The following comes from a Dec. 16 email sent anonymously to Cal Catholic.
From the Dec. 7 bulletin of San Carlos Cathedral in Monterey CA, the oldest running Catholic Church in the state of California:
Liturgy Corner: Worry-free Confession
Our Parish Advent Communal Penance celebration takes
place on Tuesday, December 16 at 7pm. This year marks
the second time our priests are offering “worry-free confessions”
as a whole-hearted attempt to lure everyone back to
confession.
What’s “worry-free” about it? No words to
memorize, no ritual to remember, no list of sins, no mention
of how many years it’s been, no act of contrition to recite.
What could be easier?! Just walk up to the priest and say,
“Father, I want to go to confession; help me out!” It doesn’t
matter if it’s been 10 years, 20 years, 30 years since you’ve
been to confession.
Everyone is welcome as if for the first
time. This is a precious opportunity to share one or two significant
concerns that have been weighing down your heart,
and to get rid of them forever. God not only forgives, but
God forgets!
Don’t carry that guilt, that grudge, that resentment,
that pain of a broken relationship any longer! Let God
who loves you more than anyone fill you with pardon and
peace. Come to the San Carlos worry-free confession!
— Sr. Sharon McMillan, SND
See the Dec. 7th bulletin by clicking here.
Let’s make confession even easier: why can’t we just use a WIFI at an anonymous location (motel or public library or other) and email a short list of confessions to a priest? We could do this at any time of day or night, and the priest could email us our absolution to the same anonymous address at his convenience. Then there would be no standing in line and no more annoying or embarrassing questions the priest might ask us. Problem solved. Or make it even easier by just talking to God by saying something like “Hey God, for whatever I’ve done, or not done, that you think is a sin, I’m sorry, OK?
Yes and please be sure to use bullet points in your text! We don’t want to have to wade through endless paragraphs of verbiage about the various details of your life!
Sarah, your post is wickedly humorous, and certainly points to the dangers of a headline like “worry free confession”. And it seems from the bulletin that the parish is inviting that kind of mockery. But I actually think there is something more profound going on here. How many people don’t go to confession because it’s been 30 years since there last one? For fear that they will be judged, for fear that they can’t remember everything, for fear that they will be fearful, for fear that the Priest will demand of them more than what Christ himself does?
If this is a way to allay those fears, and bring people back to the healing power of the Sacrament, then I say….go for it. If it helps people break through their fears and return to the Lord, why not?
Worry free confessions, free annulments, little by little they are removing sacred practices, important prayers, time honored traditions that have been used to interiorly shape and form our great saints. Never mind all that rigid stodgy stuff, let’s pack em in like sardines at any convenient cost. Poster Bob One says it’s not even important where the Mass is said and YFC wants everyone to remove their fears and “GO FOR IT” so that they too will become fearless to promote the homosexual agenda on Catholic websites while calling themselves fellow Catholics. Bob One and YFC sure sound like the same guy.
The reason they are slowly removing all of the time honored quality of practices of the Catholic faith is in an exchange for the mentality of Megachurch quantity. The more happy clucks sitting in those worry free kneelerless pews means the potential for more big bucks to finance even more devastation in the vineyard. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are schmoozing the workings of a worry free flock in order to have more Catholics chewing this regurgitating cud of a worry free state of stupor. How insulting to imply that faithful priests do not know how to guide a fearful penitent through a good confession. Don’t buy the Madison Ave “worry free” advertising sales pitch, there is much more to this. These worry free services also remove the potential for a penitent to actually receive the sacrament from a priest who does not misguide and confuse the penitent with appalling instruction.
continued from December 18, 2014 at 12:36 pm
BUYER BEWARE
“No words to memorize, no ritual to remember, no list of sins, no mention of how many years it’s been, NO ACT OF CONTRITION TO RECITE. What could be easier? ” = https://www.hoffmancarwash.com/content/jiffy-lube-8.cfm
Simply have the priests show up and use the loudspeakers at Hoffman’s Jiffy lube car wash and everyone can kill two birds with one stone. Jiffy-lube wash your soul and your car. So as not to offend anyone passing by Hoffman’s during a worry free confession service the ecumenically and diverse social justice rights committee removed the words Christmas Hours of business and replaced the sign to Holiday Hours. Happy Kwanzaa too!
You are being very sacrilegious
Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.
“Worry Free Confessional” could be well be synonomus with “Forgiveness Free Confessional”! As always, where it the bishop in all of this?
I noticed that the none writing this is a notorious DND!
If I lived in that “parish”, I would flee it like my very salvation was endangered by it because it IS!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Catherine makes everything about the gay because that is her obsession. That makes for a sad human being to be so obsessed.
My point was nothing about the gay. Nothing like what catherine tried to portray my post to being.
Go for it means – GO receive the grace of God, freely given, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Twisting of my words only keeps people from receiving those graces.
Why do we have to spend time untwisting the words that were so clear to begin with, unless your intention is to make clear things unclear?
I noticed that too FYC. Your post was clear to anyone without an agenda. Who drew the bulls-eye on your forehead?
“Catherine makes everything about the gay because that is her obsession. That makes for a sad human being to be so obsessed.”
The original Jon Jay report clarified who was obsessed with homosexuality. The lavender mafia aka the YFC’s within the Church will work to water down and remove many practices in order to further their agenda. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitcz refused to be bullied or kowtow to the ridiculous Dallas Charter games that swept the addressing of this malignant problem under the rug. The fact that we have a homoheresy network worker on this website proves the reality that certain traditions and practices are being deliberately removed, and watered down. Our resident militant homosexual activist is here to help smooth the progress along.
Bishop Bruskewitz shoots back at National Review Board April 02, 2006
‘Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, has responded sharply to criticism from the US bishops’ National Review Board about his refusal to cooperate with the Board’s “audit” of diocesan plans for implementing national guidelines on sex-abuse programs.”
So you approve of diocese withholding the information about sexual abuse. Why?
Anonymous cleverly and schemingly asks, “So you approve of diocese withholding the information about sexual abuse. Why?”
STOP PLAYING GAMES! Bad bishops and bad clergy were against Bishop Bruskewitz because Faithful Bishop Bruskewitz wanted more than just a quick fix and let’s ignore all of the sweeping dissent and hide the homosexuality problems that caused 81% of this sex abuse under the rug. The wimpy kasper milquetoast Dallas Charter was chosen over the Truth, the faithful saints and the blood shed for the faith by the martyrs. Compromising schemes to our Catholic faith. So stop your games. I never knew what the word “buggery” meant until I once read a poster’s comment on another website. This poster wrote that the bishops were obviously punishing Bishop Bruskewitz because he did not have issues and problems with buggery in his diocese. I had to look the word buggery up in the dictionary to see what that meant. I’m sure you already know what the word means don’t you? Bishop Bruskewitz’s diocese had more new vocations in his area and this fact irritated the dissenting homosexual clergy within the Church. Even you are trying to cleverly infer that Bishop Bruskewitz did not want to protect the children as well as he should have. MORE LAVENDER MAFIA HOGWASH SCHEMES and LIES based on evil and jealously that needs to be exposed and rooted OUT. No different than the scheming what was just exposed and witnessed at the recent Family Synod.
continued…..
continued from Dec. 20th 2014 at 12:29
These wolves in sheep’s clothing act more like Cinderella’s jealous and scheming stepsisters instead of holy men of God. The fact remains… It is what it is and it’s putrid rot stinks to the highest heaven and cries out to God for justice. A couple of years ago the vocation director for the diocese of Orange accidentally sent an email to my good friend who had recently emailed this vocation director about the flourishing vocations in Nebraska. A few days later the vocation director sent the email to another priest in the diocese and he (the vocation director) must have accidentally hit the reply to all and boy did he. This email showed the very essence of what our Lady of Akita warned us about bishops being against bishops. This email mocked and belittled the number of vocations that Bishop Bruskewitz’s had in his diocese. The vocation director even wrote that he was tired of hearing this kind of s – – -! So anonymous it was really Providential Justice that allowed that email to be sent out to many people in order to see the schemes of jealous handiwork behind the scenes of wolves in sheep’s clothing who viciously tear away at the fullness of Truth as well as tear away at the goodness of a faithful Bishop who did not have an explosion of buggery in his diocese.
continued from December 20, 2014 at 12:37
Taken from the Newsletter Les Femmes The Truth
“CMA isn’t the only voice calling for review. One of the bishops’ own, Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska proposed that the bishops commission a study to evaluate the impact, if any, of theological dissent and clerical homosexuality on the scandals. His brothers voted thumbs down. They preferred to focus on the minority of priest perpetrators rather than address their own bad stewardship or deal with the broader problem of dissent to Church teaching, particularly in the area of sexual ethics.”
https://www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org/v73dallas.htm
Bishop Bruskewitz refused to participate in the John Jay study on the advise of his priests and legal council.
The Diocese of Knoxville under Bishop Anthony O’Connell led the US in the number of vocations per number of Catholics. I’m sure you remember him.
You have been very belligerent and accusatory when I asked you why you approved of a diocese not reporting it’s incidences of sexual abuse.
One of the reasons that bishop Bruskewitz refused to answer, though not the totality of his reasons (he admitted he would not tell the full truth on why he would not release them) was:
“2) Serious sins against the Eighth Commandment are likely to be part of the result of the study: detraction, calumny, slander, contumely, etc
You might want to pray over this.
Two things are certain. He did not hide the data because there wasn’t any abuse in his diocese. He did not hide the abuse because of vocations in his diocese.
He seems to be more concerned about ecclesial authority than homosexual priests or pedophile priests or protecting children from them.
Bruskewitz commented that one of the problems he sees “with the homosexual/pedophile scandals in the Church, as horrible as they are, is a questionable remedy that would go in a direction that would cause long-term damage. ”
https://www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org/Wanderer_1_22_04_2.htm
I like Bishop Bruskewitz. He was good bishop. I think you have drawn a lot of false conclusions on why he did not co-operate with John Jay. You definitly drew a lot of false conclusions about me and why I asked the question of you.
