow God (as a Baptist) and is very weighed down by the memory of past sin. She has confessed these to God alone but doubts that she has been, or can be, forgiven. She is considering telling her pastor (so that he and his wife, in her opinion, can see what a horrible person she is and decide whether or not she can still help in church or even go to church at all - I’ve met her pastor, and I think she has far underestimated his powers of understanding and compassion).
I know that I can get probably information on “are non-Catholics truly forgiven by confessing to God alone?” on lots of other threads, so I won’t ask here; but I am wondering if it is possible for a non-Catholic to go to the sacrament of confession? She seems open to the possibility of doing so, even though she doesn’t believe in the unique authority of the Church.

 

[YoungTradCath]

No, a non-Catholic may not go to confession. One absolutely must be a catholic to do so. I recommend convincing her to convert. This is a major problem with Protestantism, that you don’t know that God has forgiven you, and you just base it on some vague feeling. Please convince her to convert. It is in her best interest.

 

[anodos]

Thank you, this is what I thought the answer might be, but I wasn’t sure. I appreciate your help! She has been asking some good questions about Catholicism, maybe someday she will be more receptive.

 

[Seatuck]

Thank you, this is what I thought the answer might be, but I wasn’t sure. I appreciate your help! She has been asking some good questions about Catholicism, maybe someday she will be more receptive.

She can go to confession but she would not be able to receive absolution because it is a sacrament reserved for those who are Catholic, or are entering the church or are protestants in danger of immediate death and considering entering the church.

It might be good for her to seek time with a good and holy priest if you know one who can counsel her to be able to forgive herself which seems to be the problem when you get down to it.

 

[Lonely_guy]

Yes,you really need to be a catholic in order to confess. But you can talk to any catholic priest. That might help. Also,you can confess direct to God. He see you and He know and if one relay want to be forgiven and will not do what he or she sees or know is a sin,he or she will be forgiven. This is,as far as I know,not written in the CCC but I often do so. It might be wrong but to me it is the only option. Tell your friend to have no fear,God knows and God forgive.

 

[JRKH]

She can go to confession but she would not be able to receive absolution because it is a sacrament reserved for those who are Catholic, or are entering the church or are protestants in danger of immediate death and considering entering the church.

It might be good for her to seek time with a good and holy priest if you know one who can counsel her to be able to forgive herself which seems to be the problem when you get down to it.

In the present immediate circumstance, I think that she probably SHOULD talk to her pastor - But this should not extend to the pastor’s wife. I’m thinking here about how the Baptist Tradition might understand what we would call the “Seal of the Confessional”.
The fewer people involved the better…

That said, I agree that a conversation with a good and holy priest undoubtedly would be beneficial and could be a seed planted that might later bloom into a full fledged conversion.

Peace
James

 

[kdub432]

The bible says in Matthew 16:19 that whatever Peter binds on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever he looses on earth will be loosed in heaven. SInce Peter is the Rock of the Church, he confers this authority down through the succession of the popes throughout the last 2 thousand years. This includes the explicit power to forgive sins through Jesus.

I never really understood the Protestant’s idea of forgiveness of sins. I’m not sure how God will sort out sins people have turned away from, but the only sure way is through a valid Catholic confession!