Whose sins you forgive...John 20:22-23

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I have a question, i am catholic and i have only been to confession twice in my life, i was forced to go.;( And i dont plan on going ever again. But i love being catholic and love the rest of the doctrine. I believe that God is the only person i need to apologise to and let Him know that i am truly sorry. Nothing against confession, i thinks its great for people who want to do it. Just not for me. AM I STILL CATHOLIC?

I feel that i am:D , just wanting to know others opinion.
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
I have a question, i am catholic and i have only been to confession twice in my life, i was forced to go.;( And i dont plan on going ever again. But i love being catholic and love the rest of the doctrine. I believe that God is the only person i need to apologise to and let Him know that i am truly sorry. Nothing against confession, i thinks its great for people who want to do it. Just not for me. AM I STILL CATHOLIC?

I feel that i am:D , just wanting to know others opinion.
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I go to AA now and then since I like to drink too much sometimes, they teach confession to your sponsor. It can be helpful if they also share their sins with you, then you don’t feel so unique, like you are the worst of sinners. You see everyone is about the same, we all have dark sides kept hidden away from the world.

And with confession it helps me better get bad habits out in the open, out of denial, and work on them.
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
I have a question, i am catholic and i have only been to confession twice in my life, i was forced to go.;( And i dont plan on going ever again. But i love being catholic and love the rest of the doctrine. I believe that God is the only person i need to apologise to and let Him know that i am truly sorry. Nothing against confession, i thinks its great for people who want to do it. Just not for me. AM I STILL CATHOLIC?

I feel that i am:D , just wanting to know others opinion.
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What makes you not want to go to confession?

Yes: you are still Catholic. Of course, if you have grave sin on your conscience, you wll not be receiving the Eucharist, and this puts a monkey wrench in the works if you go for more than a year without receiving Communion.

I would like to see you “love being Catholic” enough to live the faith like a mature Christian. I would like to see you come to an appreciation of the Sacrament of Confession that fully understands its beauty. Once you do that, nothing can keep you AWAY from it. After the Eucharist, it is the second greatest thing about being Catholic. Actually, it is PART of the Eucharist because it is an affirmation of the Resurrection Body.
 
Thanks for your opinion, and i feel like i am a mature christian. I just have different feelings on that matter.
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
Thanks for your opinion, and i feel like i am a mature christian. I just have different feelings on that matter.
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I’m sorry if I sounded condescending. You just seemed quite young and untaught. My apologies.

So, what do you have against Confession?
 
I just dont feel that i need to tell a priest my sins, its between me and God. Do priests go to confession?
 
ricmat said:
The way I’ve heard this explained is that yes, you are forgiven directly by God, assuming you are truly repentant. But the Sacrament of reconciliation also conveys grace from God to the receipient, by virtue of the priest acting in a personal “physical” way (as did Jesus) with the sinner. In this case, “physical” means via voice and hearing. And there’s the added psychological benefit of actually hearing God, via the priest actually say the words, “your sins are forgiven.”

And generally grace is considered good, since it is a portion of God’s inner life that enables us to fight additional sins in the future 🙂
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Excellent explanation 👍

-Mark
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
I just dont feel that i need to tell a priest my sins, its between me and God. Do priests go to confession?
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What do you make of this suggestion:

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
I just dont feel that i need to tell a priest my sins, its between me and God. Do priests go to confession?
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Of course priests go to confession. Just like us. They have to tell that they are priests before starting in. I know a priest who goes to confession every week, sometimes twice.

What is it that you don’t like about confession.

Are you squeamish about telling another person your sins? Another sinner, just like yourself?

Most people find it quite uncomfortable, even those of us who deeply cherish this Sacrament.
 
Yes, i do not feel comfortable telling a priest my faults, i really dont think i need to go to confession if its only for grave sins. I dont believe i have committed a mortal sin, i think that is what they are called.
Thats good that priests also go, i never really knew if they did or not. But, i believe i can talk to god, let him know that i am sorry, and promiss to the best of my ability not to do it again.

I really feel like im still a good catholic, i love my church and the priest and the people and the teachings. Just dont want to go to confession.😉
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
Yes, i do not feel comfortable telling a priest my faults, i really dont think i need to go to confession if its only for grave sins. I dont believe i have committed a mortal sin, i think that is what they are called.
Thats good that priests also go, i never really knew if they did or not. But, i believe i can talk to god, let him know that i am sorry, and promiss to the best of my ability not to do it again.

I really feel like im still a good catholic, i love my church and the priest and the people and the teachings. Just dont want to go to confession.😉
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Well, that’s honest.

I’m a little confused that you say you “love the teachings” if you don’t think they apply to yourself. Sometimes in Confession a good priest will help you discern things you never thought of all by yourself. It is an opportunity for growth in grace.

Actually, I find my discomfort a mark of my vanity and pride – both capital sins. The more uncomfortable I am with what I have to say, the more I know I need to say it.

I’m really tiresome on this one, but when I came into the Church, the confession one is required to make – of the sins of one’s entire life – was a watershed experience. I have never (and probably WILL never) experienced anything like it again as long as I live. The peace and integrity of that experience for anyone who musters the guts to do it FROM the gut, without excuses, without reservation, in perfect submission to the mercy of Jesus Christ cannot be matched by anything else in life. WHAT a grace!

I go to confession once a month – always with the same Priest.
 
