Confession

[Ellenita]

If someone was repentant from their mortal sin and wishes to go to confession and a priest wasn't able to hear it, they still aren't to receive communion until a priest is available.

So basically the decision about whether a person can receive communion is entirely down to the priest and his schedule? The fact that a person may well be repentant in his heart, asked for forgiveness in private prayer with God, but not been able to receive absolution from a priest through no fault of his own doesn't count and communion is denied to him?

[Uncle Gus]

So basically the decision about whether a person can receive communion is entirely down to the priest and his schedule?

Not at all. A reminder, everyone, that priests are obliged to hear your confession if you ask him to. If a priest refuses to hear your confession without a good reason ("busy" is not good enough), then he is comitting a grave sin himself.

This being said, we shouldn't take advantage of it, we should try to be considerate.

Now, don't quote me on this part, but I think if a priest refuses you confession for no good reason, then your sins are on his head. As long as you do what you can to confess, then you can't be held guilty for it.

[littleflower+JMJ]

Not at all. A reminder, everyone, that priests are obliged to hear your confession if you ask him to. If a priest refuses to hear your confession without a good reason ("busy" is not good enough), then he is comitting a grave sin himself.

This being said, we shouldn't take advantage of it, we should try to be considerate.

Now, don't quote me on this part, but I think if a priest refuses you confession for no good reason, then your sins are on his head. As long as you do what you can to confess, then you can't be held guilty for it.

but also keep in mind you can go to any neighboring parish priest also.

your not limited to only your parish priest.

i've had to do that. drive to another town, seek another parish, whatever to make sure my sacrament of confession is fulfilled

i pass like 5 parishes just on my way to school each day.

the joys of being catholic! :)

[Ellenita]

Uncle Gus - thank you! :D

It's a relief to hear that.

It would be very sad to be denied communion through no fault of your own.

[Uncle Gus]

Yeah, that's why I said earlier "pray for more priests." If we had priests to spare, then there wouldn't be any problem with getting hold of an unbusy priest for confession.

[littleflower+JMJ]

i pass like 5 parishes just on my way to school each day.

and have never ran into a problem with confession...knowing that they're are different times and places....

the joys of being catholic! :)

[littleflower+JMJ]

but i can see what you mean when your in a small town.....

vocations for priesthood, definitly need more of our prayers.......

+JMJ

[cmotherofpirl]

Remember Ellenita we are talking mortal sin here.

Something you willfully committed.

[Uncle Gus]

Yes, the three conditions of mortal sin are:

1) Full knowledge.

2) Full consent.

3) Grave matter.

You must be fully aware of the consequences of the sin, and have full intention to commit the sin, and the sin must be of serious matter. Thus, there is no list of "which sins are mortal," as what is a venial sin for one person can be a mortal sin for another, but these rules always apply.

[cmotherofpirl]

[

He thinks he has it relatively easy , he is elderly and says many other priests do twice as much.

I'm sure he is overworked. But, I still say that if a priest is not hearing confessions at LEAST once a week, he is not doing his job. I mean, a deacon can cover weddings, funerals, and baptisms (ideally, it would be a priest, but we don't live in an ideal world). A layman or woman can vist the elderly in the nursing homes and people in hospitals. They can also take Communion to them. However, only a PRIEST can hear confessions. If someone is dying and in need of Anointing, that is a totally different scenario. I don't think that one hour a week will kill any priest though. I know many priests who do all that you mentioned and hear confessions for four or five hours a week, even more sometimes. And think, some people still say priests should be married. Sheesh!

[Ellenita]

Remember Ellenita we are talking mortal sin here. Somehting you willfully committed

Phew! I sort of hope that I don't willfully committ any mortal sin since they seem much more graver than venial sin! However there seems to be an eternal battle of conscience, free will and self control doesn't there?

If confession to a priest is only about mortal sin, (but presumably you also confess venial sin during that confession aswell), if you haven't committed any mortal sin do you have to have confession before you take communion?

cmotherofpirl, you posted a huge range of sins in another thread. I was interested to see body piercing and tattoos among them. Are they forbidden by the church? I'm only curious - I have no tattoos myself! :)

[Dave]

Phew! I sort of hope that I don't willfully committ any mortal sin since they seem much more graver than venial sin! However there seems to be an eternal battle of conscience, free will and self control doesn't there?

If confession to a priest is only about mortal sin, (but presumably you also confess venial sin during that confession aswell), if you haven't committed any mortal sin do you have to have confession before you take communion?

cmotherofpirl, you posted a huge range of sins in another thread. I was interested to see body piercing and tattoos among them. Are they forbidden by the church? I'm only curious - I have no tattoos myself! 

If you haven't been to confession yet have only committed venial sins, you may certainly take Communion.

And what that examination of conscience cited as sinful weren't tatoos and piercings but rather EXCESSIVE tatoos and piercings.

[Uncle Gus]

Confession is not only about mortal sins at all. It's just that confession is the only way to be cleared of mortal sin. We confess venial sins in confession as well.

And it's about even more than that. In confession we receive specific graces. Even more importantly than being forgiven for the sins we commit (the cure) we receive specific graces for the areas of weakness that we confess (prevention). To this end, the Pope goes to confession daily, and I can't think of a man who needs confession less.

[Uncle Gus]

And what that examination of conscience cited as sinful weren't tatoos and piercings but rather EXCESSIVE tatoos and piercings.

*Uncle Gus pats his eyebrow piercing* ;)

[jasJis]

Before one passes judgement on a priest's habits, ask him his reasons. In a small town with a couple of parishes, the priests may have split up some of the ministries. Maybe one parish priest is ederly and has physical problems sitting for hours. I know my dad can't sit for more than 30 minutes. Maybe your priest takes care of all hospital and shut-in visitations. Instead of priests just caring for thier parishioners, maybe one preist spends alot of time visiting all the Catholics in a hospital and thus is able to spend alot of time individually with each person.

Sheesh. Give the guy a break. Maybe so few show up to a regular scheduled confession because it's a small town people want to go to a priest that doesn't know him. Maybe he is real big on counseling and doesn't like the 45 second confession and wants people to take a few minutes and he helps them with a real examination of conscience.