Priest using B.S word during confession

  • Thread starter Thread starter water
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
teachccd said:
Why? Perhaps, as some other posters mentioned, she deserved it. Really?? That’s ridiculous. Priests need to be **pastoral **and not condeming. Nor should they use foul language in the confessional. This could never enhance the Sacrament. So cut the nonsense…teachccd 🙂
Click to expand...
It worked for Padre Pio.

Although, I assure you, if I was ever ordained a priest (which is my current goal) I would never use foul language in the Confessional.
 
We don’t know what actually happened. We are responding from third-hand information. So let’s talk theoretically, which we can. If a priest were to say “that’s bullshi_” in the confessional, it would depend on the context & the audience. If the penitent were a guy, who was also using earthy language, and said penitent were trying to excuse/rationalize an obvious grave matter, it could theoretically be a helpful slap-upside-the-head for the priest to issue a wake-up call to said penitent; it could be loving, in other words. It would also depend on the tone. If he was angrily interjecting a negative tone into the conversation, it would probably not be helpful. OTOH, if the priest was leading the penitent toward more honest self-evaluation, that is in fact one of the purposes of the sacrament. We try to make a good examination of conscience beforehand, but sometimes we are on the one hand too scrupulous, at other times frankly not disciplined enough. I would hope that a priest would use the right particular judgment. We don’t know directly about this occasion.
 
requiemaeturnum said:
It worked for Padre Pio.

Although, I assure you, if I was ever ordained a priest (which is my current goal) I would never use foul language in the Confessional.
Click to expand...
Padre Pio also bore the wounds of Christ (stigmata) which most priests do not. 😉 But I pray that you follow your calling. I’m also glad to hear that you also find no need to use foul language in the confessional…teachccd 🙂
 
Elizabeth502 said:
We don’t know what actually happened. We are responding from third-hand information. So let’s talk theoretically, which we can. If a priest were to say “that’s bullshi_” in the confessional, it would depend on the context & the audience. If the penitent were a guy, who was also using earthy language, and said penitent were trying to excuse/rationalize an obvious grave matter, it could theoretically be a helpful slap-upside-the-head for the priest to issue a wake-up call to said penitent; it could be loving, in other words. It would also depend on the tone. If he was angrily interjecting a negative tone into the conversation, it would probably not be helpful. OTOH, if the priest was leading the penitent toward more honest self-evaluation, that is in fact one of the purposes of the sacrament. We try to make a good examination of conscience beforehand, but sometimes we are on the one hand too scrupulous, at other times frankly not disciplined enough. I would hope that a priest would use the right particular judgment. We don’t know directly about this occasion.
Click to expand...
You can give that same “Slap upside the head” notion by saying, “That’s an absolute lie!!” I would never feel that a priest should lower himself to the rhetorics of a penitent who is there for pastoral care. And the priest should not commit to the comraderie of an “earthly” conversation just for the sake of “being on the same level” with the penitent. I once went to a priest who started confessing his sins to me!!:eek:

There are many ways to impact lives and call people to conversion and foul language does not have to be one of them…teachccd
 
teachccd said:
Why? Perhaps, as some other posters mentioned, she deserved it. Really?? That’s ridiculous. Priests need to be **pastoral **and not condeming.
Click to expand...
Uh… part of being pastoral IS condeming what needs to be condemned. Anything less is failing at being a pastor.
 
water said:
It wasn’t me in the confession, but not to say in detail…my friend is a girl and she thought she committed a sin for doing something that is not. The priest used the word “B.S” in stead of the word “No” to her question.

Imagine a priest say that during homily or consecration. 🤷

No matter how the situation is, priest should not use that word especially during a sacrament.

Is there any priest here using “BS” during confession here on CAF? 😃
Click to expand...
You’ll have to forgive me but how do you know that your friend told you *exactly *how things went? Often times people present a very sterile and innocent picture of themselves when they feel they’ve been mistreated by someone else and in order to make things even more sympathetic they tend to stretch things a bit. While using coarse language is not sinful in itself it should exclude itself from certain arenas. However, your friend may have been doing something that the priest felt the need to call her out on.
water said:
Imagine a priest say that during homily or consecration. 🤷
Click to expand...
Why would you even say this? Have you ever had this experience before? So you are ready to have this man dismissed from the priesthood because of what your friend told you? Until you have some sort of proof of his frame of mind you would do well in refraining from judging him.
 
teachccd said:
You can give that same “Slap upside the head” notion by saying, “That’s an absolute lie!!” I would never feel that a priest should lower himself to the rhetorics of a penitent who is there for pastoral care. And the priest should not commit to the comraderie of an “earthly” conversation just for the sake of “being on the same level” with the penitent. I once went to a priest who started confessing his sins to me!!:eek:

There are many ways to impact lives and call people to conversion and foul language does not have to be one of them…teachccd
Click to expand...
In other words Padre Pio was wrong, or if he was right was right only because he bore the stigmata, as if that means anything in regard to whether earthy language or similar is sometimes a good way to get through to a penitent - which it surely is or he would never have gone the extreme route.
 
reff said:
K to be clear, did the priest actually say the words “bull s—” or did he just say the letters “bs”?
Click to expand...
he said it out and that is why my friend is not so comfortable about it.
 
