Question about confession?

[fastenatingguy]

@fastenatingguy:

Because I am unable to quote what you posted, I am answering the other questions you have asked:

I posted a little while ago about how my parents did not want me to be Catholic. My Mom said she didn’t mind if I went to a Catholic church, but even though I have my driver’s license, I’m not allowed to go out by myself, even though the Catholic church is only 5 minutes away. And I know my Mom and younger sister won’t go with me, so that is the reason why I can’t go to any church. She also said that after we move, if I wanted to go to a Catholic church, I was more than welcome to. But I know she’ll take it back.

I know I will be attending a G.O. church, because that is where my parents want me to be. I’m hoping I will be able to find a job where I can have the ability to attend Mass beforehand without them knowing. I know it’s terrible, and I don’t like hiding anything from them, but if I told them now I have no idea how they would react. I plan on going to confession no matter what, and I do understand the sacraments are not the same in the RCC, which is why I didn’t go to confession while I attended a Catholic church over the summer.

And you are right. I am the one who wants to come home. My Mom, Dad, and non-religious sister want to stay where they’re at, which is why I pray for them every evening.

I hope I cleared more things up for you. Thank you!

Thanks for your response. I also went back and re-read your original post and the others.

Do you think I should go to confession before re-entering the church/receiving Communion

My understanding of your question is whether you should confess in the GO church (since you aren’t able to do so in the RCC). You should absolutely do that and you should continue to worship there until your discernment of Catholicism. That is the worship that the Lord deserves and that you should offer. Then, after discernment, consult a Catholic priest. Please do not do this behind your parents back, especially if you are a minor and responsible to them.That is a mortal sin (honor thy father and they mother) in either church.

How do you see the difference between the sacraments in the two churches? I’m not sure that I understand.

May God bless you and your family on the journey.

 

[Zekariya]

My understanding of your question is whether you should confess in the GO church (since you aren’t able to do so in the RCC).

All Eastern Orthodox Christians are permitted by Rome to partake of the Sacrament of Confession. They are also allowed to receive Communion (of course, they should not receive in a state of mortal sin).

 

[thequietsinger]

I am an Eastern Orthodox who came into full Communion with Rome. Greek Orthodox Christians are permitted to receive Catholic Sacraments. You do not have to go to RCIA before you go to Catholic Confesssion and receive the Catholic Eucharist. You have to finish RCIA before you are considered to be in Communion with Rome, however, you may receive the Sacraments now. Welcome home!

Yes, I do know that. After my Priest explained my vocation to the Bishop, the Bishop said by Canon Law I was allowed to receive the Eucharist. I want to go to confession because I feel it is important so I will once again be a part of the G.O. church for the time being. And thank you! It will be wonderful to finally be home

 

[fastenatingguy]

What I mean is the Russian/Greek Orthodox are our nearest, but you can be near and still far away, they are still not under the Holy Father- (Saint Peter) the Catholic Church has 23 Orthodox denominations under Rome but not the Latin Rite but the Eastern Rite hence are called the Eastern Orthodox Catholics, in fact I have been told Rome leaves them to there own devices, in other words lets them get on with it there way, and who would know better than our present Holy Father who was involved with the Orthodox tradition, this lady wants to become Catholic, her mother was Catholic but apparently by what she said about her mother’s advice on confession she has forgotten her past faith, may the daughter bring her mother back to the faith and who knows the rest of her family, she may be the mustard seed.

Its hard to describe why one wants to change to be Catholic, this is what I think you are missing when you asked her why doesn’t she go back to the Greek Orthodox faith, the Lord gives you a nudge in your heart and makes you feel “this feels right” and believe me HE gives you no rest until you do what HE requests , you find rest when you give in, you have no say in the matter well we have free Will and can and could say No but then your unhappy within yourself, so to be happy you give in and you feel better. I am trying to give you an insight into why I changed and no doubt its the same for everyone in the same boat and for people who are in your RCIA class.

Sorry if I am not being clear here. The OP has said that she would not pursue RCIA for another year or two (I think). My suggestion is for the interim. I sincerely believe that attending and participating in the HE in the GOC is infinitely better than NOT keeping the sabbath holy at all. Am I wrong?

 

[fastenatingguy]

All Eastern Orthodox Christians are permitted by Rome to partake of the Sacrament of Confession. They are also allowed to receive Communion (of course, they should not receive in a state of mortal sin).

