My theory presumes Trump was well-known to Fr Rutler who is a mild Catholic celebrity in NYC (he was frequently on EWTN and had his own show, Christ in the City; Fr Rutler was recently accused of sexual abuse and a bunch of related nonsense and was cleared). By well-known, I mean Rutler probably know a LOT about Trump that only connected Manhattanites know. Thus, he wasn't just some random Priest who knew about the mythological Trump.
Canon Law says, essentially, that Priests CAN hear confessions from Baptized non-Catholics. There seems to be some ambiguity about the Priest being able to grant absolution in this case, but for my thinking that's irrelevant.
I've been to Fr Rutler's masses, and he's heard my confession. The man is a walking eneyclopedia of history, Catholicism, and he is a brilliant homilist and public speaker. He is no-nonsense, he doesn't waste time, he doesn't sugar coat, but he IS fair.
So, wrapping it all together, I suspect Kellyanne brought Trump to Fr Rutler, with Trump expecting a nice, simple blessing. My theory is Rutler unpacked Trump like no man of faith had EVER unpacked him - not like a dressing down, but like how sword is forged with heat. Fr Rutler then revealed the greatness that MAY be possible but only with acknowledgement of humanity AND desire for personal change. Trump took the offer. Rutler blessed him, and the rest is history.
Rutler has vocally denied the allegations when the investigation was ongoing. He wrote in a letter back in November of 2020. He wrote, “A woman security guard who was temporarily assigned to provide security at our parish at the time of the election has alleged that on one occasion I improperly touched her. Responsible authorities are investigating her allegations. I strongly deny this allegation, which I maintain is incoherent and painful to my reputation and inconsistent with how I have conducted myself in fifty years of ministerial service without any accusation of misbehavior.”
He not only denies the specific allegation of improper touching, but “strongly” denies it.
Is it better to strongly deny an allegation of this sort, rather than merely to deny it? 🤔
Did he gone further and denied any of the “related nonsense”? Those allegations were very specific and, shall we say, somewhat McCarrick-esque. Nonsense, maybe, but only if plausibly denied.
The idea that McCarrick-esque behavior is okay as long as it doesn’t involve boys below a certain age is getting a little long in the tooth, wouldn’t you say?
Trump is smart and would know that no matter what might have happened in a confessional, with any priest, his sins were being retained. In other words, no absolution was available for Trump to take advantage of outside of true conversion on his part to the One True Faith.
Consider the following:
__________
Can Someone Who is Not Catholic Go to Confession?
by Stephanie Foley
Confession is a sacrament of healing and mercy. And while some may disagree with Catholics on the need to confess their sins to a priest, those who are struggling with guilt, shame, or distress may desire to speak with a priest in Confession for guidance and spiritual direction. But can someone who is not Catholic go to Confession?
A listener recently called-in to Father Simon Says™ and asked Father Richard Simon if non-Catholics can go to Confession and whether they receive the same sacramental grace.
Father Simon responded, “They can go to Confession. And when a non-Catholic goes to Confession what he has to say still comes under the rubric of the Seal of Confession.”
The Seal of Confession is a priest-penitent confidentiality privilege that forbids the priest from making known the sins he heard in Confession. If a priest does expose the sins of a penitent by word, sign, or any other matter, he is immediately excommunicated, and can only be brought back into communion with the Church by the pope himself. So even if the person going to Confession is not Catholic, what he or she says will still remain completely confidential.
However, while those who are not Catholic can go to Confession, Fr. Simon pointed out an important caveat, saying, “But he can’t receive absolution. He can’t be absolved because he has to be in that covenantal relationship of baptism.”
The reason for this is that Confession is not just about the forgiveness and absolution of sins, but the reintegration of the person into communion with the Church. If a person is not Catholic and does not desire to be Catholic then they do not desire this integrated and communion with the Church.
Fr. Simon noted that even non-Catholics who are baptized cannot receive absolution, though they are in relationship with the Lord through their baptism.
“They’re in relationship with the Lord and with the Church by baptism, but they are not in the fullness of that relationship,” he said.” And the point of Confession is to be brought back fully into communion. They’re not going to be brought back into communion fully, because they don’t want to be. So that’s why they couldn’t receive absolution.”
So while a non-Catholic can go to Confession and will hopefully find healing and mercy in their conversation with the priest, they cannot receive the sacramental graces that come from Reconciliation.
“In danger of death or in a serious situation one could give a non-Catholic absolution,” Father Simon said. “But in general you can’t absolve the sins because that person is not in the relationship to the Church that he should be. But he can still go to Confession to get the counseling help, and that would be under the holy Seal of Confession.”