Priest deciding Fate

[Trishie]

I hope and pray that your dear mother will have happier experiences of the Catholic faith in the future. You will be a wonderful doorway for her to find her way back into the heart of the Church, at the time when this blessing will come. She’s blessed to have such a good and sincere son.
God blessyou…Trishie

 

[EVANGELION]

No offense, but I do not believe that any priest said such a thing. There is something else going on here beneath the surface…

I agree. I’ve never heard of a priest acting outrageously like that.

 

[LilyM]

I would just like to say that my mother is not “elderly”, and also that she doesn’t hate the Catholic church because of this.

Our family is made up of mostly catholics and we have many catholic friends. But because of this experience, she herself didn’t want to return to the catholic church. She also is very wary of priests.
But she’s certainly not a “catholic hater”.

Again, perhaps this was an unfortunate rare occurence.

There’s no perhaps about it. In nearly 20 years of confessions I have NEVER had a priest talk to me like that, although one or two have been a little iless-than-saintly. Neither has anyone I know, and I’m sure I would’ve been told if they had.

“Hate” or not, your mother allowed this one priest to drive her away from the Church. Would she seriously have left school over one lousy teacher, or avoided all doctors just because one was nasty?

 

[Trishie]

That could be so but we need to consider we can’t call someone’s mother untruthful either, or unbalanced…a priest once said in anguish when I went into the Confessional, “Thank God it’s you. I’ve been hearing all afternoon how dreadfully offended Our Lord has been.” He was feeling it all a bit too personally…there is at least a possibility that the priest, Fr G. had burdens beyond what he could bear for the moment!

That priest I mentioned, I suppose he was a bit odd, but I still want him on my side when I die. I don’t agree with him, but this was a conversation told me by a lovely young man, Michael a friend, who himself later became a priest (a very good priest at that! I wish I could agree with what Fr G said, but I know better than to. Anyway, there was Confession after the 6pm Saturday Mass, and I’d been unable to come to that particular Mass as we’d had family visitors, but I hurried down for Confession as just after Mass ended. The other parish priest was hearing Confessions, and Michael asked Fr G, “what’s Trish doing coming at this time?” Fr G replied, “She comes every …week. She wouldn’t know a sin if it jumped up and bit her.” That comes under the heading of different or odd, and maybe not correct procedure? But you see, priests don’t always get things right, including my sinlessness…I wish though…wonderful as they are.

The story may or may not be absolutely accurate regarding that mother’s experience…but there could be something…or the woman misunderstood…but odd things do happen. I just don’t like the idea of casting any discredit on someone’s story without actually having been there…misunderstanding is possible in some way or other…

 

[chewchoo]

the fact that someone relays an incident that is hopefully rare (or maybe not) and the fact that the hearer or reader has never personally experienced said incident then such an incident could never have happened to someone else! how can anyone individual experience everything? even second hand? we shouldn’t be gullible, but we should give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

It amazes me to hear stories like those relayed on this thread. Unfortunately, some may be true. I am not judging which are or are not. As a Eucharistic Apostle of Divine Mercy, I know and I teach that Jesus desires mercy, not judgment. Mercy is for the living, judgment is for the dead. Bottom line, there is nothing we can ever do that will make God stop loving us. Nothing. The first thing Jesus said on the cross was “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

There could have been no worse sin ever committed by man, than the murder, crucifixion of Jesus. Yet he only wanted to forgive. Priests who may do or say things as relayed in this thread are, happily, very rare birds. If I would ever encounter one, I would definitely go to another priest. Even scripture tells us that there is more rejoicing in heaven over the conversion of one sinner than 100 remaining righteous.

The only unpardonable sin is the sin against the Holy spirit. To commit that sin, we have to believe that our sin(s) are so great that even God cannot forgive them. This in itself is a form of pride as we place ourselves beyond the ability of God. Hopefully this will help put things into perspective.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B

 

[DocSoos]

I became a Catholic in 93, and it sounds like to me in the OP that the Priest was way out of line, now I have run into what I call “bad” confessions only from an order of Priests which I shall not name here. That being said to the OP, trust in your heart. Don’t let the experiences that your mother had influence your decision. Why don’t you sit down and talk with a Priest about your concerns. Good luck and God Bless.

Peace

 

[mm1991]

I just want to say thanks for everyone’s imput.

I’d also like to say that I do believe that my mother was also wrong to let one wrong priest drive her from the church.
We’ve known other preists and catholics in our lives who have been the nicest, most caring people we have ever met!

I’m really looking forward to trying out different churches.