Let’s also keep in mind that far worse things have been said in the confessional…

For example: You want to use contraceptives, that’s okay, follow your conscience. You masturbate, that’s okay, everybody does it…ect…

Far worse damage and things can be said that have nothing to do with crude language. As a guy, I would probably see it as a verbal slap and not be offended…but that’s me.
 
Timothysis said:
You’ll have to forgive me but how do you know that your friend told you *exactly *how things went? Often times people present a very sterile and innocent picture of themselves when they feel they’ve been mistreated by someone else and in order to make things even more sympathetic they tend to stretch things a bit. While using coarse language is not sinful in itself it should exclude itself from certain arenas. However, your friend may have been doing something that the priest felt the need to call her out on.

Why would you even say this? Have you ever had this experience before? So you are ready to have this man dismissed from the priesthood because of what your friend told you? Until you have some sort of proof of his frame of mind you would do well in refraining from judging him.
Click to expand...
If I don’t know, I wouldn’t bring this up here.
Why would you said I have this man dismissed from the priesthood. Where do you get this idea from? Aren’t you sure you are not judging me?
 
Simon_X said:
Let’s also keep in mind that far worse things have been said in the confessional…

For example: You want to use contraceptives, that’s okay, follow your conscience. You masturbate, that’s okay, everybody does it…ect…

Far worse damage and things can be said that have nothing to do with crude language. As a guy, I would probably see it as a verbal slap and not be offended…but that’s me.
Click to expand...
There is no good excuse for one person to say something because there was other bad things. Yes, you are a guy, and this priest was talking to a girl who always shows reverence to priests and surprised that the priest said the word.
 
LilyM said:
In other words Padre Pio was wrong, or if he was right was right only because he bore the stigmata, as if that means anything in regard to whether earthy language or similar is sometimes a good way to get through to a penitent - which it surely is or he would never have gone the extreme route.
Click to expand...
I NEVER said that Padre Pio was wrong.:eek: Nor has it been said that he used foul language in the confessional. Padre Pio had the gift of reading hearts and knowing who and who is not telling the truth. There is a difference between using stong language and foul language. Should “s**t” be said by a priest in the confessional? I think not. Now that is my personal opinion as is anyone’s who say that it’s o.k.

Saint Pio was an extaordinary priest and was canonized a saint by the Church. I would never indicate that what he did was wrong. I am merely stating that a priest does not have to use certain words like s**t in the confessional. I would not use that word in the confessional and I work in construction. There is a time and a place and during the Sacrament of Reconciliation this should not be done no more than we should hear that word in the homilies…That’s my :twocents: …teachccd 🙂
 
water said:
There is no good excuse for one person to say something because there was other bad things. Yes, you are a guy, and this priest was talking to a girl who always shows reverence to priests and surprised that the priest said the word.
Click to expand...
Not sure if you got my point, but I will concede, a priest should not use that kind of language with a lady…
 
water said:
There is no good excuse for one person to say something because there was other bad things. Yes, you are a guy, and this priest was talking to a girl who always shows reverence to priests and surprised that the priest said the word.
Click to expand...
We are only going by what we read in here. We don’t have the whole picture. Only the girl and the priest really know what was said in private.

Perhaps this reverent girl told the priest she has never sinned and she is always reverent and always does what is right and good, and she doesn’t think she should have to make something up just to go to confession.

(I heard something similar on Catholic Answers last week).

Maybe the priest was shocked that this girl, (I’m guessing by “girl” you mean teenager or young adult), thought she was perfect, and said, “that’s b.s.”

Just one possible scenario.
 
Brendan said:
Uh… part of being pastoral IS condeming what needs to be condemned. Anything less is failing at being a pastor.
Click to expand...
Why would the priest do that? She didn’t do anything wrong. Did you read the posts on this thread?

If you went to confession and confessed something, and the priest knew it wasn’t a sin…Would you prefer to have him said “No, it isn’t a sin so that you don’t have to confess that”…or you wanted him to hear "Excuse my language, but that is …B. S (spoken out)?
 
water said:
Why would the priest do that? **She didn’t do anything wrong. **Did you read the posts on this thread?
Click to expand...
If she didn’t do anything wrong, why does she bother with Confession? Confession is for the rest of us, the sinners.
 
graceandglory said:
If she didn’t do anything wrong, why does she bother with Confession? Confession is for the rest of us, the sinners.
Click to expand...
Because she didn’t know it was a sin - for your understanding, she is a 3-year convert who is still learning bits and bits …but very faithful Catholic. FYI, she was my former girlfriend. We only ended our relationship because I am discerning my vocation. This is just to let you know I know her pretty well. We are both adults…nearly in 30’s.

Do you think there is any good reason for priest using such words in Confession? or did he get a bad day?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top