protestant but want confession

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Loobyloo0209 said:
It is for the healing that I want to confess…I don’t expect forgiveness just the opportunity to say that I am truly sorry. My guilt will stay with me forever. **Incidently, “Catholicism for Dummies” has been my bed time read for the last month. **Didn’t ever want to admit that to my partner but as a Protestant, I feared that he might feel that my questions were designed to make him stray.
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👍 Once God truly forgives you, your guilt is gone. This is the wonderful blessing of the Sacrament of reconciliation.
 
Loobyloo0209 said:
It is for the healing that I want to confess…I don’t expect forgiveness just the opportunity to say that I am truly sorry. My guilt will stay with me forever. Incidently, “Catholicism for Dummies” has been my bed time read for the last month. Didn’t ever want to admit that to my partner but as a Protestant, I feared that he might feel that my questions were designed to make him stray.
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I think you will find that talking to a priest directly might be just what you need. He will probably be thrilled just at the fact that there is someone there to ask him questions.

When I first began to discern I had a discussion with a wonderful Orthodox priest. I asked him a few hardball (but very sincere) questions and he seemed to enjoy every second of the discussion. We parted with a hug, and he told me he was happy we spoke.

You might have a similar experience. Perhaps you might receive some answers to questions you have about Catholicism, who knows?

As for needing someone to confess things to, I’m assuming he will be willing to listen, but again, he won’t offer you any absolution, because you are technically not a Roman Catholic, and therefore he has no authority over you (and you technically do not recognize him as having any over you).
 
Loobyloo0209 said:
It is for the healing that I want to confess…I don’t expect forgiveness just the opportunity to say that I am truly sorry. My guilt will stay with me forever. Incidently, “Catholicism for Dummies” has been my bed time read for the last month. Didn’t ever want to admit that to my partner but as a Protestant, I feared that he might feel that my questions were designed to make him stray.
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No, dear one, your guilt will NOT stay with you forever, not if you become a Catholic and are able to truly experience the sacrament of confession and absolution. It is such a grace! And Jesus gave it to us for just that purpose! He doesn’t want us to live our lives under guilt for our sins!

I think you will make an awesome Catholic!

👍

And I think you should share with your loved one (maybe you will marry him?) that you are interested in speaking to a priest, and that you are learning about the Church. Be honest, it’s the best way in the end.
 
Go speak to a priest in the confessional and tell him you are not a Catholic but want to speak a little to him and ask him where to go for further guidance…this weekend is coming up and confessions are usually held in churches in the late afternoon, here it is about 3:30 pm to 4 pm…

The priest will truly experience your soul and most ardently be touched by Christ Himself to serve you.

Do not be afraid…Go in haste!!! We will keep you in prayer.
 
If the poster is seeking absolution spoken directly by a priest there are several Christian denominations besides Roman Catholic. Orthodox, Anglicans & Lutherans follow a less formal tradition than Roman Catholics. The sacrament is more likely to be performed at the communion rail or in a chapel; screens and confessionals are not common. The penitent confesses what is troubling him/ her, may be counseled, act of contrition, prayer and holy absolution.

Confessions can take place outside, in an office, home, hospitals.
 
Hi, Loobyloo0209

You have been givin good and loving advise, and I agree with them.
So, welcome to CAF and I’ll be praying to the Holy Spirit to contnue to guide you on your journey.

God bless

jesus g
 
The last thing this world needs is more impotent guilt sitting around getting in the way of truth and light.
 
The priest could possibly give you absolution, and you will then experience great physical and spiritual healing and freedom from any more guilt.
 
Couple of points:
  1. If you enter RCIA, and you’ve come to the Church seeking to enter, and you are honestly following God, and obeying His Church, you can relax and be at peace. Even if (God forbid) something were to happen to you before you could have Confession, God would not hold it against you, as you were obeying His Church.
  2. The sacrament of Confession works to provide absolution to forgive sins, but it is not a guarantee to heal feelings. Feelings are sometimes good, and sometimes bad. They can be great if they encourage us to repent, but they can be bad if they make us doubt that forgiveness has been given by Christ. Once absolution is given by the priest, the sins ARE forgiven, no matter if we FEEL they are or not. If you still have feelings of guilt, just know that they are feelings only, and use them as motivation to perform penance, and do works of charity, and don’t fester on them very long.
 