YFC, you do not give Graces.
And you can not receive any Grace from God as long as you choose to continue to live in Mortal Sin – by your support of homosexual marriage, and homosexual acts.
And other your other acts which publically violate the Doctrine of the Faith as contained in Sacred Scripture and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition”.
Jesus taught us that we must repent of our Sins to be saved.
People can not repent (or be saved) if they refuse to acknowledge their sins.
One must prepare prior to going to Confession.
There are good “Examination of Consciences” on the internet, as well as Apps.
Here is one example that people may find helpful –
https://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html
Save this as a favorite and share it with others.
If it has been more than a year, people should use more than one.
Get into the habit of Confession at least once a month, so that one can be able to receive Indulgences for themselves or a deceased person. (Indulgences – CCC 1471 – 1479.)
CCC: ” 1454 The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God.
The passages best suited to this can be found in the Ten Commandments, the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings.”
MIKE excellent comments. Have a very Christmas. Its about saving souls. Jmj
Another crazy invention, and one that will surely be loved by the House of Bergoglio. How you do things: confession, communion, saying Mass, praying, all of this matters.
Put a different way, if it does not matter, than the Catholic Church should pretty much shut-down, which is what is going to happen anyway. But, better to man-up and say it clear and loud — “do what you want; God does not care”. Sounds a lot like Luther. In fact, this is where the Liberal Catholic Church is now, back embracing Protestantism: Christ died for our sins and that is it. Continue to act in a sinful, loathsome way, because you cannot be any different.
What a crock! And one that conveniently forgets much of scripture. You know, the part about Christ telling his disciples to “be holy” and to “avoid sin”, that kind of stuff. Nope, these guys only want to reduce all of you Church going Catholics to outsiders. What happened to the “Royal Priesthood”?
The “crock” is your blasphemous suggestion that the Catholic Church is going to “shut down” in plain contravention of Scripture. She will be purged and renewed by the chastisements and graces of God. I hope you are still with her when she does. The gates of hell shall not prevail.
The blasphemous disconnect is the denial that the Church is and will continue to endure crisis and fallout until She purges those inside and out who wish to see Her stripped of the Truth. Much like Jesus who endured Judas even up to him giving Our Lord a kiss that consigned Him over to be crucified by the State, the Church will go… and is going.
So please try to be considerate at least with those who aren’t jumping up and down seeing the Judases do their handy work. For even Our Lord said it would have been better for Judas had he not been born.
The Church has recently increased its call for people to go to confession. Here is a pastor who is trying to lure people back to the sacrament. What is to complain about? Oh yeah, format, formula, etc. Let’s get them in, then we can worry about format. The Pope just told the story of how he had to make up sins as a child when he went to confession. Sins like swallowing a drop of water when he brushed his teach. Those of us of a certain age remember that stuff and that is why so many don’t go to confession. The formula isn’t important, but the repentance is, the forgiveness is, the invitation is. I would think that it is better to have someone come to the priest and say “father its been a long time” than “bless me father for I have … in rote.
Bob One, I missed that quote. But what sticks with me is the video of an event with the Pope. En route to an event in a Church, Pope Francis spotted a confessional, asked his handlers to wait a minute, then knelt at one of those semi-public confessionals common in Europe. And after confessing his sins, there, our Holy Holy Father received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m sure his detractors thought that he was making a mess. I thought he was cleaning one up.
Actually, “Bob One” there was never a rule about drinking a sip of water, or of brushing your teeth “under the old rules” (although who knows how the Pope was schooled in Argentina). What is recalled is that the Church saw communion, and its preparation, as serious, a time for reflection, commitment to try to live a holy life, telling your sins to the priest, and faithfully receiving Christ’s gift to Mankind.
Liberals, like you and “Your Fellow Catholic” are very happy with parking lot confesions and Happy-Meal Masses. And now you have a Pope, and his cronies, that love this stuff. No, it is not better to make things simplier, and Yes, form and words to have some significance. But then, you will believe what you want to believe, so why bother with explaining anything to either of your.
Unfortunately, far too few people today go to confession (a point that was vexing to St. JPII), and far too many go to communion. Having people reflect that going to communion means being truly in a state of less sin, and no mortal sins. Today, few believe in sin at all; apparently many work in the Vatican.
Just try to be accurate, and drop the sarcasm; you do it poorly. And, stop misstating facts “from the old days”. Either you did not experience them, or you are engaging in creative writing.
If the Pope or you had to ‘make up’ sins, Bob One, then there was no real sense of sin to begin with, friend. Perhaps you were receiving the Sacraments too early. The scaring of your own misunderstanding of the Faith and Sacraments is no cause to undermine that which is necessary to the Sacraments: matter, form, and intention. So yes, the repentance is key, but so too are the ‘formulas’ which keep that which is intended by the Church firmly in place.
The idea that ‘making up sins’ is legitimate in any way with one who should have been adequately catechized – either about God’s omniscience and His thereby already knowing your ‘sins’ or confusing obsessive scrupulosity with some defect in the Sacrament of Confession is – is ludicrous. It sounds good though for those who desire to cover their own rejection of the Faith with the boogie man.
Good grief I hope your reporting of the Holy Father is inaccurate.
Good grief, Ann Malley indeed! Of course there was no sense of sin developed in an adult if they can’t think for themselves about what constitutes a sin or not. This is what a proper conscience is all about…not listening to outside voices, but discerning the work of the Holy Spirit within one’s heart.
You on the other hand, apparently confess to an SSPX priest who has no validity if he attempts to offer you absolution for your sins. So is it better to make up sins so as not to forget any, or is it better to make up false absolutions for the sins you do commit and do deserve the forgiveness and mercy of Christ, absolution from which can only come from a Priest in full communion with Rome?
You are very odd, YFC, concerned about the validity of confession or even the proper development of conscience when you willfully harden your own sensibilities to equate mortal sin with a ‘life of love’. Not confessing mortal sins leaves you with those you have plus it adds sacrilege to the pile.
Your promoting yourself here as a faithful Catholic while doing the above is a visible sign of rotted fruit that would keep anyone away from a confessional for fear of bogus spiritual guidance and ineptitude in discerning what constitutes sin. Kind of like bloated dead sheep around a water well.
There may be water there, sure enough, but it’s done been poisoned and those who desire to keep living had best stay clear. Even so, ‘making up sins’ would indicate a lack of understanding of what confession means, YFC. So it is no basis for dismantling the Sacrament in its proper form.
You may want to think, however, why you’re so obsessed with TLM groups. Could be that subliminally that is where you really want to be? I know it’s easier to continue with something when one isn’t corrected and perhaps that is your issue. Maybe you need to find a parish, diocesan or FSSP if you prefer, that will tell you the truth and aid you in making a thorough confession, no made up sins and none glossed over for the sake of political correctness of the confusion of what constitutes love and/or Catholic faith and morals.
“except when heard at the moment of death” = YFC speaks to others about “at the moment of death” while hanging off of the side of a steep cliff holding on to a a thin tree branch called an “illusion”. Oh that devil is clever because he convinced YFC to hang on to this faulty illusion as if it was the tree of life and happiness and all while YFC is slowly sliding down and bringing others down with him.
Here is some more clarification.. Unless you repent for leading the soul of your partner and your own soul to hell, then you will have no valid excuse to not end up there. You will have chosen the wide gate and the broad way that led to eternal damnation for the both of you and that has NOTHING to do with love or “reasoning well.”
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. 14How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.
Bob One, I am over 65, went to Catholic elementary school and high school, and was never taught swallowing a drop of water prior to Mass precluded one from Holy Communion. (Food or Soda was a different matter.) And certainly not that it was a sin.
This is ridiculous and is strangely peculiar to being taught by those who did not know the Faith.
The same problem exists today. Far too many Priests and Nuns do not teach according to the CCC in entirety. – Perhaps they were never taught the truth in their formations.
The good news about today is that: Sacred Scripture and the CCC are available to everyone. And just because a teacher says something “goofy” we do not have to adhere to the “goofyness” – but should show the teacher the error they are making by showing them the CCC.
All that being said, if someone thinks something is a MORTAL SIN, and purposely does it anyway to offend God – then the act of intending to purposely offend God is a Mortal Sin.
Why would anyone have to make up sins? It sounds to me as if some children and people were too scrupulous themselves or lacked a true understanding of what their teachers told them. That is typical of childhood, and does not mean the teachers were wrong. If one was required to go to confession on certain days when a child, all they had to do was repeat a past sin and say so if they could not think of a new one. They were probably told that that they received grace by confessing, and they did if they were truly repentant of any sin, including previous ones.
Childhood scrupulosity is nothing new. I thought it was wrong to eat pork when I was a child after reading about the Kosher Law in the Old Testament until my grandmother told me that it did not apply to Christians. I did not even understand then, until I read how St. Peter, with the approval of the Lord, changed it in the book of Romans. That was not the fault of my teachers, just my lack of fully understanding Christian teaching.
As Sister Mary Thomas Aquinas used to say at St. Agnes School: “One step in the right direction is better than no step at all.” That was back in 1956. I think Sister was onto something: good common sense.
Amen, Bob. Maybe the nun told the children not to eat ice cream after taking Communion because it would make the Baby Jesus cold, that is if Bob One remembers correctly, because they were gorging themselves on desserts, and that was her way of stopping it.
I was devastated when I found out there was really no real Santa Claus, secular one that is, since my grandfather used to dress up as one and peek through the window from the outside. I held a grudge for sometime because I thought my relatives had lied to me. When I finally grew up, I realized that that was the way they tried to delight me in my childhood. Nevertheless, I always told my children about the real St. Nicholas and tried never to lie to them, even by a fantasy, but some grudges are not worth the anxiety and trouble they cause and just need to be let go.
“no list of sins” Wut??
Well, the other day I heard from a high up source that I am going straight to Heaven anyway, so at least it’s consistent. Sounds like business as usual in the Diocese of Monterey…
There is no SOURCE higher than Jesus about going to Heaven or not.
Read Jesus’s words: Mt 7:13-14; and Lk 13:23-28.
