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Seatuck
Guest
They probably don’t have faculties from the Bishop so confession was invalid. That also means their Mass may or may not fulfill your obligation. Call up your diocese for verification.
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thistle
Guest
Take the advice of the other posters. Check with your Diocese. Calling itself an Independent Catholic Church should give you a clue that this is a Church not in Communion with Rome and if that is the case your Confession is not valid.I went to a new Roman Catholic Church near my home,(one) because in about 30 years I had never stepped in it and I was curious,two, because I found their confession times convenient.
In some ways, it was different than the one I attend regularly.When I came out I looked again at the sign and saw it said “independent” Catholic Church.
What does that mean?I hope my confession is valid.
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Tamsulosin
Guest
Why would it call itself, in a big sign,“Roman” Catholic Church. Latin Rite if it is not in communion with Rome?It would be deceitful.
Do any of you check a so called Catholic Church with the Diocese, before entering? Or do you assume, like me, it is legit?. I only saw the “independent” as I was leaving it.
A lot of people confessing there.
They were requesting donations for a new building for seminarians.
I want to think it was OK, but I will inquire and let you know tomorrow.I will call the church and ask the priest why they call themselves"independent’
TAM
Do any of you check a so called Catholic Church with the Diocese, before entering? Or do you assume, like me, it is legit?. I only saw the “independent” as I was leaving it.
A lot of people confessing there.
They were requesting donations for a new building for seminarians.
I want to think it was OK, but I will inquire and let you know tomorrow.I will call the church and ask the priest why they call themselves"independent’
TAM
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Corki
Guest
As you pointed out, their sign seems to have been misleading. Call the diocese first. It’s their job to know the status of priests and communities holding themselves out as Catholic.
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thistle
Guest
Call the Diocese first and NOT the Independent Church. They will tell you anything. The Diocese will tell you the truth.
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ConstantineTG
Guest
confession is a ministry of the Church, not the priest. the priest just represents the Church. so if the priest does not have the faculties, then he cannot represent the Church.
also, the Sacrament of Reconciliation not only reunites the penitent to Christ, the penitent is reunited with the Church. if the priest is not in communion with the Church, how can he reunite the penitent to the Church?
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Will_S
Guest
If you wish to read more on the subject, I refer you to the extensive library the SSPX has collected to back up their claims on the validity of their confessions. It’s pretty clear that people who unknowingly confess to a priest without faculties receive absolution validly. Wouldn’t it be rotten for God to condemn someone to hell after their truly contrite and sincere confession because, unbeknownst to them, the priest had no faculties?
If, however, that person becomes aware of the irregularity of the confession, they should reconfess, as I suggested.
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Will_S
Guest
Because they consider themselves Catholic. There are a lot of these independent chapels in the U.S. Most of them were founded back at the time that the Traditional Latin Mass was being unjustly suppressed. In recent years some of these independent chapels have reconciled with the Church and have been assigned traditional Catholic Priests from orders such as the FSSP, or ICKSP. Some, like the one you found, are still independent.
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Stylites
Guest
Sounds odd to claim that a church tells the public that its invalid sacrament of reconciliation is valid so long as no one knows any better about them. Kinda like “Not knowing the truth will set you free.”
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Will_S
Guest
The SSPX claim that their confessions are valid even if you know about their lack of faculties (*), but the case of ignorance is also handled in their documentation.Sounds odd to claim that a church tells the public that its invalid sacrament of reconciliation is valid so long as no one knows any better about them. Kinda like “Not knowing the truth will set you free.”
(*) I don’t wish to imply that I agree with them on that. I find it very valuable to listen to sermons from SSPX priests, but I don’t go to them for confession.
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Stylites
Guest
Well, as we see in the OP’s original thread, anyone can hang a shingle out and call themselves anything, but it doesn’t make it true.
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MarkThompson
Guest
Maybe it would also be “rotten” for God to condemn a dead child to Hell (or limbo infantium) for being unbaptized, because the hippie-liberal priest who baptized her did so invalidly, saying “In the name of the Creator, and the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier.” Yet that is a view I suspect most SSPX types would hold to tenaciously. (Somehow when their own salvation is at stake due to potentially invalid sacraments, though, God becomes a big softie.)
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Stylites
Guest
Indeed, but I have to wonder how the SSPX even became a part of this thread, as the organization which the OP visited calls itself the “Independent Catholic Church” and the OP was asking whether it was Roman Catholic, which it apparently is not. Now, if someone wants to be in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, they can call them up to ask. But if someone wants to be in communion with the SSPX then I guess what they claim about themselves is a valid concern.
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Will_S
Guest
Good point. I went an looked up one of their documents on the matter and here’s the basic argument from canon law:
With Canon 966 being:
So the Church supplies the faculty to absolve in cases of “factual or legal common error and in positive and probable doubt of law or of fact”.
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Will_S
Guest
Sorry, I just referred to the SSPX because they collect a lot of information about it. As you might imagine there have been cases where someone writes to the Holy See because they’ve been confessing to an SSPX priest and then found out that the priests don’t have faculties.
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Corki
Guest
We had a priest in our diocese who left the Church and joined an independent. He, of course, had valid orders, but his faculties were revoked. It was a big deal and they put a prominent notice in the diocisan paper since he was rather well known and the Bishop wanted to make it public that the priest was no longer operating in communion with the Church.
There are also those communities that welcome laicized priests who, of course, have no faculties anymore either.
When in doubt, call the chancery.
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GenerationY
Guest
So i recently heard about this church in Chicago called the community of St. Sabina. Its in african american community and ive been reading about how the priest and cardinal George had to sort some things out. Wondering what sacraments this community has? It is listed on the archdiocese website with other parishes. saintsabina.org/
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ProVobis
Guest
I’ve heard stories, however, that some of these people confess stuff like “I attended a NO/sacrilegous/abusive/etc. Mass,” (and this even to FSSP priests.) If they truly believed it was a sin, I don’t think telling them to a priest who says these Masses is going to do them too much good, faculties or otherwise. Just saying.
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ProVobis
Guest
Although they may have Apostolic succession, do the liturgies of the Old Catholic church even have valid form? Have they been acknowledged by the Vatican as such?
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Tamsulosin
Guest
To clarify to Stylites;
The sign outside the church and that can be seen from the road says"Roman Catholic Church’" It bears the name of a well known saint.
Then there is like an explanation,less noticeable,which I had not seen as I entered it(but upon leaving) describing it as an "independent Church’
The sign outside the church and that can be seen from the road says"Roman Catholic Church’" It bears the name of a well known saint.
Then there is like an explanation,less noticeable,which I had not seen as I entered it(but upon leaving) describing it as an "independent Church’
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