Posted on 03/17/2015 6:38:50 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
Reflects on the Sacrament of Penance During General Audience
Continuing his catechetical series on the Sacraments, Pope Francis reflected on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which along with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick form what he described the “Sacraments of Healing”.
“The Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation [...] flow directly from the Paschal mystery,” he told pilgrims attending his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.
"In fact, the same evening of Easter the Lord appeared to the disciples, closed in the Cenacle, and, after addressing to them the greeting ‘Peace be with you’, he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven.’”
This indication by Jesus, the Pope stressed, shows that the forgiveness of our sins is not gained through any strength of our own, rather it is a gift that springs from the heart of Christ Crucified and Risen.
Departing from his prepared statement, the Holy Father spoke on the reservations one might have to confessing their sins to a priest. “Someone may say: ‘I confess only to God.’ Yes, you can tell God: ‘Forgive me’, and say your sins,” he said. “But our sins are also against the brothers, against the Church, and for this it is necessary to ask forgiveness to the Church and to the brothers, in the person of the priest.”
The Holy Father also said that some may feel ashamed of confessing their sins. However, he noted, feeling shame for one’s sins is good because it humbles us.
"Do not be afraid of Confession!” he exclaimed. One who is in line to confess himself feels all these things - even shame - but then, when he finishes confessing, he leaves free, great, beautiful, forgiven, [...] happy. And this is the beauty of Confession.”
Concluding his catechesis, Pope Francis encouraged those who have not confessed, whether it be for two weeks or 40 years, to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as soon as possible. “Jesus is there, and Jesus is much better than the priests, and Jesus receives you. He receives you with so much love. Be courageous, and go forward to Confession,” he said.
“To celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation means to be wrapped in a warm embrace.”
I was in the hospital deathly ill when Pope Francis gave this talk on Confession (2/19/2015). It appears to have passed unremarked at Free Republic, so I knew you’d appreciate seeing it now.
That’s because it’s from last year
Lucky me! I can boldly approach the Throne of Grace and confess my sins directly to Jesus instead of some celibate (yeah, right), dress-wearing weirdo who has a fetish for hearing other peoples’ peccadilloes while never admitting his own. I can do that because the Holy Spirit told us through Paul the Apostle that we have one High Priest, Jesus Christ the Righteous (Hebrews 4:15).
It shouldn’t have to be news when a pope encourages Catholics to be Catholic.
Thank you for posting this.
As the Synod approaches this fall, keep the following infallible teachings of the Ordinary Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church handy, and compare anything you see or hear to these constant teachings. Anything that deviates from these documents is in error, and those promulgating such errors are to be resisted.
Official Vatican teaching on the divorced and remarried and Holy Eucharist, Given at Rome, from the offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 14 September 1994, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross:"...5. Many argue that the position of the Church on the question of divorced and remarried faithful is overly legalistic and not pastoral.
A series of critical objections against the doctrine and praxis of the Church pertain to questions of a pastoral nature. Some say, for example, that the language used in the ecclesial documents is too legalistic, that the rigidity of law prevails over an understanding of dramatic human situations. They claim that the human person of today is no longer able to understand such language, that Jesus would have had an open ear for the needs of people, particularly for those on the margins of society. They say that the Church, on the other hand, presents herself like a judge who excludes wounded people from the sacraments and from certain public responsibilities.
One can readily admit that the Magisterium’s manner of expression does not seem very easy to understand at times. It needs to be translated by preachers and catechists into a language which relates to people and to their respective cultural environments. The essential content of the Church’s teaching, however, must be upheld in this process. It must not be watered down on allegedly pastoral grounds, because it communicates the revealed truth.
Certainly, it is difficult to make the demands of the Gospel understandable to secularized people. But this pastoral difficulty must not lead to compromises with the truth. In his Encyclical Veritatis splendor, John Paul II clearly rejected so-called pastoral solutions which stand in opposition to the statements of the Magisterium (cf. ibid. 56).
Furthermore, concerning the position of the Magisterium as regards the question of divorced and remarried members of the faithful, it must be stressed that the more recent documents of the Church bring together the demands of truth with those of love in a very balanced way. If at times in the past, love shone forth too little in the explanation of the truth, so today the danger is great that in the name of love, truth is either to be silenced or compromised. Assuredly, the word of truth can be painful and uncomfortable. But it is the way to holiness, to peace, and to inner freedom. A pastoral approach which truly wants to help the people concerned must always be grounded in the truth. In the end, only the truth can be pastoral. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:32)."
CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
CONCERNING SOME OBJECTIONS TO THE CHURCH'S TEACHING
ON THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION
BY DIVORCED AND REMARRIED MEMBERS OF THE FAITHFUL [1]
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO OF POPE JOHN PAUL II, 1981"...the Church affirms that a new union cannot be recognised as valid if the preceding marriage was valid. If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God's law. Consequently, they cannot receive Holy Communion as long as this situation persists(6).
This norm is not at all a punishment or a discrimination against the divorced and remarried, but rather expresses an objective situation that of itself renders impossible the reception of Holy Communion: "They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and his Church which is signified and effected by the Eucharist. Besides this, there is another special pastoral reason: if these people were admitted to the Eucharist, the faithful would be led into error and confusion regarding the Church's teaching about the indissolubility of marriage"(7).
The faithful who persist in such a situation may receive Holy Communion only after obtaining sacramental absolution, which may be given only "to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the Covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when for serious reasons, for example, for the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they 'take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples'"(8). In such a case they may receive Holy Communion as long as they respect the obligation to avoid giving scandal.
No one can change these teachings."However, the Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the Church which is signified and effected by the Eucharist. Besides this, there is another special pastoral reason: if these people were admitted to the Eucharist, the faithful would be led into error and confusion regarding the Church's teaching about the indissolubility of marriage.
Reconciliation in the sacrament of Penance which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the Covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons, such as for example the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they "take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples."(180)
Similarly, the respect due to the sacrament of Matrimony, to the couples themselves and their families, and also to the community of the faithful, forbids any pastor, for whatever reason or pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry. Such ceremonies would give the impression of the celebration of a new sacramentally valid marriage, and would thus lead people into error concerning the indissolubility of a validly contracted marriage."
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO
OF POPE
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE EPISCOPATE
TO THE CLERGY AND TO THE FAITHFUL
OF THE WHOLE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE ROLE
OF THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY
IN THE MODERN WORLD
Confession has been around since the time of Christ. What’s new?
By the way, is Francis living in continuous state of adultery which is a state of mortal sin?
Since my hospital ordeal I forget what month, even what year it is. Wrote out a check yesterday and put "2016".
Where do I go to get my January and February back???
You certainly have my prayers.
Seems to be unnoticed around here, ya know?
You are welcome.
No one can and no one will.
The problem--- almost as bad, or maybe worse --- is when the words in the Catechism stays the same, gathering dust in the parish library, but are ignored from pulpit and from pew. That's why I got involved in my parish RCIA program and the parish monthly newsletter: so I could add my sensus fidelium when I can.
We own a part of that Priest - Prophet - King thing, too.
Stick it!
Rash judgment, detraction, or libel? Which is it? Sometimes it's so hard to tell. (My eyes are rolled back so far I can see my poor neocortex.)
Would you like to place a friendly wager on that?
My bet is that, probably in his summary of the Synod, to be published to coincide with the opening of the Jubilee Year of Grace, Pope Francis will readmit the divorced and remarried to the Holy Eucharist without the need of having their prior marriages regularized.
A wager of hundred bucks to each other's favorite charity? With a time frame to be no later than Ash Wednesday of 2016?
“I can boldly approach the Throne of Grace and confess my sins directly to Jesus instead of some celibate (yeah, right),”
Jesus was celibate.
“dress-wearing”
Jesus wore clothes that many modern anti-Catholics would call “dresses”.
“weirdo”
Many people probably thought Jesus was a weirdo for preaching things like loving your enemies.
“who has a fetish for hearing other peoples’ peccadilloes while never admitting his own.”
Jesus had none to admit, but He never everyone else’s and probably patiently listened to everyone pour out their hearts to Him. He would even allow you to bathe His feet with dears and dry them with your hair...if you were humble enough to do such a thing.
“I can do that because the Holy Spirit told us through Paul the Apostle that we have one High Priest, Jesus Christ the Righteous (Hebrews 4:15).”
Yep, and I approach Jesus too to confess my sins - especially through His priests.
What good is the Sacrament of Confession to the divorced and remarried, if they continue to fornicate?
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