Anyone who calls Jesus a liar, is of the devil.
For those who may question whether this is a proper translation: Click the Dec. 7th. date link from this page:
https://www.sancarloscathedral.org/bulletin
It is really awful of everyone to judge what is being done by what some sister summarizes. Read what Fr. Patrick Dooling wrote about the Sacrament on the December 14th bulletin. Remember the priest is the teacher at the parish and not the sisters. Many sisters do not even have formal educations. Fr. Patrick does normally write things that always have a line or two that I find odious but that is just the man coming through. What he says about confession is solid and not as simplistic as sister’s ideas. Thank God she is not celebrating the Sacrament. God knows what he does! Let’s try to be more charitable and not so rigid. As Pope Francis stated, “rigidity is the sign of a weak heart”.
The Pope, Bishops, Priests, Nuns and the rest of us are human beings and all make errors from time to time.
When in doubt, check:
SACRED SCRIPTURE (Catholic Bible) which in entirety contains the speech of God (CCC 81);
and the
“CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, second edition” which contains the Doctrine of the Faith.
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm
Also check CODE of CANON LAW:
https://cal-catholic.com/?p=16499#comment-506397
and
GIRM (General Instruction for the Roman Missal) – for the Ordinary Form of the Mass
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html
Save these links as your ‘favorites” and for future reference.
Thank you for the reminder TED. These are very important links. And it’s good to be reminded that sometimes well-intentioned people sometimes make mistakes. God bless you
I have always thought the Vatican II communal penance services to be silly, and a waste of time. I think Pope Francis needs desperately to confess his Mortal Sins to God (in a Sacramental Confession) and to the world, of constant lying, and constant deceptions and denials of the truth– about the Church’s teachings on the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony! Also, he needs to say he lied and deceived people, and say he is sorry for all his lies and deceptions– in regards to the thousands of people he has personally talked to, called up, and misguided and deceived, while serving as a priest, bishop, Cardinal- and Pope! He has publically BETRAYED CHRIST!!
Linda Maria, you need to take a serious look at your words and attitude.
You may use all the exclamation marks you wish (!), but it will make no difference if you attack the Vicar Of Christ simply because you think you are holier than he is.
We ALL need to go to confession, but you don’t get to tell Pope Francis when and how often.
…it is not an issue of believing oneself to be holier, Joseph.
God bless you Joseph! You are a noble gentleman telling the truth!
Confusion (or deception) is not of God.
Keep your eyes open.
All human beings (except the Mother of God) are sinners in one way or another.
Of our 267 Popes, we have had 12 evil Popes in the history of the Church including Alexander Vi (a Borgia who fathered Lucrezia), and Benedict IX who was a playboy. 80 Popes have been canonized Saints.
Stay close to the Bible and CCC for TRUTH at all times.
Never follow blindly.
God gave us the gift of literacy – use it wisely.
There are many wolves in sheeps’ clothing – Jesus said so. Mt 7:15.
I think many modern-day people have lost their sense of right and wrong, and have lost their sense of sin— and true guilt and sorrow, for sin! Everyone needs to be taught right from wrong, from babyhood, by their parents, and by the Church! Everyone needs to develop a good moral conscience, and sense of respect for God, and a sense of responsibility! It is very important, in the life of a good Catholic, to grow and mature morally and spiritually, and to regularly go to Confession, and receive the Sacrament properly! Silly, post-Vatican II communal penance services, are a big waste of time!
This is invalid, Only in the case of emergency (an atomic bomb falling within an hour or some other terrible event), and general confessions be allowed. To only confess one or two sins makes a mockery of the sacrament. All mortal sins and the number of times they were committed MUST be confessed. To pick and choose what sins one will confess makes the sacrament of Penance a sacrilege in a sense, because sins are deliberately being withheld Lies are not allowed in confession, and to hide or freely not confess ALL serious matter (mortal sins). is not permitted, and it can NEVER be allowed for the validity of the sacrament.
I’m glad you made the point that this practice is invalid. It is simply an effort to eliminate the Sacramento of Penance, so we can be like the Protestants and thus be more “ecumenical”. The Sacrament of Penance is meant to help us be more sensitive to the evil of sin in our lives as we seek God’s forgiveness. This practice helps destroy the sense of sin. Pope (now Saint) Paul II decried the loss of that sense of sin in our modern society. The “worry-free confession” described above is the same as the Penitential rite at the beginning of every Mass. Obviously the Church has never considered that penitential rite to be a substitute for the Sacrament of Penance.
It is true that some people are deterred from going to the Sacrament because they fear they “don’t know what to say” or do in the confessional. That should be easy to take care of by sound catechesis. Simply let them know the priest will help them if they do not know the words and actions of the ritual.
Karl – If it’s invalid then why do priests do short forms of confession all the time.
A priest friend told me it takes 10 seconds. Why not do this for the public?
Will it would seem you are suffering from too much use of short form hence the ‘Karl’ instead of Fr. Karl. And in answer to your question, abuse.
Ann – Thank you for your reply. I have no idea if Karl is a priest or not so i prefer to only use only a person name. There is no abuse here so please explain the reason for your comment. Thank you….
It would seem you understand the reason for my comment, Will, as evidenced by your explanation. You choose to disbelieve Father’s credentials, but I do not. One could likewise question whether you are a man or not or even a ‘Will’ and withdraw to undermine you by marginalizing you as the ‘poster who calls herself/himself Will’.
The above should have read “where is the bishop in all of this? Also “SND” not “DND”!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher,
Will,
” why do priests do short forms of confession all the time?” The answer to that question is that many, far too many, no longer really have the Faith!
If I were you, I would find a more orthodox priest to befriend!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Will your Priest may be in error, or you may have misunderstood.
No Priest has the authority to change ANY of the Forms of the Sacraments for anyone,
or the Mass as stated in GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal – Nov 2011).
Due to poor formation at some Seminaries, some Priests make errors.
Use the Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Code of Canon Law, and GIRM for accuracy. The last 3 can be found on the Vatican web site.
If Priests make errors, they should be corrected in charity, and if that does not work the Diocese Bishop should be contacted.
Father Karl, I think you have misunderstood the article. This is individual confession.
Anonymous coward,
It may be individual but it is not the Sacrament of Confession!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Why isn’t it the Sacrament of Confession, Mr. Fisher?
If you are all so obsessed with the validity of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Confession, you should be speaking to those who confess to an SSPX priest, whose Confessions, except when heard at the moment of death, have been ruled to be absolutely invalid.
Of course it is.
CCC 1482 The sacrament of Penance can also take place in the framework of a communal celebration in which we prepare ourselves together for confession and give thanks together for the forgiveness received. Here, the personal confession of sins and individual absolution are inserted into a liturgy of the word of God with readings and a homily, an examination of conscience conducted in common, a communal request for forgiveness, the Our Father and a thanksgiving in common. This communal celebration expresses more clearly the ecclesial character of penance. However, regardless of its manner of celebration the sacrament of Penance is always, by its very nature, a liturgical action, and therefore an ecclesial and public action.91
Anonymous, why did you leave out the rest ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
The CCC must be taken in entirety. Not merely picking and choosing the paragraphs to suit you, and being deceitful to others, possibly leading them to Hell.
There are requirements to a Communal Confession and the story posted does NOT meet these criteria. And can lead Souls to Hell.
Now the rest of it – – – – – – –
CCC: ” 1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution.
Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent’s confession.
Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time.
In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their grave sins in the time required.
The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist.
A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity. “
You are very deceptive for leaving out the REQUIREMENTS for Communal Confession, and that ONLY a Bishop can allow a Communion Confession not any Priests.
See CCC 1483.
Anonymous, only under Grave Conditions, and with the permission of the Diocese Bishops.
Be careful not to give out misinformation.
As we know the CCC must be taken in entirety.
CCC: ” 1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution.
Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent’s confession.
Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time.
In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their grave sins in the time required.
The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist.
A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity.”
David, I did not pick and choose the text that suited me.
I used the text that was appropriate.
I was not being deceitful.
It is not a communal Confession. It is a penance service. There is prayer together then everybody goes to stand in line to wait for their turn to have a priest hear their confessions.
Put rash judgement on your list next time you go.
and I forgive you.
Father Karl, perhaps you are misunderstanding what Sister Sharon wrote?? I don’t get the idea that they are offering general absolution. They are offering individualized confessions in the context of a community celebration (which has GOT to be a better idea than having people go to confession during mass – but that is a different question). Where I think the validity of the sacrament MIGHT come into play is whether those approaching the priest are confessing all the sins known to them. For a valid sacrament, they cannot knowingly leave out sins, that is true. What they are saying is that fear of having an incomplete confession is no reason to not approach the confessional, especially if it has been a long time since confession. If you are a person who hasn’t been to confession in 20 years, you probably don’t remember all your sins, yet you are stuck on that big one you committed 4 years ago, but have been too afraid to approach the confessional for fear of not recalling the other 19 years. One might not need to spend weeks prepping a written list of sins to confess in order to have a valid sacrament. Validity requires only that the confessant confess all the sins known by him or her at the time of confession. And especially that one know the everlasting love of Christ Jesus and the mercy he offers us in this wonderful Sacrament.
You’re thinking of general absolution. It doesn’t seem like that’s what’s going on here.
Evidently that bulletin was removed from the website! Black Junipero Serra pray for us!
Umm, thanks, but I think I’ll skip that one. When I go to confession I’m asking for forgiveness of the sins I have committed that I’m pretty sure ARE sins. If I think I ought to go confess them, I ought to go and confess them. I already am aware of what I have done. The priest is sitting there waiting for me, as Jesus already knows me, loves me, and wants me back in His good graces because I’m the offending party, I have offended Him, so I go. He’s been waiting for me so I go. I suppose some of us feel really guilty about having offended Him so we avoid and avoid, but however long we wait, Jesus has still been waiting, patiently, for however long it takes. This sacrament is so sweet once you get the hang of it. Frequent confession makes it easier to avoid those Mortal sins, I am less likely to be confused about them ( is it mortal or not?) so, if I can’t get all of that in my first confession after such a long time, what’s going to keep me coming back?
