Written Confession

[Kevmel]

Our CCD classes are having a penance service in two weeks. The religious ed director told me that we can’t find enough priests to hear individual confession so we will have the students write their sins on a piece of paper, put it in a sealed envelope, and then bring it forward and recieve individual absolution. Is this sacramental? Are the sins forgiven? The catechism isn’t entirely clear because in is an induvidual absolution.

 

[JCPhoenix]

This is not sacramental, don’t do it.

A sealed envelope can’t absolve you. The whole point of going to confession is to confess your sins directly to a priest in persona christi. Writing them would be the same as sending a personal message, encrypted, to someone here.

The priest who hears your confession is bound by the seal of confession, but there is nothing to stop someone from breaking the seal on the envelope and learning your deepest secrets.

If this is what they are calling the sacrament of confession, you need to run, don’t walk, to another church to complete your RCIA.

How many priests to they need? It only takes one priest to absolve your sins, so unless you ahve a very large class then they don’t need to find multiple confessors.

 

[Kevmel]

Thank you for your response. To clarify, I am not in RCIA, I am a first time eighth grade CCD (We call it faith formation) teacher. All the CCD classes 5th through 9th grade will be going to the service, so about 90 youngsters.

 

[JCPhoenix]

I’m sorry, I misread your post. Mea Culpa.

So I guess you have no need to run to another church for RCIA…rather, send the kids running!

Seriously…you should discuss this with your priest, and if you get no results there, get ahold of your bishop. I have never heard of a “sealed envelope confession”, nor would I ever practice it.

Look at it this way…people in some countries or locations on this planet have no regular access to a priest so are unable to go to confession on a regular basis. If they die without the option of attending the sacrament of Confession, it is the intent that applies to the condition of their souls…if they intended to go to Confession as soon as possible, then a “state of grace” would be inferred, and of course only God could see that intent.

Under the “option” your clases have been presented, this emergency circumstance does not apply. If it were really an option approved by the Catholic Church, then what would stop the millions of people around the world from sending letters to the \vatican in sealed envelopes containing their Confessions?

This is not an approved method…see if there’s a shepherd around you who can make room in his pen for the new lambs.

Bless you for being a viligant watchdog to the shepherds!

 

[JimG]

It doesn’t really take that long to hear 90 confessions. Why not just do it in two or three sessions? There’s no need to have a “penance service” associated with it.

 

[Kevmel]

I asked the religious ed. director about that and she said that father is busy most Wednesday nights.

 

[JCPhoenix]

Unfortunately then Confession might not be done on a Wednesday, but maybe on a Friday, a Saturday, or for that matter, a Sunday or Monday. The Religious Ed. Coordinator is going to have to do some coordinating.

As I remember it, I actually did not have my First Reconciliation at a time we normally had class…it was done at a different time. And those children who did not attend my church on a regular basis actually attended at a different Church with a different priest.

Get the bishop involved if your own authorities are not following the teachings of the Church.

 

[pazdziernik]

Totally insane. It’s the priest’s job to hear confessions. Too bad it’s going to take more than 30 minutes or however long. Holy priests like St. John Vianney and St. Padre Pio were in the confessional hearing confessions practically all day. In the confessional the priest can ask you questions and offer advice and practical tips on things as well as determining your pennance. The priest takes the place of Jesus Christ in the confessional. Jesus never forgave sins by way of a letter (or scroll in those days.) Totally insane. (yeah. I already said that.)

Why don’t you offer to send him an email from the comfort of your home and he can answer you either from the comfort of his rectory or from his laptop at Starbucks while sipping a Vanilla Late Grande? (Just kidding. Hey make the offer see what happens.)

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Kevmel:

Our CCD classes are having a penance service in two weeks. The religious ed director told me that we can’t find enough priests to hear individual confession so we will have the students write their sins on a piece of paper, put it in a sealed envelope, and then bring it forward and recieve individual absolution. Is this sacramental? Are the sins forgiven? The catechism isn’t entirely clear because in is an induvidual absolution.

This would be an invalid Sacrament. Unless the priest opens and reads the list of sins for each penitent before giving individual absolution. Even the practice of stating one sin is very questionable. If you are aware of committing twelve Mortal sins you must communicate those twelve Mortal sins, otherwise you do in fact “intentionally omit certain sins” which would invalidate the sacrament.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Kevmel:

Thank you for your response. To clarify, I am not in RCIA, I am a first time eighth grade CCD (We call it faith formation) teacher. All the CCD classes 5th through 9th grade will be going to the service, so about 90 youngsters.

So you have three different “services” on three different Saturday afternoons, that should cover it! 30 kids a weekend! Then again if the priest would sit in the confessional for two hours every Saturday afternoon. There would be more than enough time for each person.

 

[mercygate]

Kevmel:

Thank you for your response. To clarify, I am not in RCIA, I am a first time eighth grade CCD (We call it faith formation) teacher. All the CCD classes 5th through 9th grade will be going to the service, so about 90 youngsters.

Kev, why is this necessary? All these kids have presumably made their first Communion and should be going to confession regularly. The trick here would be NOT to herd them into a confession corral but to work out a way to get their parents to bring them to the Sacrament. I realize the good intention of making the kids aware of the need for the Sacrament, but this would be confusing and ultimately counterproductive. DON’T do this.

Have each grade teacher round up his kids and take 'em to confession during a regularly scheduled hour. Trust me. There are no lines; they’ll get their turn.