ZZ…if one is no longer in the experience that is causing this person guilt, and is truly repentant…yes, they can experience immediately healing in absolution from any guilt.

If one continues feeling guilty, then they could possibly be experiencing scruples. And the priest can discern right away issues of scruples. One old priest who trained seminarians told me that scruples is the first step in mental illness. And a wizened priest can deal with a person and help them with just so many words this problem with scruples and a type of thinking and help them on that as well.

I felt the sins of my country when I returned home, and it was really heavy. I went to the priest thinking I had a mental issue, and right after confession, I was healed and the burden was gone.

The sacrament is truly a sacrament of healing and absolution, and we should go once a month.
 
Kathleen, what does issues of scuples mean? I have suffered with anxiety for years and was given medication and referred to a counsellor due to me not being able to forget the past. What did your priest do?
 
I see. I’m sorry.

Scruples is thinking too much about one thing, where then overthinking makes the problem way bigger than it is, and then its dimension causes you to then have trepidation and hopelessness.

So when we go to the priest, and he gives us perspective on something, really hold on to what he says, and pray about it until you are cleared of worrying about a certain thing.

Spend time thinking instead of how much Christ loves you. Get a beautiful picture of Him that makes you experience His love and mercy and hold on to that and let it guide you throughout your life.
 
Loobyloo0209 said:
Kathleen, what does issues of scuples mean? I have suffered with anxiety for years and was given medication and referred to a counsellor due to me not being able to forget the past. What did your priest do?
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What Kathleen said is true, but usually with Catholics, scruples manifests in being overly worried that everything one thinks, says and does is a mortal sin. It can be based on anxiety, OCD, or other mental health issues. Usually someone with scruples needs a spiritual director, to help form their conscience properly and reassure them that not everything in life is a mortal sin.
 
Welcome to the Forums.
You’ve received many excellent answers.
Best wishes on your journey.
 
Thank you Mary. Yes I have, I am so appreciative to all for having the patience to help me to begin to understand. 🙂
 
RealJulianne,

I can see that worry and anxiety is not the fruits of the spirit. But I never have heard that scruples are a sin, but more a habit of emotions and psychology that a good confessor can guide one for healing.

Thanks for all your (name removed by moderator)ut here.
 
LoobyLoo as you have mentioned a vicar I’m assuming you are Anglican (at least nominally) what I would suggest to you in getting in touch with the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. These are Catholics who converted from Anglicanism. Our last Pope Benedict created a way for whole communities of Anglicans to enter the Catholic church (because they had been constantly asking for a way to enter as communities!). Therefore they are completely Catholic as any other but they have kept some of their pastoral and liturgical traditions. You might well feel very comfortable therefore in one of their groups or parishes. I think also they will be delighted that your’re contacting them and will help you move forward in the spiritual place you find yourself.

I can’t pull up the website as I am on a mobile but just Google Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. They have around 40 groups around the UK. The Ordinariate is a new chapter in the church and is only about 2 or 3 years in existence. Their parishes in London are Most Precious Blood by London Bridge station or Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Gregory which is more central in Warwick St. close to Regent St. If you’re in another part of the UK let us know and we can see if we can find someone. Also look on their website under “groups”.

It’s important to recognize that as much as God wants us to forgive others we also need to be merciful and forgive ourselves. However I am a convert to the faith and also really, really wanted to go to Confession - it was definitely one of the ways that I was brought into the church. So I understand your desire.

I will pray for you, I am also English and converted when I was 19. I’m now 44 so I guess it stuck!
 
KathleenGee said:
RealJulianne,

I can see that worry and anxiety is not the fruits of the spirit. But I never have heard that scruples are a sin, but more a habit of emotions and psychology that a good confessor can guide one for healing.

Thanks for all your (name removed by moderator)ut here.
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Oh, no! I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression! Having scruples is not sinful in itself. It is the manifestation of anxiety and obsession that creates the worry of mortal sin in the first place. And most of the time, the scrupulous person has done nothing that is mortally sinful. They need guidance to help form their conscience correctly, so they don’t end up with further mental pain and suffering.

If one were truly aware of the entire problem, doubting one’s absolution might be considered sinful, but I think the scrupulous do suffer from a form of mental illness and thus, their doubts cannot be counted against them.

However, they do need guidance, and from someone familiar with the problem of scruples.
 
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