Zekariya,

You are correct. I chose my words as I did (“aren’t able to do so”) only because she does not have her parents’ permission to go to the Catholic Church, let alone anywhere by herself.

I would not want to suggest to QuietSinger that she should go against her parents’ wishes either openly or in secret. It sounds like she has initiated conversation with her priest and the bishop, although I am not clear if it RC or GO. In any case, that she has chosen a good path.

Many blessings to all,

FG

 

[fastenatingguy]

Yes, I do know that. After my Priest explained my vocation to the Bishop, the Bishop said by Canon Law I was allowed to receive the Eucharist. I want to go to confession because I feel it is important so I will once again be a part of the G.O. church for the time being. And thank you! It will be wonderful to finally be home

QS-

May God bless you on your path home!

FG

 

[Zekariya]

Zekariya,

You are correct. I chose my words as I did (“aren’t able to do so”) only because she does not have her parents’ permission to go to the Catholic Church, let alone anywhere by herself.

I would not want to suggest to QuietSinger that she should go against her parents’ wishes either openly or in secret. It sounds like she has initiated conversation with her priest and the bishop, although I am not clear if it RC or GO. In any case, that she has chosen a good path.

Many blessings to all,

FG

Ah, I see. I agree with you.

 

[thequietsinger]

Thanks for your response. I also went back and re-read your original post and the others.

Do you think I should go to confession before re-entering the church/receiving Communion

My understanding of your question is whether you should confess in the GO church (since you aren’t able to do so in the RCC). You should absolutely do that and you should continue to worship there until your discernment of Catholicism. That is the worship that the Lord deserves and that you should offer. Then, after discernment, consult a Catholic priest. Please do not do this behind your parents back, especially if you are a minor and responsible to them.That is a mortal sin (honor thy father and they mother) in either church.

How do you see the difference between the sacraments in the two churches? I’m not sure that I understand.

May God bless you and your family on the journey.

I will most definitely worship there, as it is what my parents want. I don’t plan on going behind my parents backs, which is why I said I was going to begin RCIA in 2 years, which will be Fall 2015, about 6 months after I turn 18. That’s why I haven’t talked to them about converting, let alone becoming a Nun. And even though my Mom said it was alright for me to attend a Catholic church now, I will always ask before I go, just to make sure I don’t hurt her. I would also like to say that I am not living in a state of mortal sin. That is not why I want to go to confession. If I had, I never would have received the Eucharist in the RCC, because that would only hurt God more.

I miss worded that, I believe. I’m sorry. I can’t remember if I posted it here, or on another thread, but confession is different for G.O. The process in both faiths is the same. The confession, being absolved, then guidance/penance. In the RCC, you have confession chambers, in which you go in separate doors (or in the parish I attended, you had a choice between talking to the Priest separately, or face-to-face) and make your confession. In the G.O. church, you and the Priest walk up to the front of the altar together, stand or kneel, and while standing or kneeling, you make your confession. It’s made out in the open, but no one except for you and the Priest is allowed in the church during a confession. Also, the Eucharist is different. We receive the Body and Blood of Christ differently. I’m not sure if you ever received Communion this way, so I’ll explain. The Body and Blood is combined in one chalice. We receive Communion with a spoon. The Priest scoops out a piece of the Body and a bit of the Blood onto the spoon, and pours it in our mouth, with a red cloth held to our chin. In the RCC, you receive the Body and Blood separately. So, that is how I see a difference. Not that they are “different,” but that the sacraments are given/received differently. I’m not trying to sound rude as I appreciate you asking me questions, but does that make sense?

 

[thequietsinger]

Sorry if I am not being clear here. The OP has said that she would not pursue RCIA for another year or two (I think). My suggestion is for the interim. I sincerely believe that attending and participating in the HE in the GOC is infinitely better than NOT keeping the sabbath holy at all. Am I wrong?

You are most certainly correct.

 

[thequietsinger]

Zekariya,

You are correct. I chose my words as I did (“aren’t able to do so”) only because she does not have her parents’ permission to go to the Catholic Church, let alone anywhere by herself.

I would not want to suggest to QuietSinger that she should go against her parents’ wishes either openly or in secret. It sounds like she has initiated conversation with her priest and the bishop, although I am not clear if it RC or GO. In any case, that she has chosen a good path.

