What would be wrong with parishes offering reconciliation sacrament by phone?

[Tamsulosin]

Maybe I should not have frased my question"What would be wrong…"
So I would not be disappointed as I am with your answers and and the way some of you come through, with such unchristian sarcasm,and uncaring.
You may choose to ignore the people that find themselves in the positions explained above, but believe me, they exit.You just be happy go lucky that “your” needs are easily met.
I have started to realize that maybe I am in the wrong religion, since all of you agree that rules are more important than the needs of souls,regardless of their circumstances.
Married to a doctor,I know first hand how many times people tells us,I need help,but have nobody to take me to the office.The doctor has the office full of patients, cannot go there either.Through the phone,(not the ideal situation since you cannot feel their pulse or listen to their lungs, etc,) the doctor will help and call the pharmacy for them.
We do not say, sorry, find a way to come,no excuses, bye.Those are the rules,who cares,just manage.

I hope in the future you never find yourselves depending on others for your needs.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Maybe I should not have frased my question"What would be wrong…"
So I would not be disappointed as I am with your answers and and the way some of you come through, with such unchristian sarcasm,and uncaring.
You may choose to ignore the people that find themselves in the positions explained above, but believe me, they exit.You just be happy go lucky that “your” needs are easily met.
I have started to realize that maybe I am in the wrong religion, since all of you agree that rules are more important than the needs of souls,regardless of their circumstances.
Married to a doctor,I know first hand how many times people tells us,I need help,but have nobody to take me to the office.The doctor has the office full of patients, cannot go there either.Through the phone,(not the ideal situation since you cannot feel their pulse or listen to their lungs, etc,) the doctor will help and call the pharmacy for them.
We do not say, sorry, find a way to come,no excuses, bye.Those are the rules,who cares,just manage.

I hope in the future you never find yourselves depending on others for your needs.

Well, there are rules to get into Heaven. The 10 commandments come to mind right off the bat.

Many parishes have ministries to bring the sacraments to the homebound and those in nursing homes and hospitals. I have even heard of ministires to bring the sacraments to migrant workrs.

You may need to do a little bit of searching to find a parish that will minister to you and your needs. If you need a priest to hear your confession or you need Communion brought to you, most priests and parishes would be willing to work with you. It is thier mandate from Christ to minister to the needs of the flock.

To tell you the truth, I’d say most of us say there are some ways that ministry in the church may be lacking, leaving us feel empty at time.

 

[Lesteidel]

I think one thing being ignored, is our confessions are to be private. They are not broadcasted to the world. Even our government recognizes that this is something they cannot get information from. If we start using the phone, ANYBODY that knows what they are doing can listen in. Trust me, it’s not that hard. Lawyers very rarely talk to their clients over the phone because of this, do you really expect our priests who deal not with freedom or money, but our eternal souls to use less consideration?

If you don’t have the time to make an appointment or show up, then you are too busy to go to confession and your priorities aren’t straight to begin with. Those who CANNOT make it can have house calls, but we should not be asking the priest to drop everything in a second to answer a phone for us. The beauty of confession is neither us nor our priest is distracted. We can concentrate on the sacrament, this will be lost if we start using phones for this.

And along the same lines of thinking we should use technologies, writing and paper have been available to the average man for a long time now, does that mean that we could just use snail mail correspondence for confession also?

 

[kage_ar]

No, not because of the ease in going but because it would be far less stressful for some.

Perhaps that stress is part of the sacrament

Exactly. Jesus had such great agony, in the garden, on the cross - that the very lease we can do in sorrow for our sins is feel a bit of stress in going to Confession.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Maybe I should not have frased my question"What would be wrong…"
So I would not be disappointed as I am with your answers and and the way some of you come through, with such unchristian sarcasm,and uncaring.
You may choose to ignore the people that find themselves in the positions explained above, but believe me, they exit.You just be happy go lucky that “your” needs are easily met.
I have started to realize that maybe I am in the wrong religion, since all of you agree that rules are more important than the needs of souls,regardless of their circumstances.
Married to a doctor,I know first hand how many times people tells us,I need help,but have nobody to take me to the office.The doctor has the office full of patients, cannot go there either.Through the phone,(not the ideal situation since you cannot feel their pulse or listen to their lungs, etc,) the doctor will help and call the pharmacy for them.
We do not say, sorry, find a way to come,no excuses, bye.Those are the rules,who cares,just manage.

