What to do when priests disagree in the confessional?

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With all due respect to Jimmy Akin,

[sign]CCC 1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).[/sign]

[sign]Can. 1249-1253: “the substantial observance of Fridays as days of penance, whether by abstinence or in other ways, is a grave obligation”(Paenitemini, Norm II, 2).[/sign]
… The way that I understand this, is that while nobody is required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays apart from the Lenten season, we ARE required to perform an act of penance. If we don’t do a penance on appointed days (e.g. Fridays) we are committing a grave sin. If we know this is a grave sin and we deliberately do not do any penance then we commit a mortal sin.

I think that I’ve have the answer to the question that I posed in the opening post. Thanks to everyone for your help.
 
Sir_Knight said:
[sign]Can. 1249-1253: “the substantial observance of Fridays as days of penance, whether by abstinence or in other ways, is a grave obligation”(Paenitemini, Norm II, 2).[/sign]
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I was confused as to the source intended when I read this. It is not a quote from canon law, nor is it a quote from Paenitemini, as far as I can tell. It seems to be intended as a sort of summary? Here is a quote from Paenitemini.
II. 1. The time of Lent preserves its penitential character. The days of penitence to be observed under obligation throughout the Church are all Fridays and Ash Wednesday, that is to say the first days of “Grande Quaresima” (Great Lent), according to the diversity of the rites. Their substantial observance binds gravely.
2. Apart from the faculties referred to in VI and VIII regarding the manner of fulfilling the precept of penitence on such days, abstinence is to be observed on every Friday which does not fall on a day of obligation, while abstinence and fast is to be observed on Ash Wednesday or, according to the various practices of the rites, on the first day of “Grande Quaresima” (Great Lent) and on Good Friday.
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Those “faculties referred to” seem to be about the ability to transfer and substitute and dispense.
 
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lak611:
found this article from Jimmy Akin. Friday penance is no longer mandatory in the US.
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Quote:
The norms–the part of the document that would create a legal obligation if there was one–thus fails to do so. As a result, there is no obligation in the United States to practice penance on Friday, but Friday remains a day of penance which the bishops have urged all to do penance and, in particular, recommended the continued practice of abstience.
Laura

This is absolutely correct. The bishops were trying to do a GOOD thing here. Keep Friday as a penitential day–of course! But remove the obligation to perform any particular penance under pain of mortal sin.

So failures in practicing penance on *ordinary non-Lenten Fridays *do NOT need to be confessed as mortal sins, nor should they keep one from holy communion.
 
Sir_Knight said:
I normally say about 15 decades of the rosary while driving almost every day. Can that count as a Friday Penance if I normally do it daily anyway?
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If someone already abstains from meat and already fasts and already says the rosary daily, then they are already doing what is required.

Jesus did personally respond to the young man who wanted to know what else to do… Jesus could read in to the young man’s mind and his soul and his motivation for the question … perhaps fishing for a compliment… What Jesus said was:“Then, sell all that you own, give the money to the poor, and then come and follow me.”
 
Sir_Knight said:
With all due respect to Jimmy Akin,

[sign]CCC 1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).[/sign]

[sign]Can. 1249-1253: “the substantial observance of Fridays as days of penance, whether by abstinence or in other ways, is a grave obligation”(Paenitemini, Norm II, 2).[/sign]
… The way that I understand this, is that while nobody is required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays apart from the Lenten season, we ARE required to perform an act of penance. If we don’t do a penance on appointed days (e.g. Fridays) we are committing a grave sin. If we know this is a grave sin and we deliberately do not do any penance then we commit a mortal sin.

I think that I’ve have the answer to the question that I posed in the opening post. Thanks to everyone for your help.
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Great canons.

And, I normally steer clear of Jimmy Akin. Some of his articles seem to be mental gymnastics, which while usually emphasising the spirit of the law, tend to completely push the letter of the law to the side.

Remember the spirit of the law - penance in recognition of Christ’s suffering; and the letter, the way in which we do it. Fasting from meat and abstaining from one meal are a great beginners entry to the Friday penance. From there, one can, as they grow in God’s grace, continue to do more.

In Jesus Christ,
 
Nobody has mentioned that one of the 3 conditions for a sin to be considered mortal is full knowledge that it is a serious sin. Do you know for sure it is a mortal sin? If not then it is not.
 
The CCC also teaches that we are required to have a properly developed conscious and understanding of our faith …

CCC 1791: … when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.” In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits …

… Note that Leviticus 5:17 …

*If any one sin, and do any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done, though he knew it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
*
… clearly shows that ignorance is NOT an excuse.
 
I am not in any way saying that it isn’t a sin, and we should flee from all sin. I’m also not saying that we dont have a moral obligation to continue the formation of our consciences, but in the meantime, the church in her mercy tells us that there are at times mitigating factors, such as unintended ignorance.

CCC 1860 Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man.

I’m assuming by your efforts that you are not remaining ignorant on purpose. Those of us who have tendencies to be overyly scrupulous have to be careful not to become Pharisees–paying more attention to the letter of the law, forgetting the spirit, and rejecting the mercy of Jesus.

Peace
JJ
 
Based on arguments presented here, I’m NOW pretty sure that it IS a mortal sin not to perform the Friday Penance. And, KNOWING that it IS a mortal sin that severs my relationship with God, has helped me overcome the difficulties that I was having BEFORE in not always doing it.
 
I now do and as I said, KNOWING that it is MOSTLIKELY a mortal sin is helping me avoid it.

Before when I wasn’t so sure, it was easier to make excuses to not keep the Friday Penance.
 
Yikes! I’ve been Catholic for almost 13 years now and didn’t know I was supposed to do Friday penance. Uh-oh. Well- I better get started! How come the church doesn’t advertise this better? No one told me, and I have never once come across it in any of my readings.😊
 
Thank you to all who have participated. This thread is now closed.

For official Church teaching regarding whether a Friday penance is required (under the burden of mortal sin) in the US, please click here.
 
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