Notice to priests reading this forum

[Phemie]

Because the Funeral is for those left behind, the person who has died has already stood before God’s judgement seat. The funeral allows those left behind to grieve and renew their faith in the Lord!

But if it’s only for those left behind you could have the funeral liturgy without offering the Mass for the repose of the soul of the deceased.

 

[CradleCath]

QUOTE=Phemie;6424953]I brought that up in a diocesan meeting where they were discussing implementing set-ups that would never allow the priest & penitent to be invisible.

The first reaction I got, from a pastor, was total surprise that anyone would want to be anonymous: “How do you give pastoral counsel if you don’t know who you are speaking with?”

Unbelivable!!! Why on earth would the priest need to know who the “confessee” is to discuss right & wrong…to say “this is a particularly heinous sin & here’s some advice on how to avoid it”. Or, “What you’ve described is not a sin, but a habit that should be looked at & prayed about”.

The next, from the bishop, was that anonymity was unimportant when put against the safety of penitents.

What I’ve come to understand is that, nowadays, the insurance company even dictates how one will confess – it’s all about cover your a** to reduce any liability.

That is pathetic. What our hierarchy should be looking at, right now, is WHY so few partake in a Sacrament that Christ, Himself, took such care to create. He said to His apostles, "What sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and what sins you shall retain, they are retained.

To the OP., the reconciliation rooms have been around since the 70’s & they are a total flop!! When one examines his/her conscience & makes the emotional effort to partake in the Sacrament of Confession…it is hard, it is sometimes painful & it is a PRIVATE thing that concerns the penitent, the priest & God.

However, in order to change things like this, the hierarchy in the Church in the US. is going to have to admit that so many of their “experiments” that followed the council…have created havoc within Christ’s Church. Some have already done this…others are going to hang onto these failed innovations until their dying day. However, these…who cannot seem to say, “I was wrong” are getting very close to retirement. Hang in there, “The times they are a-changing.”

 

[japhy]

There was nothing uncharitable about the way the post was written. I took it as a serious plea not in the least bit uncharitable.

I disagree (naturally).

“Just look ahead or close your eyes or something.”

“I shouldn’t have to say this.”

Is this the way we should speak to our priests? Should we give them “notices”, rather than ask “requests”?

Here is how I might have worded it:

Request to priests on this forum, regarding Confession

Some Catholics prefer to confess behind a screen because of the anonymity it provides. Father, if you are hearing confessions in a room where, because of the way the room is set up, you can see the person coming in and going behind the screen, I ask that you please consider this possibility and respond to it a pastoral manner. Perhaps you could avert your eyes, or re-arrange the room, or ask your pastor to intervene.

 

[mbn576]

I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I believe that a face-to-face confession is truly a gift from God. I go to confession weekly and I generally see the same priest each time. Is it embarassing to go back week after week and tell him I’ve committed the same sins? You betcha! But it’s an act of humility and it allows that priest to know me better and to give me the real guidance I need. This just can’t be done when you’re anonymous. Even if the priest passes judgement (which I have yet to meet one who does) or makes you feel uncomfortable, you can always visit another parish. But the bottom line is I’m being obedient to God and the Church and I’m practicing a very important virtue in humility. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is SO important. Please do not let the lack of an anonymous veil prevent you for participating in it.

May you grow to know His love!

 

[JimG]

I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I believe that a face-to-face confession is truly a gift from God. I go to confession weekly and I generally see the same priest each time. Is it embarassing to go back week after week and tell him I’ve committed the same sins? You betcha! But it’s an act of humility and it allows that priest to know me better and to give me the real guidance I need. This just can’t be done when you’re anonymous. Even if the priest passes judgement (which I have yet to meet one who does) or makes you feel uncomfortable, you can always visit another parish. But the bottom line is I’m being obedient to God and the Church and I’m practicing a very important virtue in humility. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is SO important. Please do not let the lack of an anonymous veil prevent you for participating in it.

May you grow to know His love!

You are right, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is very important, no matter how it is received. But the availability of anonymity is also important, and a parish is required to make it available.