I hope in the future you never find yourselves depending on others for your needs.

i know that you mean well with your question. someone once told me that there is no such thing as a stupid question. you are searching for a resolution and although confession over the phone might sound like an answer, there are also many reasons why it would not be recommended. a person’s health or bad weather might prevent someone from being able to get to church for Mass or reconciliation. as another poster suggested, i would think that a priest could make a visit to the home of the person who was confined and having difficulty getting to church for reconciliation. i would contact the parish and see if something could be worked out.
those of us who are able to get around on our own take a lot for granted and i am sure it is difficult for those who are disabled or have other health problems.
good luck and i hope you are able to work something out.

 

[Sabda]

Just wanted to add that not being able to kneel behind the screen is also a none issue. You can also sit in a chair and face the priest. You do not have to kneel. In fact I think I see more pictures of people sitting in chairs facing the priest then in kneeling behind a screen.

Besides all that Tamsulosin have you ever known anyone who was home bound? You know what that person wants more than anything? To get out of the house. A trip to the church for Confession would be a treat to them. Another thing they really like is to receive a visit from someone, so a visit from a priest would be another treat. Home bound people need things to look forward to. Sitting around the house all day by yourself can end up getting very depressing.

I believe it’s in St. Justins’ Apologia where he states that the Eucharist was given to the deacons to take to the home bound. Home bound people have been around longer than the Church.

 

[graceandglory]

The hours your parish offers for confession meet the needs that have been determined by your priests. If there were lines each time confession was offered,

I wish there was another option too. I’m not gonna call and make an appointment… C’mon it’s supposed to be private! I wasn’t able to receive communion for 6 weeks, because it took me that long to get into “the box.” I waited in line three times, each time, parishioners being turned away. I went to a different church that had confession at a time I could make, and there was a wedding instead. Not everyone can make Saturday afternoon confession. I know, if it were more important to me, yada, yada, yada…It is important to me, I just can’t make it during that window.
I realize I live in the least churched state…but there needs to be more options.

The upshot… knowing how hard it is to get into confession…makes me think twice about sinning!

 

[graceandglory]

Tam,

Stop trying to find loopholes!

All the sacraments have to be given in person. No ifs, ands or buts. This will not change.

Living far away from a church is still not an excuse. If one makes going to confession and going to mass a priority, then they will find the time to do these things.

Listen, computergeek, I agree with you…BUT I still want to talk about it! ! !:crying:

 

[OhMalley]

The Sacrament of Confession will NEVER be available via telephone, the internet or any other way other than person to person. This has already been established by the Church and will not change.

There is no point in discussing it, since it will never happen.

Where?

 

[kage_ar]

I wish there was another option too. I’m not gonna call and make an appointment… C’mon it’s supposed to be private!

Making an appointment does not mean it is not private.

You call the parish and ask to schedule a confession. Either the secretary or father works out a time that is best, and you say you wish to remain anonymous. The Priest will arrive before you do and wait in the box, you come in and confess then leave. It is all very private.

 

[OhMalley]

And I need to add:what about the people that live in the countryside, maybe a village 30, 50 miles away from the nearest church.That would be another case when confession by phone could be permissible.
It would not be like for us, a hop in the car and" be back in an hour I’m going to confession dear".
Can’t some of you see beyond your easy realities?Not every catholic is ambulatory, lives in a cosmopolitan area with a car at their disposal,and a church nearby.
The church is supposed to exist to help souls achieve sanctity,not put roadblocks.
Tam

Don’t take them too seriously. While they offer no actual proof that confession will always have to be in person your comments have assaulted their personal opnions of what is acceptable. The Church has never said that confession will never be by telephonic means. It’s not part of the dogmatic deposit of faith but there are two things I do believe.

First, it’s not going to be implemented anytime soon. You can list your own reasons and they’ll be as accurate as my own. Second I’m certain the sacrament of confession has already been executed efficatiously via the telephone under exigent circumstance.

So just sorta sit back, relax and be amused…

 

[OhMalley]

Making an appointment does not mean it is not private.

You call the parish and ask to schedule a confession. Either the secretary or father works out a time that is best, and you say you wish to remain anonymous. The Priest will arrive before you do and wait in the box, you come in and confess then leave. It is all very private.

Often it does around here.

 

[banished]

It would never work. The people who have been black-balled by the chruch would simply call in and get reinstated. It would be almost like going directly to Jesus. Remember, Jesus gave Peter the Keys so that we can’t go direct to him. Most Christians only think of the love side of it all, but Jesus is one hell of a tough guy. Jesus must have known that the ugly side of human nature would also be present in the holding of the Keys.

