F
Forgiving
Guest
In response to Chatter163:
There was no haranguing ! What a terrible assumption to make !
Contrary to what you perceived, I agreed with **Mark T’s **answer. If you follow the whole thread you will see this. Mark was clarifying for me substance vs. format in confession. Mark was pointing out the essential elements of a valid confession and that Moscati’s answer with the Vatican citation was describing the format the rite should take.
I was ultimately concerned that the format that had been followed in my experience of 52 years constituted the necessary elements of a valid confession, namely that a verbal expression of contrition be made before absolution is given. So both Moscati and Mark showed me that what is necessary and essential is to confess your sins and receive absolution. Formats can change. I thanked him for this explanation and for Moscati’s research. Mark’s answers to my questions were intelligent and (unlike you) he made no personal judgments or false assumptions. He was genuinely concerned about my understanding of the issue for my peace of mind.
I know that we must approach the confessional with true sorrow for our sins and a firm purpose of amendment for the confession to be valid. Only we know our state of mind. What I learned here is that the verbal prayer of contrition just before absolution is not essential during the confession. Formats can change. I will note however that my pastor felt the priest was wrong and told me to pray for him. My pastor said it is Church tradition to include a prayer of contrition in the confession.
I posed the original question because I was surprised that during my lifetime this was the first time a priest did not allow any prayer of contrition during the confession. So I believed it was a necessary part of the confession rite. I agreed with the priest’s reasoning that he didn’t want penitents to just rattle off the act of contrition without sufficient reflection. So his remedy to tell us to say it later in the day when we could be quiet and give more time to the reflection is very understandable.
You can appreciate my surprise and concern since for all these years every other priest told me to say a prayer of contrition before I was given absolution.
As far as priests wanting to speed things up to be able to hear more confessions , it only takes a moment to say “Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner”. And I realize now that the traditional “I’m sorry for these and all the sins of my past life” which we learned to say as children also counts as and “act of contrition”.
Chatter, I also never said that we should say our penance in the confessional or that only one form of the act of contrition be used. But it is interesting that you point out that a “laminated card provided in the confessionals” with a prayer of contrition is available for our use during confession.
Thank you to all the responders here. I have learned a lot.
There was no haranguing ! What a terrible assumption to make !
Contrary to what you perceived, I agreed with **Mark T’s **answer. If you follow the whole thread you will see this. Mark was clarifying for me substance vs. format in confession. Mark was pointing out the essential elements of a valid confession and that Moscati’s answer with the Vatican citation was describing the format the rite should take.
I was ultimately concerned that the format that had been followed in my experience of 52 years constituted the necessary elements of a valid confession, namely that a verbal expression of contrition be made before absolution is given. So both Moscati and Mark showed me that what is necessary and essential is to confess your sins and receive absolution. Formats can change. I thanked him for this explanation and for Moscati’s research. Mark’s answers to my questions were intelligent and (unlike you) he made no personal judgments or false assumptions. He was genuinely concerned about my understanding of the issue for my peace of mind.
I know that we must approach the confessional with true sorrow for our sins and a firm purpose of amendment for the confession to be valid. Only we know our state of mind. What I learned here is that the verbal prayer of contrition just before absolution is not essential during the confession. Formats can change. I will note however that my pastor felt the priest was wrong and told me to pray for him. My pastor said it is Church tradition to include a prayer of contrition in the confession.
I posed the original question because I was surprised that during my lifetime this was the first time a priest did not allow any prayer of contrition during the confession. So I believed it was a necessary part of the confession rite. I agreed with the priest’s reasoning that he didn’t want penitents to just rattle off the act of contrition without sufficient reflection. So his remedy to tell us to say it later in the day when we could be quiet and give more time to the reflection is very understandable.
You can appreciate my surprise and concern since for all these years every other priest told me to say a prayer of contrition before I was given absolution.
As far as priests wanting to speed things up to be able to hear more confessions , it only takes a moment to say “Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner”. And I realize now that the traditional “I’m sorry for these and all the sins of my past life” which we learned to say as children also counts as and “act of contrition”.
Chatter, I also never said that we should say our penance in the confessional or that only one form of the act of contrition be used. But it is interesting that you point out that a “laminated card provided in the confessionals” with a prayer of contrition is available for our use during confession.
Thank you to all the responders here. I have learned a lot.
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