[Biggirl]

When I see this news article, it does give my hope because it is a sign that the Holy Spirit is sending "jolts" of needed inspiration to Christians and those who want to be Christians of the need to be reconciled to God thru Christ. Often our weak human nature, plus with the world and the enemy, causes us to fall into sin that ends up creating webs like spiders of sinful living.

On the online part of confession, I would feel very unconfortable going online to confess my sins. This is what is the beauty of the Sacrement of Penance is that there is the privacy part. Also in the Latin rite, there is in the begining a penitial rite for the forgiveness of venial sins ( mortal sins need direct confessing ). That people are doing it online and that non-Catholic/Orthodox Christians are doing this shows that there is growing movement, even slowly to the starts of full Christian unity.

Off topic I just want to add that I got to see the EWTN interview of the Lebanesse Cardinal Sfar.

Also a question. Does the Maronite rite have an opening penitial rite to the divine liturgy like that in the Latin rite? Thanks ahead.

[dsc]

"I would feel very unconfortable going online to confess my sins."

As I understand it, a sacrament requires three things: matter, intent, and form. All three have to be present.

I think -- could be wrong -- that the matter for the sacrament of absolution is the presence of a consecrated priest.