Many blessings to all,

FG

I’m sorry to keep replying to every post, but they keep popping up for some reason, even though they were posted a while ago

The Priest and Bishop I am talking about are both Catholic. I went to a Seminarian Mass, which I called my Priest and asked if it was alright if I attended because the Mass was for the Seminarian Retreat. He said of course, but that the Bishop was there. I went to Mass, and learned as the Mass began that the Bishop was the one conducting the Mass. I felt fine for the better part of it, but became quite sick and had to leave early to avoid passing out during Communion. So with a feeling a regret, I left. Apparently, the Bishop wanted to speak with me after Mass, so he asked one of the retreat workers to get my Priest because he needed to see him. My Priest thought something bad had happened. When he came down, the Bishop asked, “Who was the young lady at Mass this morning?” That’s when my Priest told him about me, about my interest in the Catholic faith, and about my vocation. Once the Bishop knew about me, he told my Priest that I had his complete permission to receive the Eucharist. When my Priest told me this, I knew I got sick for a reason. When I go to church, I don’t leave until the service is over, and I tell the Priest how much I enjoyed his homily, so my Priest knew something had to have happened that caused me to leave early. But even after he told me I could receive the Eucharist, he made it very clear that he and the Bishop were not trying to steal me away from my faith. I do want to say that all of this happened while my parents were not there. My Mom was in FL trying to sell our house (I’m back with her, but that’s another story), and that weekend my Dad was at my Grandpa’s house with my sister and I, which is where we were staying, but they did not want to go to church with my Grandpa and I, which I didn’t argue about it because there was no reason to. If my Dad had been there, I know I wouldn’t have been able to receive it. But, my Priest does know the situation with my parents, and he too feels the same way about me waiting until after I turned 18, especially since I expressed that concern to him. That’s the one thing I loved about my Priest. He never pressured me into anything. He let me come to him with anything I wanted/needed to talk about, and he always checked on me everyday to make sure I was alright.

 

[Zekariya]

That’s the one thing I loved about my Priest. He never pressured me into anything. He let me come to him with anything I wanted/needed to talk about, and he always checked on me everyday to make sure I was alright.

A good priest is a blessing from God.

 

[St_Francis]

A good priest is a blessing from God.

Yes, you should try to keep in touch with him, because it is wonderful to know a priest of whom you can ask questions

The way you quote is by hitting the quote button at the bottom right-hand side of the post you want to quote.

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Welcome to CAF, and welcome to the Church

 

[Linusthe2nd]

My Mom was Catholic, but converted to G.O. along with my Dad, who was Methodist. My Mom does not want to come back to the Catholic faith, and my Dad wants nothing to do with the Catholic faith. They did not want me to be Catholic at all.

That is understood. Stick to your guns. As soon as you can try to talk to a priest locally and explain your problem. I’m not sure but there may be some formality in switching from G.O. to Catholic. No need to wait until you move, do it A.S.A.P. Prepare yourself by a good examination of conscience. It is possible the priest may hear your confession at that time. Then he can advise you if you can begin receiving the sacraments or if you will be required to attend RCIA classes. Don’t just assume anything. Go now, strike while the iron is hot.

Linus2nd

 

[thequietsinger]

Yes, you should try to keep in touch with him, because it is wonderful to know a priest of whom you can ask questions

The way you quote is by hitting the quote button at the bottom right-hand side of the post you want to quote.

If you want to quote more than one post, hit the box next to the quote button of each post you want to quote and it will turn orange.

If you want to break into a quote to post a comment, write [/quote] without the asterix, then to start the quote being in the quote box again, use [quote] (again w/o the asterix).

Welcome to CAF, and welcome to the Church

He gave me and a friend of mine (he introduced me to her) his personal email, and he told her to make sure that I had a bulletin with his address in it. So, he wants to stay in contact with me, also.

Thank you so much for telling me! I know how to make a quote, but it wouldn’t let me quote a quote, if that makes sense. Thank you for welcoming me. It means a lot to me

 

[thequietsinger]

That is understood. Stick to your guns. As soon as you can try to talk to a priest locally and explain your problem. I’m not sure but there may be some formality in switching from G.O. to Catholic. No need to wait until you move, do it A.S.A.P. Prepare yourself by a good examination of conscience. It is possible the priest may hear your confession at that time. Then he can advise you if you can begin receiving the sacraments or if you will be required to attend RCIA classes. Don’t just assume anything. Go now, strike while the iron is hot.