One can suppose that the priest hearing the ‘worry free’ confession, in the absence of the traditional format that a penitent might be unfamiliar with, would guide the penitent through the Ten Commandments and ask pertinent questions to help him make a good and valid confession.
I don’t understand the sarcasm and bitterness in some of these comments.
Bishops and Priests can not do whatever they want to do, or make thing up as they go along. Just because Clergy do something does not make it right.
Code of Canon Law: 964 §3. ” Confessions are not to be heard outside a confessional without a just cause.”
Just cause, such as no Church available, which in this case is clearly not the case.
Who said they are offered outside the confessional, and even if they are, who are you to decide from afar whether the cause is just??
Amen!
YFC try reading the CCC for the answer to your question: # 1483.
Only a Bishop can determine if a cause is just.
Since this baloney in the Church bulletin has been removed from the parish web site, perhaps the Bishop said “baloney” tool.
Since the bulletin was removed from the Parish web site, perhaps they did not have permission from the Bishop.
Priests have no authority regarding communal Confession.
The “just cause” is that there are a lot of children who go to Confession. I don’t hear children’s confessions in a Confessional these days. I set up chairs in the Sanctuary so that everyone can see what is going on but not hear the sins of the child.
So, mous, is a priest who hears children’s confessions in a manner that allows for ‘all’ to see what is going on? Sorry, mous, but that sounds too much like the torment of my touchy-feely parish growing up. Lots of interesting novelties occurred there. Your post explains A LOT. Thank you for posting it.
Having a lot of children who need confession is actually a rather normal situation in a parish where children are learning about what sin is. Great job there. But the number of children needing confession is absolutely no reason for dismissing proper usage of a confessional. It is rather ‘just a cause’ not ‘just’ cause.
For letting the other children see what’s going on in no way addresses the so-called problem of great numbers – the kids would learn what was going on just by making their own confession. But it does address the novel idea that it might be fun or interesting to let all the kids ‘see’ what’s going on.
It is because kids were molested in confession.
Kids cannot be ‘molested’ in a traditional Confessional box, mous. That’s another reason why face to face chats are not a good idea – even for adults. Confessing intimate sexual sins or temptations is better served by the dignity and distance and protections of traditional confessional boxes. The structure itself provides a physical barrier to prevent such nonsense. Not so in a room together or even off in a corner where nobody can hear, but there is still no physical barrier between priest and penitent.
For ACCURATE information regarding the SACRAMENT of PENANCE, see:
“CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, second edition” –
paragraphs #1422 – 1498,
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm#I
and
Code of Canon Law # 959 – 997
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM
Code of Canon Law:
” Can. 964 §1. The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.
§2. The conference of bishops is to establish norms regarding the confessional; it is to take care, however, that there are always confessionals with a fixed grate between the penitent and the confessor in an open place so that the faithful who wish to can use them freely.
§3. Confessions are NOT to be heard outside a confessional without a just cause. ”
Report this and other abuses to the Diocese Bishop.
Pope Pius XII was asked shortly before his death “what is the greatest evil you see for the furure”- that was basically the question.
He Said: The loss of the sense of sin.
Of course it is invalid. The priest, acting in the Person of Christ, must make a judgment in confession, either “forgive” or “retain.” He cannot do that without the specific avowal of the sin, as to its nature, and the approximate number of times, and other conditions that would make the sin more or less grevious. Swallowing a drop of water during the fast before Communion? Nonsense. The Pope was exaggerating. Never been taught. As far as I know water was always allowed. What keeps most people from confession, if they believe in the sacrament, is shameful pride. Also a terrible temptation to think more about how bad they are rather than how much their sins have offended God (that was the sin of Judas, ultimate despair). And, how can a priest make a judgment if he has no idea how long the penitent has been away from confession, or if he has made his Easter duty? The devil hates how easy God has made His mercy available. He convinces the proud, in disobedience to Our Lord’s instruction, to skip the priest and go straight to God.
Wow, groovy. We do need more groovy. It worked so well last time, right?
There was nothing in the article ( I did not see the actual bulletin) that hinted at anything but an invitation to confession, especially those who have not been in a long time. There is a common practice in Northern California at least for parishes to have “communal” reconciliation services during lent and advent. It usually includes scripture readings, a hymn or two, a homily which is more like an instruction on how to do a good examination of conscience and then individual confessions. The priests of the area all attend the service so that you have five to ten priest for confessions. Then another evening another parish has the service with priest from the neighboring parishes. Whereas the weekly scheduled confessions might attract 5-10 people, the communal service attracts 50-100 or more. I must say that when I read the article that was what I thought of. I find it hard to criticize, although I realize some folks would rather you don’t go to confession if you don’t know the correct words to use rather than just go in and have a serious discussion with the priest about repentance and absolution. I still remember from when I was a kid, that it didn’t matter what sins you committed, your “penance” was three to ten Hail Mary’s. I’ve always wondered why that prayer should be a penance rather than something prayed with joy.
A person will be ‘worry free’ after they confessed properly and are absolved by the Priest who is ‘Persona Christi”! That is what Our Good Lord established!
CASE CLOSED!!!
I brought up general absolution because that is very common now. The article was about confessing only a couple of sins, which is WRONG! All mortal sins must be confessed. And to be polite, which some are NOT, my first name is FATHER!
Is it mortal sin that has to be confessed or serious or grave sin?
Honest question.
Anonymous, all MORTAL Sins are GRAVE Sins. MORTAL and GRAVE are interchangeable words. They are all serious since if not repented of will send us to Hell upon death.
They must be confessed prior to receiving Holy Communion or the mortal / grave sin of Sacrilege against Our Lord is committed.
CCC: ” 1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence.
Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin.
On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin.
These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin.
A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain. “
“My first name is Father!”
Really?
This is how your parents named you at baptism?
Your TITLE may be Father, but that’s not your first name.
It is sadly true, that in the pre-Vatican II Church, there were sometimes cruel abuses and superstitions, as well as poor teaching! Sometimes, Catholic children were intimidated, or not taught correctly! Some Catholic children were taught that God might send them to Hell, over doing little silly things, that may or may not be sins! This was very confusing, for young, inexperienced, impressionable, sensitive children! For example— the Eucharistic Fast was originally very long— we had to fast from midnight the previous day, until reception of Holy Communion, the following morning. Everyone would get up and go to Mass early, and have breakfast afterwards. Some children were told inaccurately, that it was a big sin, to even swallow a drop of water, during the Eucharistic Fast! Another horrible abuse, was to tell little children, in First Communion classes, never to chew the Sacred Host, at their First Communion, just swallow the Host whole. “Don’t chew Baby Jesus,” some were told, “or you will go to Hell!” These abuses were just horrible, and wrong!
Linda Maria, how about the nuns who told us we could not eat ice cream after communion because it would “make the Baby Jesus cold?”
Bob One, since the CCC of 1997 probably did not exist when you were a kid, you should have read your Baltimore Catechism.
Rather than believe stupidity.
Thank you Linda Maria.
Wow, I’m impressed. So there were abuses before Vatican II? I had NO idea!
My mother’s grandfather was told by his preist that he could not receive Holy Communion because he had to take medicine for a heart condition in the morning.
Bob One, Anonymous, what you have posted has never been a teaching of the Church.
Everyone should step back and start telling the truth rather than telling false tales, or stories. Spreading false information about the Doctrine of the Faith in the media is a sin.
The Baltimore Catechism had been used in the USA since 1885 in all Catholic Schools and catechism classes.
Anyone who wants to know TRUTH and HISTORY of what was taught should read the Baltimore Catechism. It is still available today.
Whether you like the idea or not , it is an attempt to get people back to confession. Sometimes all we have to do is show up, and God does the rest. I like the attempt to get people back. Also, there sounds like a lot of despair going on in these comments. Our church cannot be destroyed regardless of how much we try to mess it up. Be careful being so critical of our Pope, there is slot of misinformation going on about what he says and does.
FYI, Fr. Karl is a very highly educated priest. His knowledge of the Sacred would put most priests including bishops to shame!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Highly doubtful, and we have zero evidence of his education. Certainly his posts make your claim suspect.
“Anonymous” your comment is foolish and insulting. Father Karl’s posts are focused, and literate about the Catholic Faith. You are wrong to suggest that his posts are otherwise.
Further, your comments are always general, focused on emotionalism and Liberal cliches about the Faith. “Kenneth M. Fisher” is correct.
Your correct Anonymous as Karl’s comments are suspect. One of his comments above states ” my first name is FATHER”. I know of no priest that has made a rude comment like this. I would assume that since this is a discussion group, and a excellent one, that the majority of people do not use their real names. For that matter, who is Kenneth M Fisher?
Confessing the Truth of Some Things – like Believing and Supporting the wise moral Teachings of the Church / Magisterium, can ‘provoke’ the Campus Gaystapo Thought Police at ‘catholic’ (small ‘c’) colleges to Retaliate Against the Un-Good, in a most Un-Godly Manner…
SEE
Professor Who Exposes Catholic Identity Scandals Is Suspended by Marquette Univ.
https://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/3809/Professor-Who-Exposes-Catholic-Identity-Scandals-Is-Suspended-by-Marquette-Univ.aspx
…Dr. John McAdams, a professor of political science at Marquette University whose blog posts have brought to light many of the Jesuit University’s actions undermining its Catholic identity, has reportedly been suspended, banned from campus and is now under formal investigation by the administration.
The Cardinal Newman Society spoke to the University in order to determine the grounds for the disciplinary action.
McAdams released the news on his blog, Marquette Warrior, which included an email sent to him from the dean of Marquette, Richard Holz. The email stated that McAdams was to remain off campus while his conduct was reviewed by the University. Enclosed in the email was Marquette’s harassment policy.
The Cardinal Newman Society previously covered McAdams’ report concerning one of the University’s philosophy instructors, Cheryl Abbate,
a graduate student who reportedly told one of her students that discussion of same-sex marriage “would be offensive” to homosexual students.