Richard

 

[OhMalley]

It would never work. The people who have been black-balled by the chruch would simply call in and get reinstated. It would be almost like going directly to Jesus. Remember, Jesus gave Peter the Keys so that we can’t go direct to him. Most Christians only think of the love side of it all, but Jesus is one hell of a tough guy. Jesus must have known that the ugly side of human nature would also be present in the holding of the Keys.

Richard

?!?!?!?!?!?!

I’m not sure I really understand what you are saying but how would going to confession by phone be different (from an anonimity standpoint) from going behind the screen or better yet behind the screen at a neighboring parish?

 

[banished]

?!?!?!?!?!?!

I’m not sure I really understand what you are saying but how would going to confession by phone be different (from an anonimity standpoint) from going behind the screen or better yet behind the screen at a neighboring parish?

We always have the opton of not telling the Priest everything, or only confessing what we believe in our own hearts to be an offence againt God. However, with a cell phone we could program it to call every known Parish until a priest is found who would absolve our honest confession.

I have never went in for a confession that I didn’t open the little door inside and look the Priest in the face. James 5:16 says to confess our sins one to another, so I alway give the Priest the opportunity to confess to me. They also have bad feelings about having to enforce cannon law. James 5:16 could apply to a cell phone call, but there is something about that verse that suggests healing. It would be like using a telephone to that surgery.

Richard

 

[graceandglory]

Making an appointment does not mean it is not private.

You call the parish and ask to schedule a confession. Either the secretary or father works out a time that is best, and you say you wish to remain anonymous. The Priest will arrive before you do and wait in the box, you come in and confess then leave. It is all very private.

really?..i didn’t know that.

 

[OhMalley]

We always have the opton of not telling the Priest everything, or only confessing what we believe in our own hearts to be an offence againt God. However, with a cell phone we could program it to call every known Parish until a priest is found who would absolve our honest confession.

What?!?!

I have never went in for a confession that I didn’t open the little door inside and look the Priest in the face. James 5:16 says to confess our sins one to another, so I alway give the Priest the opportunity to confess to me. They also have bad feelings about having to enforce cannon law. James 5:16 could apply to a cell phone call, but there is something about that verse that suggests healing. It would be like using a telephone to that surgery.

Richard

Honest to goodness your comments are making no sense to me. Yes it’s our choice to go to confession face to face or behind a screen. Your point?

I’m not sure why a priest would “confess” to you. You lack the authority to absolve sin. I don’t know what to make about your canon law comment, etc.

 

[graceandglory]

Tam,

Stop trying to find loopholes!
**
All the sacraments have to be given in person**. No ifs, ands or buts. This will not change.

Living far away from a church is still not an excuse. If one makes going to confession and going to mass a priority, then they will find the time to do these things.

I disagree. Some people are incarcerated and even imprisoned in their own homes by abusive and controlling people in their lives. You don’t have the full picture, computer geek.

I do believe that the Sacrament of Confession is given regularly to inmates via telephone with a solid glass partition between the priest and the inmate.

If it were written dogma, then it would have to state, “a telephone line…no longer than 5 feet…” and I really don’t think that is written. Let’s look at the spirit of the sacrament and not the letter of the law, especially if it’s not really written.

If technology to amplify your voice were against the Magisterium, then we couldn’t use microphones in the Church.

If you are so sure about this, please provide the canon law that explains it. It would be in there. I’m not saying it’s not in there, but give people some credit for not being idiots just for asking the question.

 

[graceandglory]

Hey, if there is “Baptism of Desire,” can there be “Confession and Reconciliation of Desire” too?

 

[Tamsulosin]

For those who did not read my post carefully, and assumed I am the homebound person, they are mistaken. Thanks to God,I am a lucky person that can drive, has a car available and has several Catholic churches around the house to go to.
But I see there is a problem for other people, and I care for them.
Sometimes the members of the family responsible to drive them around are not even catholics,and they do not look with anticipation to be waiting for someone to confess, killing time outside the church.
I know using the phone is not a new idea,but that does not make it a bad one.Maybe it could be allowed under certain circumstances only.
And yes,I will write a letter to the Vatican ,expressing my concern for those in need, to satisfy my conscience. Even if it does not go anywhere.If more people asked for certain just things,they could come to fruition.
Sorry some of you find that this is a funny subject.