I dont see how this could be so cunfusing… I love attending mass, i love the catholic faith and traditions, i just dont go to confession. Pretty simple, there are also some church laws i dont agree with either, but i guess they cant please everyone. I will never leave the catholic church!🙂
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
I dont see how this could be so cunfusing… I love attending mass, i love the catholic faith and traditions, i just dont go to confession. Pretty simple, there are also some church laws i dont agree with either, but i guess they cant please everyone. I will never leave the catholic church!🙂
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Thank you for your honesty. Is confession mandated by the Church, or is like the Rosary or Saint Intercessions that you can voluntarily do as additional sources of grace?

-Mark
 
To be Catholic, i believe it says you must go to confession at least once a year if you have seriously sinned. But these are duties of catholics, i dont think they are manditory, if they were i dont think i would still be considered catholic.
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
To be Catholic, i believe it says you must go to confession at least once a year if you have seriously sinned. But these are duties of catholics, i dont think they are manditory, if they were i dont think i would still be considered catholic.
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It isn’t important whether you are “considered Catholic” – that’s actually a kind of off-center question.

Catholics deal with the reality of sin, with moral imperatives and serious obligations of Christian life through the Sacrament of Confession. Every confirmed Catholic affirms solemnly by vow in the Sacrament of Confirmation to affirm and uphold the Catholic Faith in its entirety.

If you have serious sin on your soul, as understood by your **informed **conscience, then you are required (since you describe yourself as a mature, practicing Catholic) to bring that sin to the healing power of the keys in Confession. This is mandatory. Honest.

An informed conscience both knows and understands the moral points that constitute sin. Conscience is not just what “feels” right and wrong to you. As a mature, practicing Catholic Christian, you would be culpably ignorant if you fail to inform your conscience on matters of faith and morals.

I think you are on the brink of a big, beautiful new phase of your life. The Holy Spirit is after you! Godspeed!
 
You keep throwing up maturity as if it has something to do with being catholic or confession. Are you saying i am not catholic, because i have not been to confession in over 15 years?
If you think im not “catholic” then what would i be?

I am catholic, i baptised my son catholic, and God knows im catholic. He knows how i feel in my heart. :cool:
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
You keep throwing up maturity as if it has something to do with being catholic or confession. Are you saying i am not catholic, because i have not been to confession in over 15 years?
If you think im not “catholic” then what would i be?

I am catholic, i baptised my son catholic, and God knows im catholic. He knows how i feel in my heart. :cool:
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Hey! I’m the one who said that the question, “Am I Catholic?” was off-center.

Still, a well catechized, spiritually mature, Catholic Christian will understand what an informed conscience is, what sin is, what confession is for, and why it is important to come to this beautiful Sacrament when he has sin on his conscience. These are marks of life that bears the name “Catholic.” To reject Confession is to reject one of the greatest gifts the Lord bequeathed to us.

In stating these points, I have not used the word “you.”

The fact that you frame the question and your situation as you do indicates that whoever was responsible for your spiritual formation dropped the ball (as so many have done over the past 40 years). You have a chance to step up to the plate, redeem the time, and begin living fully the rich and grace-filled life that opens to the searching heart. It would be a good gift to give to your son.

God love ya.
 
*The fact that you frame the question and your situation as you do indicates that whoever was responsible for your spiritual formation dropped the ball (as so many have done over the past 40 years). *

Im sorry what are you saying here? I dont get it, but i kinda sence some sarcasm in your whole post. I just wanted to know if i was considered catholic and if im not, then what am i considered? I know im not a protestant because i believe just about opposite of what they believe.:confused:
 
cradlecathlic26 said:
*The fact that you frame the question and your situation as you do indicates that whoever was responsible for your spiritual formation dropped the ball (as so many have done over the past 40 years). *

Im sorry what are you saying here? I dont get it, but i kinda sence some sarcasm in your whole post. I just wanted to know if i was considered catholic and if im not, then what am i considered? I know im not a protestant because i believe just about opposite of what they believe.:confused:
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I am definitely not being sarcastic and apologize if I am coming across that way.

It is a cold, miserable, fact that in much of the American Catholic Church, good catechesis has been largely absent for a long time, and many people have had really poor formation, and have ideas (such as the idea that you do not need to go to confession) that contradict actual Catholic teaching.

You ask, “Am I Catholic?” What does it mean to be Catholic?

Is a baptized Catholic who contracepts “Catholic?” Is a baptized Catholic who thinks abortion is fine “Catholic?” Is a baptized Catholic who thinks it’s no big deal to miss Mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation “Catholic?”

Don’t answer those questions. I’m just posing them to show that the question “am I Catholic?” is a kind of swamp. Being “Catholic” is more than affirming a set of credal formulas. It is more than going to Mass. Being Catholic, in the fullest sense, is living fully in Christ to the best of our ability – and that means following the guidance that Christ has entrusted to His Church in matters of faith and morals.

I am encouraging you to live your Catholic faith as Christ intended it to be lived and to take advantage of the grace He offers through His Sacraments.

I encourage you to be patient with yourself (instead of impatient with me) and learn some of the stuff you apparently did not learn in Catechism class. Actually we are ALL constantly learning and growing because the beauty of the Catholic faith is ENDLESS. There is always more to know and love.

What IS it about Confession that bothers you so much anyway?

If you want to PM me, I would be glad to take this off-list.

Godspeed.
 
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