She reportedly said the student did not have “a right in this class to make homophobic comments” and invited him to drop the class.
Wow…everyone, liberal And conservative on these posts come across Very Uptight!!! I personally feel many are deliberately misreading the article. This invitation to Confession was addressing common fears for those who haven’t been to confession for a while. They probably have forgotton the format and prayers. So the invitation basically states ‘don’t worry..just come’. I remember going to confession after a 20 year absence. The Wonderdul priest listed a Bunch of sins and made me say Yes for those that applied to my life. There were Many yeses!!! It was a beautiful reintroduction to the Sacrement. I now know the format and am able to go to Pemance with confidence albiet humility. Whatever it takes to reintroduce our Wonderful Church to its members is okay with me. God Bless you all. One other thing..leave the nuns alone…they are holier than we could ever wish to be.
Thank you nancie paola.
Thank you for your wonderful testament to the Sacrament.
Unrepentant sodomites are “worry free” too … until the Judgment, that is.
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of ETERNAL FIRE.” Jude 1:7
eye-roll.
^ “worry free”
Thank you San Carlos. Finally, an invitation to confession! During my travels and visits to a number of Catholic churches I have not heard nor read an invitation to come to confession. I see the confession schedules which consists of 45 minutes one day a week and usually during working hours for many. If you offer, people will come. If you are there, people will come. Make that announcement parish priests, please. Every chance you have.
Once you make that “worry-free” confession, each confession thereafter gets better and better; then the pieces will start to fit as you knew when you were young. You realize this is only the beginning. The gift of confession is your greatest freedom of life.
Very very well said!
sadness
Once again I warn you all. You are in danger of committing the mortal sins of scandal and calumny. Read Fr. Patrick Dooling’s commentary for the bulletin of December 14, 2014. Father spells out that everyone would benefit from making a “good confession”.
For Roman Catholics a good confession consists of :
Prayer to God the Holy Spirit for illumination to honestly examine one’s conscience.
A prayer of contrition.
Honestly confessing of sins in number and kind to a validly ordained and authorized priest of any rite of the Church
To have sincere contrition whether imperfect or perfect
A firm purpose of amendment.
To receive absolution
To perform the penance prescribed by the priest at the nearest convenience.
When Father says more than once that a good confession is necessary, he means all of the above.
Look, there are many problems in our society but this is not true in this case. Many asked about the bishop. He has no need to intervene, Father Patrick has solidly cleared up any misunderstandings.
Let’s be charitable to Bishop Garcia and Father Patrick or at least make an appointment for your own good confession. You might be putting your soul in mortal danger!
Thank you mooknino.
Mortal sin, serious sin or grave sin basically are all the same. The traditional tern is MORTAL, but since Vatican II, the words SERIOUS and GRAVE have been used instead of MORTAL. I hope this clarifies that no matter what the sin is called, if it is MORTAL, it must be confessed.
Thank you. You are saying that any serious sin, even if you did not know it was a sin or if you did not do it freely, should be confessed. Is this correct?
Anonymous, today there is little excuse for the literate to be legitimately ignorant regarding Mortal / Grave sin.
The Magisterium gave us the CCC back in 1997.
Each of us has a responsibility to read it.
The Capital Sin of Sloth (laziness) is no excuse for not reading the CCC.
CCC: ” 1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility.
This is the case 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. “
There are things needed for the Sacrament of Penance to be valid. Mortal sins must be confessed in kind and number as best as memory serves. There must be a firm purpose of amendment as well…these just for starters. No general ‘absolution’ actually was one in the parishes where the lazy priest was not hearing true confessions. This is a mockery of the sacrament! It seems so many Catholics want the very barest of trappings, no ritual, and of course, no sins….they want to compromise with the world and so do too many, far too many prelates even in the highest places. It seems the collective memory of death, judgment, heaven or HELL has been forgotten. Where is our Roman Catholic Church? Although I do not agree with schism, I am now happy the SSPX has held fast to tradition so we will recognize it when it comes resurging back. That does not look likely under this papacy which is taking us farther and farther away.
I’ve had a lot of people come to confession and say “I don’t remember what to do”. They are afraid, nervous, trying to remember the ritual and I tell them “Relax and focus on repentance. I’ll help you through the prayers and everything else.” That’s part of my job as a Priest, to help people, especially those who are hurting. I do the same thing at weddings because the people forget their vows or they forget when to kneel or other things. I have to remind people who are being Confirmed how to respond to the Bishop who is Confirming them. And when it comes to the Anointing of the Sick I don’t expect the person to remember the prayers exactly before I Anoint them. This is where compassion overrules liturgical correctness.
Fr. John Higgins
God bless you for guiding penitents through the Sacrament, Father Higgins. But that is every priest’s duty and rather an exercise of common courtesy in aiding someone, not an overriding of ‘liturgical correctness.’ Sadly, many, but not you of course, confuse the TLM and traditional practice with absurd stereotypes of being somehow ejected from the confessional for not following proper form.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The SSPX priests are suspended. Therefor they may not hear confessions. They cannot absolve you of your sins.
That is what a priest told me Anonymous. Thanks for posting this.
I will add something, to the post of Magdalene. The Society of St. Pius X is excellent! And 100% Catholic! Archbishop Lefebvre was outstanding, in his fidelity to the Faith! All of the SSPX Sacraments, are totally valid! All of the ordinations, are totally correct, and valid! However, here is the catch— the SSPX and its traditional Catholic Sacraments, are NOT LEGAL, in today’s Vatican II Church! Many people might be interested to read the history of the SSPX, their fidelity to the Church, and their differences with Vatican II. Archbishop Lefebvre was an outstanding, very holy, and truly Catholic prelate, with a true and simple faith. St. John Paul II excommunicated Lefebvre, over issues of disobedience, after Lefebvre consecrated four of his priests to be bishops, to succeed him, after his death. The excommunications against Lefebvre and the four bishops he consecrated, were lifted by Pope Benedict. I think Lefebvre was very holy! Maybe as saintly, or close to it– as St. John Paul II! Only God knows, for sure! Too bad, the politics of our Church!
Canon Law is not politics:
Can. 1382 A bishop who consecrates some one a bishop without a pontifical mandate and the person who receives the consecration from him incur a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.
As Pope Benedict XVI stated in 2009, “Until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers — even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty — do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.”
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/vatican-sspx-leaders-resume-meetings-on-doctrinal-differences#ixzz3MQDPKTZ7
“I have seen the images of the Society of +Marcel Lefevbre in a full demonstration against the black mass that took place on September 21, 2014. They look every bit Catholic … yet they are not submissive to the Vicar of Christ. They are Catholic protestants.
And while they decry the attack on Christ in the black mass, do they not realize that they are compounding the wound in the Heart of Christ, by attacking the Body of Christ? How can any Catholic not feel indignant as he sees this tragedy in front of him.
And what is to be said of all those who participate in a Mass said by a priest who does not have the faculties to say Mass? They promote and assist at a Mass in which the priest objectively offers Mass in the state of mortal sin. How horrible!
The abuse of God’s Mercy is compatible to an attack on the Blessed Sacrament. It is to take the most stunning attribute of God, His Mercy, and to abuse it. By resisting the call of grace to be converted and return to the Church, to remain intransigent, and stubborn to the workings of grace, the Society of +Marcel attack the Mercy of God! He has given all of us grace, and time to make a sincere conversion.”
Fr. Nicholson
By pretending you don’t need conversion … but everybody else does … reveals your spiritual tepidity.
Fr. Nicholson is looking to promote Fr. Nicholson in this area. The wound in the Church will heal when those inside the Church stop trying to rip Her heart out and call it Catholic.
Spiritual tepidity is when one doesn’t care – not when one does very much.
That said, mous, one should be intransigent when it comes to endorsing the imprecision that has led to flagrant abuse of the Sacraments and the Faithful. The selfsame imprecision that has Bishops openly courting the abuse of mercy at the October Synod – which is no mercy at all.
Matthew 18:6
The 1983 Code of Canon Law says that:
Can. 966 §1 For the valid absolution of sins, it is required that, in addition to the power of order, the minister has the faculty to exercise that power in respect of the faithful to whom he gives absolution.
§2 A priest can be given this faculty either by the law itself, or by a concession issued by the competent authority in accordance with can. 969.
From this we see that priests must have permission of the Church to absolve sins. The Church, by the way, gets to determine how the sacraments are administered. The SSPX does not get to decide how sacraments are administered.
Father Zuhlsdorf
No, Linda Maria, you are wrong. The Church has opined that at least two of the sacraments celebrated by SSPX are completely invalid: Confession/Reconciliation and Matrimony. Please don’t state things without knowledge. Also, besides SSPX failure in obedience to the Pope, it also refuses doctrinal submission to the Pontiff. Please rescind your incorrect statements. Thanks.
What is the doctrinal issue, YFC? Please state it clearly.
Again, however, I find it interesting that you would insist Linda Maria must retract her statements when you do not do as much regarding your own disobedience.
https://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/lefebvriani-lefebvrians-lefebvrianos-37117/
Here Rome seems to be showing an attempt to alter positions expressed in the past: According to Mgr. Pozzo, the fraternity’s reservations are linked to “aspects of pastoral care or the prudential teaching of the Magisterium.” The monsignor’s statement suggests that since these criticisms and reservations are no longer labelled as “doctrinal” the Lefebvrians could legitimately continue to express them.
So, yes, the Church holds the authority and can therefore determine what is labeled ‘doctrine’ and what isn’t.
YFC yes that is what i was told last year by a priest from the latin mass i attend. I don’t know if there are any new changes since i too was told that. Yfc you seem to reason well on said issues. I pray that you use the same reasoning talents in regards the natural law. I continue to pray for you. Jesus loves you and freely offers you the same graces. Please work out your salvation in fear and trembling, fear the Lord. Pray asking our Lord to show you how. Pray the rosary.
“Yfc, you seem to reason well on said issues.”