 

[Kevmel]

The problem here is less about time and more about a general apathy amongst too many of the parents, students, and even some of the administration. The sacraments simply are not made to seem important, thus we have a faith drain. The dozen or so faith-filled parishoners have begun to attend services in neighboring town, leaving an even bigger gap where the leadership should be. Attempts to grow the faithful with Adoration services, Alpha programs, and other programs are met with minimal interest and low attendance. I would hope that the fire-filled members’ enthusiasm would catch on but so far it is just met with an attitude that only zealots believe in this living your faith idea. This is frustrating but I suppose it is how one grows. God please send your grace to help us in our difficult tasks.

 

[serendipity]

My experience has been that it is more and more difficult to find a priest available for confession. Many schurches say that there will be a priest available before the Saturday vigil, but when I have arrived, no one has been there.

I don’t know if this is an ssue of the priest not having as much time because there are so few preists (particualrly where I live: I have been trying churches in fdifferent county to catch one because there is only one priest in this Catholic priest) or an attitude that people don’t hink of confession as that improtant nay more so there is very little demand and it is easier to skip out on that scheduled arrangement. Maybe it is a combination of both.

Here, I always thought the excuse of being under-served is there just aren’t that many Catholics, so obviously when every Catholic parish has shortages, then we will feel it the most, since we don’t have as many to serve (but this starts a viscious cycle of the few Catholics here leaving to find inspiration elsewhere because the church has no time for us . . . then we are perceived as having even less need of a preist because are numbers are less).

I am sorry to hear that your dioscese is unable to give your the priestly support you need for so many kids.

 

[kmktexas]

You might want to contact the diocese and/or any religious orders/shrines that are nearby and ask if there is any possibility of them “loaning” some priests. Often there are priests in town for missions or to do fund raising that, even if already committed to help with Sunday Masses, have free nights during the week. If you go to the DRE and/or the pastor with some solutions already in hand you may have better results. This way, they won’t just assume that you are pushing more work back on them.

We have about 45 kids doing First Confession before First Communion and another 20-25 preparing for Confirmation. Father does a short pennance service followed by individual confessions (in the confessional) over three different nights. This is done on a weeknight- not during CCE class time. Each session lasts about an hour and a half so if this is spread out, it isn’t too time consuming for the kids, parents or priest.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Kevmel:

The problem here is less about time and more about a general apathy amongst too many of the parents, students, and even some of the administration. The sacraments simply are not made to seem important, thus we have a faith drain.

In this case it is a serious matter that should be called to the Bishops attention. For this parish is quickly becoming a non-Catholic church. Since the Catholic Faith is clearly a SACRAMENTAL faith. Without the Sacraments we simply have a Protestant church.

 

[Kevmel]

This is a tough deal. The other teachers have this go with the flow mentality. I just talked with the leader of a my Sunday night prayer group who is also a teacher and he said why would father do this if it wasn’t allowed? I said that’s a good question let’s talk about it tonight. I’ve been praying all night and day about this. I spent the last two hours making a pros and cons list to fighting this. I will take it to group tonight in search of ideas. It brings up an interesting thought of why am I in this parish? Should I join the more sacrament friendly parish in the next town? Am I here to face the stress of working for change in this parish. I like challenges but the frustration sometimes causes friction with the wife (such as don’t we already have enough stress in our lives?) Oh well, how often is life really in a perfect equilibrium? Seems to oscillate between stress (too much to do) and boredom (too little). And idle hands are the devil’s playground so I suppose it’s best to accept challenges.

 

[Bill_A]

Br. Rich SFO:

In this case it is a serious matter that should be called to the Bishops attention. For this parish is quickly becoming a non-Catholic church. Since the Catholic Faith is clearly a SACRAMENTAL faith. Without the Sacraments we simply have a Protestant church.

The Reason why people have penance face to face is so the priest can discern the nature of a persons sin and counsel them. You cant minister at all to a piece of paper. This is horrific. and as the Secular Fanciscan pointed out, in danger of schism.

If there isnt enough Priests to hear confession, then the priests need to spend more time hearing confession than one night a week, the Bishop should be replaced, so that better people can be selected for job.

People Can go once a year if things are that bad and Make Penance with God, examine their conscience and attempt reconcilliation on their own. That is if they wrong someone, ask for absoloution from that person. Try to make things right. Goto Penance when Available.

 

[pazdziernik]

Kevmel:

Should I join the more sacrament friendly parish in the next town? Am I here to face the stress of working for change in this parish. I like challenges but the frustration sometimes causes friction with the wife (such as don’t we already have enough stress in our lives?) Oh well, how often is life really in a perfect equilibrium? Seems to oscillate between stress (too much to do) and boredom (too little). And idle hands are the devil’s playground so I suppose it’s best to accept challenges.

It’s not your responsibility to fight every battle and make everything “just right” in a particular parish. It’s the bishop and the pastor’s (or administrator’s) responsibility to see that the Sacraments are made available and are correctly administered. Make your concerns known to them but don’t let this situation ruin your spiritual life or your relationship with your wife. Simply do what you can to correct this wacky situation. If need be simply “shake the dust” and move on to another parish. The decision is yours. But on the otherhand I wouldn’t give up too easily.

I know many people try to correct every little “infraction” in parish life. When something more serious happens they are not taken seriously. I’m not implying that you fit this description but it’s food for thought. The same things happen with schools and religious institutes. People who can’t change schools and religious institutes to be more faithful form new ones.