Posted on 08/18/2011 7:18:16 AM PDT by marshmallow
So why is the seal of confession inviolable? Why does the seal bind under such a grave obligation that the Church excommunicates any confessor who directly violates it? (See: The seal of confession: some basics)
There are two principal reasons why the priest must preserve the seal: the virtue of justice and the virtue of religion. The motive of justice is evident because the penitent, by the very fact of entering the confessional, or asking the priest to hear his confession (we’ll deal with “reconciliation rooms” another day) rightly expects that the priest will observe the seal. This is a contract entered into by the fact of the priest agreeing to hear a person’s confession. To mandate the violation of the seal is in effect to prohibit the celebration of the sacrament of Penance.
Much more grave than the obligation of justice towards the penitent is the obligation of religion due to the sacrament. The Catholic Encyclopaedia gives a brief explanation of the virtue of religion which essentially summarises the teaching of St Thomas Aquinas. (Summa Theologica 2a 2ae q.81) Religion is a moral virtue by which we give to God what is His due; it is, as St Thomas says, a part of justice. In the case of the sacrament of Penance, instituted by Christ, Fr Felix Cappello explains things well [my translation]:
By the very fact that Christ permitted, nay ordered, that all baptised sinners should use the sacrament and consequently make a secret confession, he granted an absolutely inviolable right, transcending the order of natural justice, to use this remedy. Therefore the knowledge which was their own before confession, after the communication made in confession, remains their own for every non-sacramental use, and that by a power altogether sacred, which no contrary human law can strike out, since every human law is of an inferior order: whence this right cannot be taken away or overridden by any means, or any pretext, or any motive.
The penitent confesses his sins to God through the priest. If the seal were to be broken under some circumstances, it would put people off the sacrament and thereby prevent them from receiving the grace that they need in order to repent and amend their lives. It would also, and far more importantly, obstruct the will of God for sinners to make use of the sacrament of Penance and thereby enjoy eternal life. The grace of the sacrament is absolutely necessary for anyone who commits a mortal sin. To mandate the violation of the seal is in effect to prohibit the practice of the Catholic faith. Some secular commentators have spoken of the seal of confession as being somehow a right or privilege of the priest. That is a preposterous misrepresentation: it is a sacred and inviolable duty that the priest must fulfil for the sake of the penitent and for the sake of God's will to redeem sinners.
A possibly misleading phrase in this context is where theologians say that the penitent is confessing his sins as if to God "ut Deo." (You can easily imagine secularists deriding the idea that the priest makes himself to be a god etc.) In truth, the penitent is confessing his sins before God. The priest acts as the minister of Christ in a sacred trust which he may not violate for any cause - precisely because he is not in fact God. By virtue of the penitent’s confession ut Deo, the priest absolves the penitent and, if mortal sin is involved, thereby readmits him to Holy Communion.
There will be more to follow on the sacrament of confession. As I mentioned in my previous post, this series is not intended as a guide for making a devout confession but rather as an introduction to some canonical and theological questions regarding the sacrament which have become important recently. (For a leaflet on how to make a good confession, see my parish website.)
I have been told that the threat in Ireland to introduce a law compelling priests to violate the seal of confession has been withdrawn, at least for the time being. Nevertheless, I will continue with these posts because I think that the Irish proposal will be picked up by other secularists and may pose a problem for us. Further posts will look at the proper place, time and vesture for hearing confessions, one or two more particular crimes in canon law, the question of jurisdiction and the much misused expression “Ecclesia supplet”, and, of course, what to do if the civil authority tries to compel a priest to break the seal.
Just this one statement alone is enough to completely dump the (forged) writings of Ignatius...
Act 10:25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
Act 10:26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
This disqualifies Ignatius and anyone who followed after him believing what he said...
Realizing of course, that these scriptures were not available to Catholics for a Millennium or more, your early religion wouldn't know that...
But when it was finally revealed to you with the availability of the scriptures, your religion convinced you that you couldn't understand the plain words of scripture...But, you now have no excuse...
You're wrong...These people didn't belong to Jesus in the first place...They didn't lose something they never had...
Lots of people talk about Jesus who don't belong to him...
RC's have placed their faith in an organization instead of a Savior.
That's right. Jesus said that he NEVER knew them.
The faith of all Catholics (other than the CINOs) is completely in Jesus Christ.
Where do you get this fault information? From pamplets? From preachers who don’t like the Catholic Church?.