YFC isn’t reasoning, Abeca, he is just parroting what he has been told in order to discredit and avoid fruitful Faith-based discussion. Much like he is parroting what he has been misled to believe about the nature of his understanding of a ‘life of love’ and the ‘primacy of conscience.”
Reasoning means: the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. Not just relaying something one has been told..
Enjoy your Christmas and be well.
Ann if a priest from the Latin mass said what he said then i want to encorage him when he is correct. Just because he is a homosexual doesnt mean that we demonize him and it doesnt mean that he doesnt have the will to choose. Homosexual men can choose to turn away from sin. Pray the rosary for this intention. My friend who no longer promotes the gay lifestyle, said that homosexuality is complex and complicated to understand but that they can reason but because of bad will, many dont want to. Since its about saving souls we need to set by example and show them respect when they do say reasonable things. Ann merry Christmas to you too. Im praying the rosary for you. I wish you well too.
Abeca, feel free to encourage YFC. I have, too, in addition to reminding us all that sexual acts that are not open to life are also mortally sinful between even married couples – including sodomy. YFC has even complimented me in the past for being fair regarding the application of admonishment regarding sexual sins.
But that still doesn’t equate repeating what one has been told to ‘reasoning’ skills. So whereas you may want to encourage YFC with this new approach, you have actually fallen victim to his tactic of divide and conquer. You have split yourself off from reasoning with regard to the fullness of Faith to become a tool for division just because YFC states he is in full communion. But what is ‘full communion’ when one plays the part of Judas, using the granted proximity to betray the very Lord they are supposed to love and follow?
The term ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ is there for a reason, the implication being feigned fidelity and union with the flock used as a means to destroy from within. Thank you for your rosary intention.
Father John Higgins, thank you for your witness.
Sounds like a lot of liberal “Catholics” are looking for loop holes in the Sacrament of Penance.
While I recognize the truth of what many have said (namely, you must confess all sins you are aware of, not merely “one or two biggies”), I believe this parish is trying to gently help Catholics get back in the habit of going to confession.
If you start out light, you can then catechize the penitents, even in the confessional itself!
So many people have turned away from the Sacrament of Penance, I think we as a church need to become creative in getting people back into coming, and back into know the how, the why, and the what.
Priests are not permitted to be creative with any of the Sacraments, or with the Mass.
In order for a sin to be committed, one must KNOW that it is a sin, and MUST FREELY CONSENT to doing it The Catholic Church has ALWAYS been more lenient in this regard than local and national laws. If I am forced to do something which is a sin, than it is NOT a sin. If I do not know it is a sin, then there was no sin committed. With all the spiritual books around, and sources to investigate, NOT too many people can truly say they do not know the difference between sin and a virtuous act. I was invited to hear confessions at a neighboring parish recently, and the people were only confessing ONE sin. Once in the confessional, I asked prudently and in a pastoral manner some questions, and was able to guide the people into making a good and honest confession.
Thank you Father for these comments. Let it be a lesson to all.
CCC: ” 1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case 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.”
One can use this sample “Examination of Conscience” or others;
https://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html
A lot of people have posted good, faithful things, but occasionally people who do not go to Catholic Churches, but attend psuedo-Catholic chapels use this website to promote error. Formerly faithful Catholics are being influence by them and are becoming confused or rebellious, as evidenced in their posts.. Most of us know the Faith and the Church well enough to catch the errors, but not everyone can. It is like porn or drugs or adultery; it starts with something that is just sort of “iffy” and then the door is open. Most of the faithful will never walk through that door but there is evidence in the posts that some have. Those who post error are not going to stop because they honestly believe they are right and the Church is wrong. I wish the editors would take a more responsible position. Letting the other posters try to combat the error does not work because the confused don’t know who to believe. Is there a priest or deacon that can help you discern the potential for damage that these erring posts can cause?
Anonymous, if the Catholic Church can plan a co-celebration of the Protestant Revolt of 1517, you being concerned about traditional Catholics who hold the Catholic Faith posting here is a tad unfounded.
Many do not understand the suspiciously circular about-face, but others do. Leave them to their business, mous, but just as ecumenism would have you believe that there is good to be found in other religions, there is still good to be found in the Catholic Faith. That’s the point that is being made. So relax and have a good Christmas :)
“I wish the editors would take a more responsible position.” = I wish you would stop being so uncharitable to Ann Malley while bottle feeding and burping militant homosexual activists. Meanwhile the Vatican disagrees with you and we are sorry that you think you know better than the Vatican and the editors of CCD.
Encouraging news!
The Eponymous Flower
ANTE DIOS NUNCA SERÁS HÉROE ANÓNIMO
Friday, December 19, 2014
Cardinal Brandmüller Meets With SSPX at HQ
[SSPX USA] On December 5, 2014, Cardinal Walter Brandmuller, president emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, met with Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X, accompanied by several priests. The meeting was held at the Herz Jesu Seminary of Zaitzkofen, in Bavaria.
This meeting was a follow-up of the September 23, 2014 meeting in Rome, during which all had agreed to pursue the doctrinal discussions “in a broader, less formal framework than in the previous discussions.” (see DICI #302, Oct. 10, 2014). The theme was the Council and its magisterial authority.
The goal of these meetings is to make the Church’s authorities more aware of the Society and the works of Tradition, and at the same time to expose to them the serious objections and points of divergence that remain concerning the Second Vatican Council and its reforms. In this perspective, two more meetings are scheduled in the coming months, one at the St. Cure de Ars Seminary in Flavigny (France), and the other at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona (USA).
This meeting was good.
Any official changes to the Church’s position about the SSPX will be posted on the Vatican web site.
Currently –
“The fact that the Society of Saint Pius X does not possess a canonical status in the Church is not, in the end, based on disciplinary but on doctrinal reasons.
As long as the Society does not have a canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church.
There needs to be a distinction, then, between the disciplinary level, which deals with individuals as such, and the doctrinal level, at which ministry and institution are involved.
In order to make this clear once again: until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers – even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty – do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.”
https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20090310_remissione-scomunica_en.html
Check your Diocese web site for Diocese and FSSP
EF (Latin/Traditional) Masses nearest you.
Maddie, you may want to understand that what was before labeled as ‘doctrinal’ differences is now being reviewed against what the Church actually teaches and the abuse of those who quote VII to change doctrine, if not in word, then in ‘pastoral’ practice:
https://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/lefebvriani-lefebvrians-lefebvrianos-37117/
An excerpt of the article is as follows: Here Rome seems to be showing an attempt to alter positions expressed in the past: According to Mgr. Pozzo, the fraternity’s reservations are linked to “aspects of pastoral care or the prudential teaching of the Magisterium.” The monsignor’s statement suggests that since these criticisms and reservations are no longer labelled as “doctrinal” the Lefebvrians could legitimately continue to express them.
So the message from the Society is the same…. the article is, however, well worth the read as, if there were true doctrinal disconnects, then a re-approachment to those who truly believe/teach differently from the Deposit of the Faith would be imprudent at the very least.
God bless.
Catherine only in your mind, trapped as it is in its obsession with homosexuality, can an admonition to attend a Catholic Church in full communion with Rome be twisted into some sort of way to bottle feed a homosexual. Please remember that what the Church teaches regarding assuming the best intentions of others, about telling lies, and about fraternal correction all come into play when you post the things you post. And then there is the practical point that you make your cause of conservative catholicism quite unappealing through posts like yours.
Anonymous –
Knowing who to believe – for TRUTH & ACCURACY –
1) Sacred Scripture (Catholic Bible) is the speech of God (CCC 81);
2) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” which contains the Doctrine of the Faith;
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm
3) “Code of Canon Law”
4) “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” (GIRM) for the Ordinary Form of the Mass.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html
These are what People need to read for accuracy and to know truth.
There are far too many errors (some heretical) that can be extinguished by using OFFICIAL documentation.
Today there are even many Priests who do not accurately know the Faith, and due to poor formation – even a few Bishops. (We can charitably correct all those in error.
“….the CATECHISM has raised throughout the world, even among non-Christians, and confirms its purpose of being presented as a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine,
enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.” – Pope John Paul II (CCC pg xiv)
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM
Regarding my first name. It was meant as a joke to reply to some MEAN and NASTY remarks which were made by more than one person. Another priest, who died many years ago, used that line when someone called him by his first name. It was a joke and I used it to stress a point. NO, I was not born nor baptized with the name FATHER. I acquired that title and name when I was ordained 35 years ago in Rome, Italy. This just shows that liberals and radicals have NO sense of humor.
Father what you experienced is common here. Often times cut and pasted comments taken out of context, some using it for evil to bear false witness of another. Often those sins go unconfessed. Even those who lead others towards schismatic and or heretical tendendies. Pray an exorcism prayer for this website and all. Father pray for our protection especially since the spiritual battle is much more gaining much more power because of sin. God bless all our priests in full communion with the Magisterium, fighting the good fight.
After reviewing all the comments of this article you seem to be on the defensive about a very minor point. Why do you make it a joke? I do not find that persons remarks MEAN or NASTY but you seem to. Why??? No one is using their real name. Relax.
Brian read CCC 1483. Communal confessions by this Parish as stated in the article are forbidden.
Priests do not have the authority to change any of the Sacraments or the Mass. It is a grave abuse when they do.
You make sense Brian
Abeca, you now believe with Brian that Father Karl should just relax about those who intimate that he’s not really a priest? Really? And yet you’re forever in a dither about defending yourself against perceived attacks that are actually addressing what you write? You would join the crowd that would undermine Fr. Karl’s messages by telling him to just ‘relax’ and yet you yourself refuse to do so.
This is another inconsistency that leads me to distrust your posts in every respect, Abeca, and your intentions. You may consider that mean or ill, but I am honestly seeking dialogue and consistency here. A constantly shifting mode of authority or conviction leads one to see no conviction or sense of real authority at all. In other words, your swaying posts are a continued scandal to those who would look to the bulwark of the Church for that which is sound and unchanging. Sadly, they are too reflective of what is actually seen on the ground and precisely what keeps many far away from the Church.