Linus2nd

I know what I want, and not to sound like a rebellious 16 year old girl, but no one can change my mind on this. I am unable to talk to a local Priest because I’m not allowed to go out by myself, since I live in what used to be a decent area that is now inclining in crime. Otherwise. I would have done that about 8 months ago. I’m not sure if you read the previous posts, but my Priest is Catholic because I attended a Catholic church over the summer since I was staying with my Grandpa, who is Catholic. After hearing about my vocation and interest in the Catholic faith, my Priest told me that the (Catholic) Bishop of the Diocese said I had his full permission to receive Communion, but I am unsure of Confession. I believe I am allowed to go to Confession in a Catholic church, but I’ll have to double check. My Priest told me I did not have to attend RCIA classes if I didn’t want to, but I could if I wanted to. I want to be a full Catholic, to be active in the faith, so in 2 years I am going to attend RCIA classes. So to speak, the iron has just been turn on, and is working on heating up

Thank you for answering!

 

[babochka]

I am curious why you don’t return to the G.O. Church now. They have valid sacraments:shrug:

I was thinking the same thing. Why don’t you approach an Orthodox priest for confession, attend the Divine Liturgy, and receive Jesus in Holy Communion now? This would not preclude becoming Catholic in a couple of years, but it would still allow you to live a life in Christ right now.

When you come into the Catholic Church, you will only need to go to Confession and make a profession of faith, as you’ve already been Baptized and Chrismated. This can be done at a Latin-rite parish, but according to Canon Law, you will be an Eastern Catholic. If desired, you can apply for a canonical transfer after you enter the church, but this is sometimes discouraged. It would not prevent you from living out a western spirituality and liturgical life.

 

[babochka]

I know what I want, and not to sound like a rebellious 16 year old girl, but no one can change my mind on this. I am unable to talk to a local Priest because I’m not allowed to go out by myself, since I live in what used to be a decent area that is now inclining in crime. Otherwise. I would have done that about 8 months ago. I’m not sure if you read the previous posts, but my Priest is Catholic because I attended a Catholic church over the summer since I was staying with my Grandpa, who is Catholic. After hearing about my vocation and interest in the Catholic faith, my Priest told me that the (Catholic) Bishop of the Diocese said I had his full permission to receive Communion, but I am unsure of Confession. I believe I am allowed to go to Confession in a Catholic church, but I’ll have to double check. My Priest told me I did not have to attend RCIA classes if I didn’t want to, but I could if I wanted to. I want to be a full Catholic, to be active in the faith, so in 2 years I am going to attend RCIA classes. So to speak, the iron has just been turn on, and is working on heating up

Thank you for answering!

Sorry, I didn’t read this first. It sounds like you are in a good place. I would go to Confession and start receiving Communion right away. I’ll pray for you!

 

[babochka]

I am an Eastern Orthodox who came into full Communion with Rome. Greek Orthodox Christians are permitted to receive Catholic Sacraments. You do not have to go to RCIA before you go to Catholic Confesssion and receive the Catholic Eucharist. **You have to finish RCIA before you are considered to be in Communion with Rome, however, you may receive the Sacraments now. **Welcome home!

Since RCIA is generally for catechumens and sometimes candidates for Confirmation are included, but the OP is neither I don’t think RCIA would be a requirement. A profession of faith is all that is necessary.

 

[Zekariya]

Since RCIA is generally for catechumens and sometimes candidates for Confirmation are included, but the OP is neither I don’t think RCIA would be a requirement. A profession of faith is all that is necessary.

While it is not a requirement, I have known Eastern Orthodox who were required to go through it by their Latin priest before making a profession of faith. It really depends on the knowledge of the priest concerning the reception of the Eastern Orthodox.

 

[St_Francis]

He gave me and a friend of mine (he introduced me to her) his personal email, and he told her to make sure that I had a bulletin with his address in it. So, he wants to stay in contact with me, also.

Thank you so much for telling me! I know how to make a quote, but it wouldn’t let me quote a quote, if that makes sense. Thank you for welcoming me. It means a lot to me

Oh, I see. Yes, the quotes in the quoted post go away and that can be difficult. You can select both posts and cut and paste the one into the other if you want to

I am glad that the priest let you know to keep in touch with him.

You seem to have a good plan which has been approved by anpriest and a bishop. Go to confession to receive those helpful graces from God. Your mother is wrong in thinking that it is just as good to confess directly to God–Christ gave the Church clear directions about that! But it was once the habit of Catholics to confess weekly, and I have met quite a few adults who thought that their parents’ rules or the habits of the Catholics around them were Church requirements.

It is wonderful for me to see young people so enthusiastic about their faith–thanks for sharing that

Annie