The Catholic Mass is completely centered on Christ:
1. The Liturgy of the Word, Old Testament Readings, Psalm, Usually a reading from St. Paul, the Gospel — words of Jesus Christ, and the homily.
2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is also completely centered on Jesus Christ and His Most Sacred Body and Blood.
As I asked above, where do you get the idea that Catholics do not KNOW Christ?
We don’t get saved by works. We don’t stay saved by works. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Once we’re God’s children He’s going to throw us under the bus? If He did all that to bring us to Himself, He’s not going to toss us out because we’re not perfect.
He does not deal with according to our sin. He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. Ps 103
Ephesians 1:13-14
13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
2 Corinthians 5:4-6
4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
As I asked above, where do you get the idea that Catholics do not KNOW Christ?Roman Catholic doctrine knows Jesus as Helper, Not Savior. Baptism makes salvation possible. The rest is up to you with the help of "grace".
Christ, in the RC church does not save you, He helps you save yourself, providing you with "grace" to perform good works so you can save yourself.
You are not saved by His righteousness, He only helps you attain your own righteousness via merit. You and God work at getting worthy of heaven.
It's clear Jesus Christ is not enough for them IMO. Rather He's the after thought of everything man creates or desires as his own personal Glory.....tacking Christ's name on it makes it so in their eyes.....and then fishing for scripture to twist into whatever pretzel they want to make to support their "belief". ...and by doing so puts so many knots in the story few can see thru the entanglements.
I think you know the verses by now that I would show you. How many times have you been here.
So you have a different opinion. Look the way I look at at it is what Jesus said. Whatever we ask in his name to the Father He will do. I ask for guidence in Christ here and for the next life to be with him. Always in Jesus to the Father. Amen=So Be It!!!
I don't think so....rather God's word is very clear to whom we confess our sins, and that Jesus is the ONLY one worthy to grant forgiveness.
Otherwise any man of any faith can lay claim to having that authority....including cults and false religions...and they too set the parameters and conditions of their followers.
Jesus said.... 'I am the way the truth and the life...no man can come to the Father except by ME'
It is written ...."He who sins in the LEAST of my comandments is guilty of them ALL."
‘Fruit’... by the Spirit in the Life of a Christian:
The Christian should resemble a fruit-tree, not a Christmas tree!.... For the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only *tied* on,... whereas fruit *grows* on a fruit-tree.
In other words, Christian holiness is not an artificial human accretion, but a natural process of fruit-bearing by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Excerpted from “Authentic Christianity”, p. 219, by permission of InterVarsity Press.)
I disagree.....it's centered on the Priest and his actions as he goes thru the rituals. Most everything is tailored and starched....repetition abounds.
"Realizing of course, that these scriptures were not available to Catholics for a Millennium or more, your early religion wouldn't know that..."
If it was not for Catholic monks rewriting the aged scrolls we would not be here with this arguement. You would not have a bible in your hand. Remember the Printing press was invented in 1490's.
Jesus pleaded to God in the garden that the cup would be removed from Him.....God said NO.
You could not be more wrong.
Okay, confess. Don't you have to repent, be contrite? Otherwise, you reject Christ's sacrifice.
I know the Holy Spirit. I read my Bible in the Holy Spirit. You accuse others? But do you believe in 1 John4? Christ came in the flesh as God. Divinty became Flesh. Otherwise If you do not you have a big problem. You do not know Him.
1 John 4
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19We love him, because he first loved us.
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
The garments (and ad orientam - which will return shortly) are intended to emphasize the anonymity of the priest. In other words, the priest is a servant of God - it matters not to the served (the Body of Christ) who the particular servant is. The few examples of rock star priests often come apart - witness ex Fr. Corapi.
The whole point is that when clergy enter the service of God, they are supposed to submerge themselves into the service of God, not set themselves up as personalities.
Cardinal Sheen is an example of one who didn't fully submerge into the cult of personality. Our current Pope is an even better one, a much superior one. Not because of Cardinal Sheen, but because of Pope Benedict. The left and the liberals hate him because not only is he a better theologian and Catholic than anyone on their side, he is correct on matters of the Faith and he truly has the perspective of 2000 years of Church history. Exactly none of them do.
Repetition is bad in the worship of God? Interesting. Can you quote Scripture which says that stream of consciousness windbags worship God better than prayers of the Faith?
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