“Sadly, they are too reflective of what is actually seen on the ground and precisely what keeps many far away from the Church.”
Thank you Ann Malley!
It looks like Abeca Christian (the new reinvented one) needs to re-evaluate her own words regarding consistency in showing charity. Abeca now all of the sudden sounds like the poster k and even a tad like the recent Family Synod. Consistency would entail treating “every” poster who might be visiting CCD’s website with the same charity that Abeca now wants exclusively for little boy YFC. Families who sought help from Rome and found no response. Families who sought help from the local bishop and were threatened with a law suit. Families of children who have been molested and harmed or families who witnessed incredible immorality and schemes from their clergy and they found NO ONE who was willing to listen to them so many sought refuge in other pastures because ravenous wolves deliberately scattered the sheep. (Jeremiah) 23:1 Woe to the pastors, that destroy and tear the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord.
continued…..
continued from December 24, 10:25 am
How disgustingly cold and cruel to tell a parent or a victim who has experienced and witnessed the unthinkable, “Oh don’t worry, we have always had problems in the Church”, come back home to our diocese and ignore the reality that the same wolves are still stripping our Catholic identity because after all it’s all in your head. Bring back your children who were molested too. And then have that very same person coddle the very same disorder that wreaked such havoc physically and spiritually within the Church. This IS inconsistency in charity. These are the same people who do not even have the patience to even dialogue with someone who has sought refuge. They call them names instead of showing that same patient statement, “Who Am I To Judge.” It seems as if Abeca is pretending that she is personally holding off some greater schism if she treats you with duplicitous disdain while coddling a brown haired little boy.
I want you to know Ann Malley that the Fullness of Truth is still here in the hearts and minds of many who are standing at the foot of the Cross under the extremely painful umbrella of a diocese. There are good priests who are supportive of the Full Truth. I want you to hear that as a sister in Christ who is praying for a reconciliation with all of the sheep who have been scattered. God bless you Ann and Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Catherine, and a Merry Christmas to you, too!
Does anyone find it odd that a Church whose major purpose is to bring people to Christ needs a whole department to enforce canon law and many thousands of people with PhD’s in canon law. Surely, there must be a simpler way to bring people to Christ. Now, I realize you can’t be a Catholic Christian unless you admit that you are a sinner, but wouldn’t it be easier and better if the Priest led a confession at the start of Mass, and then said “I absolve you of your sins.” There, now we don’t need canon lawyers. That should save the church millions each year that can be given to the poor.
Bob One, if you what to bring people to the Church, you will lean obedience as well as Doctrine of the Faith..
All confessions must be “individual” unless their is some kind of an emergency.
The Church does not employ millions of Canon Lawyers.
How many Canon Lawyers does your Diocese employ Bob One; do they have other duties and how much to they pay them if there are no other duties.
CCC: ” 1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent’s personal situation
and must seek his spiritual good.
It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed.
It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear.
Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, “provided we suffer with him.”
CCC: ” 1491 The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the priest’s absolution.
The penitent’s acts are repentance , confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation. ”
The satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of “him who strengthens” us. Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ . . . in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth “fruits that befit repentance.” These fruits have their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the Father, and through him they are accepted by the Father.
Bob One, this is the ONLY time communal confessions are permitted, and even then the individual must individually confess mortal / grave sins.
CCC: “1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent’s confession.
Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time.
In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their grave sins in the time required.
The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist.
A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity. “
It costs money to support the Pope, Bishops, Priests, and Nuns, Teachers in Catholic Schools, etc.
Bob One, does this mean that you would throw them all under the bus and give the money to the poor ?
How many Canon Lawyers do you have in your Diocese?
What jobs to each perform? Be specific?
How much does your Diocese pay them annually?
Many Lutherans do exactly that. Before the LIiturgy of the Word, many parishes use a Liturgy of Confession and Forgiveness which is basically an extended confetior, but with the pastor granting absolution. Still use parts of the liturgy as my own personal examination of conscience on a nearly daily basis.
YFC, in case you are not aware, Lutherans are not members of the Catholic Church. It does not matter what they do.
They do not believe in Purgatory – a final cleansing for those attached to venial sin, nor do they pray for their dead.
Lutherans use a non-Catholic bible, in which Luther removed the last 6 books in the Old Testament which includes praying for the dead.
In addition, the Lutheran Church has split like many other Protestant Churchs (called Synods) – so now they have Liberal Lutherans and Conservative Lutherans who do not believe the same thing.
Sean, thanks for the clarification. I’m well aware of the canonical status of the Lutheran ecclesial communities, their internal structure and their beliefs. None of those are really relevant to my point, though if you want to have that conversation, we can do that in a more appropriate thread.
YFC, if you want to promote the Lutheran Faith because you like parts of it better, go to a Lutheran site.
If you go to a Liberal rather than Conservative Lutheran site, they may be glad to have you.
(A Lutheran sect that supports sodomy Marriage.)
What the Lutherans do is not our business and visa versa.
People just love love love to criticize on this site. Wouldn’t it be nice if people could share with each other without fear of being attacked!
There are posters who post without fear of being attacked. If you are run by fear, mous, then perhaps that is your issue. Human respect maybe? A misunderstanding of taking issues personally? Or perhaps yours is the tactic of making issues appear to be personal attacks so as to prevent others from speaking the truth or even discussing matters for fear of being perceived as mean.
What you are describing is general confession and absolution; everyone confesses together and everyone is absolved together. It’s that particular practice that is excluded from the rites of the Catholic church except in cases of grave emergency: e.g., a crashing plane, looming nuclear war, etc.
Most posters here are mixing up that particular prohibition with what’s going on at the Cathedral, which is not AT ALL the same thing. Even “Fr.” Karl seems confused.
Bob One,
How many Canon Lawyers are hired by your Diocese?
Do they have other jobs? If so what are all of these other responsibilities, please list them?
How much does your Diocese pay them?
The Catholic Church does not spend millions on Canon Lawyers. Or prove your statement.
We also pay for the Pope, Bishops, Priests (Bishops & Priests who are also Canon Lawyers in addition to providing Sacraments and all other Priestly and Bishop duities), Nuns etc.
Are you advocating we get rid of all of them and give the money to the poor ?
“Bob One”: Are you even Catholic? You and “Your Fellow Catholic” (and at least one version of “Anonymous”) simply are textbook Zombie-Liberals in your inane statements and suggestions. This is how political terrorism works: have someone make a simply crazy suggestion — such as those infamous “paragraphs” suggested by Abp. Forte at the Synod — then wait to see what happens.
if there is outrage, then backpedal somewhat, but never to the point of withdrawal of a position: only clarification. Then, ask for — demand — “dialogue” (like our Pope loves). Then, continue to talk, talk, and talk some more. The hope being that, through the sheer volume of “noise” and the ambiguities created, that at least some of what was originally sought, is achieved.
Then, go back and try to get more, and more, and more. This is the true sin of “implementation” of Vatican II: the Council was bad enough, but then take the purposeful ambiguities and then argue about them, try to create confusion, distrust, and the need for “new” things, “new” clarity.
Having destroyed the Mass, the actual way in which Catholics worship, the Zombie-Liberals are going after other things: marriage, homosexual sex, sexual morality, too. Naw, let’s redefine “sin” itself. And, let’s eliminate the way that Catholics have always identified sin and what they did about it — Confession! What a prized to be won for the True Master — the Big Guy — Satan!!!
You musings have been considered and soundly rejected by Church Fathers centuries ago.
Venial sins are forgiven at Mass. Mortal sins need to be confessed in Sacramental Confession.
https://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur88.htm
” no list of sins, no mention of how many years it’s been,
no act of contrition” – without these there is NO valid Sacrament of Penance.
A Priest can easily help each individual with format, or prayers, etc.
But it is up to the individual to state APPROX how long it has been since his last Confession.
And it is up to the individual to state his own Sins, and APPROX how many times for each sin.
A Priest can not do this for you, since he is not a mind reader.
Just do your very best and the Lord will forgive. If you don’t know something, tell the Priest and he will help you.
There are several very good “Examinations of Conscience” on the internet and on Apps.
I suggest using several of them if its been more than a year since your last Confession.
When I came back to the Church after more than 25 years, I prepared for Confession the day before.
It took me a couple of hours to prepare and
I made a typed list so that I would not forget anything. (I promptly destroyed the list after confession).
If you are coming back to the Church, do it right or don’t bother.
Those who do not truly care, will only commit Sacrilege and fall away from the Church again.
Since the linked Church bulletin has been removed from that Parish web site, chances are pretty good that those Priests got raked over the coals by their Diocese Bishop – for making up their own Religion.
Only a Diocese Bishop can approve a communal confession, and only under GRAVE circumstances. And clearly there were no grave circumstances at this parish.
If these priests are this goofy, perhaps they need a visitation to find out what else they are doing that is not licit.
Sally the bulletin is still there, as are all the parish bulletins, but the link quoted in the article seems to have stopped working.
One would imagine that the Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey already knows about this, as this is his Cathedral, his church. His office is across the street from it. That anyone would be raked over the coals for this is doubtful.
Such priests need to be suspended, and then to publicly apologize, after publicly acknowledging the complete errors of their prideful sacrilege.
What “complete errors of their prideful sacrilege”, exactly?? For calling their parishioners to repent and seek reconciliation? Really, that is sacrilege??
Growing up and attending Mass daily, before EVERY Mass, confession were heard. This was in addition to Saturday afternoon and evening confessions. Because few priests preach about the wonderful effects of the Sacrament of Penance, confession has practically disappeared in many parishes.
Priests do not have the authority to be “creative” with the Mass or with the Sacraments.
This is what some people are leaving out. –
See: CCC 1483
” 1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution.
Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent’s confession.
Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time.
In this case, for the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their grave sins in the time required.
The diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist.
A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity. “
Thank you Andy for teaching everyone the truth rather than error by quoting the REQUIREMENTS for a communal confession. – Must be Grave circumstances, and approve by a Bishop.
More people should quote the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” which is Doctrine of the Faith – for accuracy to stop the posted errors, in this case #1483.
What’s being described is not general confession and absolution.
” If you wish to make a good Confession you must receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily. This is an important part of your Confession.
You have been bound by sin, and desire to be loosed from the chains which bind. When you feel the desire to be loosed from sin, God is calling you. If you wish to go to Him, raise up your heart in fervent prayer. You must earnestly ask God’s help.
Many sacrilegious Confessions and Communions may be traced to the fact that a soul confides too much in self, and not in the help of God. Men and women come into the confessional without the least preparation, after having been engaged in useless conversation on the street up to the moment of entering the Church.
Others spend their time idly gazing around the church. This does not happen often, but it should never happen; and those who do so show that they do not realize the sanctity of the action, which they are about to perform.
The priest is the ambassador of Jesus Christ. Christ has placed in him the power of reconciliation. The priest is sent even as our Lord was sent, by the Father. How can he exercise that wonderful ministry of reconciliation if you neglect to do your part in seeking to be united to God in the Sacrament of Penance.
” It is a sacrilege to make a bad Confession. To receive absolution after having made an unworthy Confession, and consequently without having the right dispositions, is to incur the guilt of sacrilege; that is, the violation of a sacred thing.
A bad Confession hinders and frustrates the instrumental action of the Sacrament of Penance, and he who is guilty of it may be said thus to destroy the efficacy of the Blood of Jesus Christ; for it is in the precious Blood of our Lord, shed long ago, that souls are cleansed from sin. ”
https://www.communityofhopeinc.org/Catholic%20Beliefs/Examination.html#Examination of
” May this confession, O lord, by the merits of Blessed Mary ever virgin, Thy Mother, and of all the saints, be pleasing and acceptable in Thy sight.
Let Thy goodness and mercy supply for whatever has been wanting in my contrition, and in the purity and integrity of my confession.
Deign Thou mercifully to regard me perfectly and entirely absolved in heaven; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. “
Great comments MAC.
“A soul does not benefit from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.”
–Saint Faustina
“At the time of your examination(of sins) beware of the devil that ties your tongue.”
–Saint Josemaria Escriva
Three conditions are necessary for Penance: contrition, which is sorrow for sin, together with a purpose of amendment; confession of sins without any omission; and satisfaction by means of good works.
–St. Thomas Aquinas
Confession is an act of honesty and courage – an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.
–Pope John Paul 2
“After confession,” says St. Chrysostom, ”a crown is given to
penitents.”
If you excuse yourself in confession, you shut up sin within your soul, and
shut out pardon. “
–St. Augustine
The devil does not bring sinners to hell with their eyes open: he first blinds them with the malice of their own sins. Before we fall into sin, the enemy labours to blind us, that we may not see the evil we do and the ruin we bring upon ourselves by offending God. After we commit sin, he seeks to make us dumb, that, through shame, we may conceal our guilt in confession.
–St. Alphonsus Liguori
Here it is, less than two weeks, and another perhaps widespread example (previously it was matrimony) of another once sacrament now become bad fruit in the V2 Church a bad fruit. The sad thing is, agreeing with Father Karl’s remarks that the liberals pushing for all these changes and more have lost the faith. They don’t know the spiritual and historical significance of why the Roman Catholic Church was prior to the Vatican 2 Council. All they know is they dislike the way Holy Mother the Church was and want to bury it. They are her enemies, not on the outside, but from within! This attack and change on the once Sacrament of Penance is just one of the many many bad fruits of Vatican 2 and its reformed church. Let’s not forget what our Lord said about the quality of fruit and what to do with the trees written in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 7, verses 16 through 19:
“[16] By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.”
Debating and bickering, debating, bickering and ridiculing. Does this sound like the modern church is one holy catholic and apostolic church? I think not! Step back and look at the forest it is clearly evident. Time to end the charade, and time to learn from all the horrible liturgical, doctrine, and practice errors. It time to return to the Church only Jesus Christ with the complete support of God the Father and God the Holy Ghost. You will find a sincere peace in a Roman Catholic Parish practicing the 7 Holy Sacraments in latin and tradition. Enough is enough, the Great Apostacy is slowing exposing itself to those who seek from Our Lord and Our Lady the truth.
This is why everyone mush read and adhere to:
1) Sacred Scripture (Catholic Bible) which in entirety is the speech of God (CCC 81);
2) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” which contains the Doctrine of the Faith in entirety.
There will be no unity until all Catholics read and adhere to these. Too much heresy and schism is posted. Sometimes unknowingly, sometimes accidentally, and sometimes on purpose.
There is no excuse for ignorance amongst literate Catholics, and certainly no excuse for posting lies.
Catholics should not need to correct each other. But only correct heretics, schismatics, and non-Catholics.
If you can not find what you intend to post in the Bible and/or CCC regarding the Catholic Faith – it is wrong.
The Bible and CCC in entirety are your references. No changes allowed.
We should start asking – where is that in the Bible or CCC? Be specific, and post verse number or paragraph number.
Can you please provide the verse number or paragraph number that requires us only to say things that are in the Bible or the Catechism? I can’t recall a single passage that tells us that we have no freedom of speech. Condescending posts from fundamentalists, notwithstanding.
YFC: Yes you have freedom of speech, you also have the right to choose Heaven or Hell for eternity based upon your own actions or omissions.
When you promote sinful actions such as homosexual acts and homosexual marriage, etc., then you are committing a sin because you are drawing the un-catechised away from God and to Hell.
And you become partially responsible for and remotely participate in the their sins. CCC 1868.
Regarding use of the Media: CCC 2493, 2494, 2495, 2496.
and
the requirement for TRUTH (not errors and falsehoods)):
CCC: ” 2467 Man tends by nature toward the truth. He is obliged to honor and bear witness to it:
“It is in accordance with their dignity that all men, because they are persons . . . are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth.
They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and direct their whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth. ”
Religious and Mortal Truth can be found in Sacred Scripture and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition”.
MAC, we weren’t talking about gay stuff, you are. Gay stuff has nothing whatsoever to do with whether someone can express an opinion that isn’t explicitly written in scripture or the Catechism. I’m sorry you are so obsessed with gay stuff that you have to make every conversation about gay stuff.
MAC is correct YFC. And he is not obsessed with homosexuality. Merry Christmas to you both.
YFC, Jesus said you must take the log out of your own eye BEFORE you try to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye or you are a hypocrite.
Your public advocating of homosexual marriage and homosexual acts is an abomination, especially while using the name “Catholic” in your posts.
YFC regarding your post of December 25, 2014 at 2:53 pm
when you ask a question about Sacred Scripture or CCC on a Catholic web site you should expect an answer from someone.
Those who advertise themselves as “Catholics” yet purposely violate Sacred Scripture or the CCC – if they are really Catholic they are heretics – per CCC 2089.
Some new readers may not know of your heresy, and therefore may not know that you are NOT a faithful Catholic. All readers have a right to know the truth.
Catholics should not assume a heretic is correct regarding Faith and Morals since heresy and mortal sin color one’s view of life and shows disobedience to Doctrine of the Faith.
MAC I will continue to point out the obsession many of you have with homosexuality such that you have to filter every conversation through it. If you want to see what that obsession can do, just view the ongoing feud Catherine is having with Abeca Christian, merely because Abeca dared to say that I can use reason.
My sexuality does not define the entirety of who I am or what my spiritual life is like, any more than yours does. It does not, contrary to your opinion, disallow me from making sound judgements and reasoned arguments. It does not, in opposition to what some may say, remove my right to free speech. And most importantly, it does not free YOU from treating me with the respect and dignity to which I am entitled, and to which the Catechism clearly asks you to obey, even in its paragraphs about homosexuality.
“Jerald” thank you for voicing your correct frustration. Unfortunately, the apostates presently have control of the Church’s levers. But we can take solace in the words of St. Athanasius (paraphrased), “They have the buildings, we have the Faith”.
Keep up the fight.
Do not give any money to these fat cat bishops, who mooch off of the sweat of others, and then take steps to destroy the Faith. There are many fine and Traditional orders and missions and activities that desperately need money, and that work to advance the True Faith.
Thanks for this.
One more time folks, re-read the article which says that if you have been away from the confessional for a while, and don’t know the formulas and specific words, just go to the Priest and tell him you want to go to confession and ask him to help you out. Isn’t that the least you would expect? There is nothing in the article about communal absolution. There is nothing in the article about…. you name it. Most of what is on this thread has nothing to do with the article. Again, the tradition of communal penance services in advent and lent has been with us for years. You go, you listen to scripture, you hear a priest help you through an examination of you sins, and then you go to a priest for a confession, where the conversation, the help, is given. There is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing about it that is not a normal thing in the Catholic church. Our job is to help bring people to Christ, not encourage them to stay away because they don’t know specific words. Its about reconciliation!
The format words for Confession are inside the Confessional, posted on the wall between the penitent and Priest.
Something happened to my post just previous to my statement of Dec 24.
So I am posting it again.
A Priest can help with format.
In my Parish in 14 pitch, inside the Confessional, the format is posted on the wall.
“Bless me Father, I have sinned. It has been ________ since my last Confession. ………” etc.
List your sins and the number of times to the best of your recollection.
The ‘Act of Contrition’ is also posted inside the Confessional wall in my Parish.
A Priest does not know your sins or the number of times unless you tell him. He will have no clue what each individual is sorry for.
Preparation by an Examination of Conscience is REQUIRED for a good Confession.
Aids to help with one’s memory are available on the internet and Apps.
Here are 3 that can be saved and used.
https://www.communityofhopeinc.org/Catholic%20Beliefs/Examination.html
and
https://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html
and
https://www.ncregister.com/info/confession_guide_for_adults/
Ask your Pastor to print out the form for confession to post inside the Confessional, and to publish these 3 links for Examinations of Consciences in the Parish bulletin and Parish web site.
These ‘Examination of Consciences’ are helpful for all of us.
REQUIREMENT for an EXAMINATION of CONSCIENCE:
CCC: 1435, 1454, 1482, 1779.