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.
Your mom is in my prayers. It’s so tragic when it hits close to home. I have close family members that have invested their future on the good works they’ve done, are doing, and plan to do. I share God’s Word with them and the simplicity that is in Christ, and yet...In the end, we must face Him alone. All we can do is share the Gospel, pray for their understanding, and be there, in season and out of season, ready to share God’s Truth with them. Regards, smvoice.
What it appears happens is, instead of interpreting Scripture BY Scripture - which is a valid hermeneutical principle - your church has devised a doctrine and sought out the words of Jesus to prove them EVEN in the face of their contradicting the other Scriptures. That is the only explanation for coming up with this heretical doctrine of primacy or hierarchy of Scripture. Do you dispute that the epistles spoke of things that Jesus did not speak about while on earth? What do you do in those cases?
It is a hard thing to watch.
There is such freedom in Christ. Freedom in the security of knowing that you are loved and to whom you belong and what your destiny is. And yes, even freedom to be human. Freedom to fail and know that God will be right there to pick you up, dust you off, and help you along the way, strengthening you to do the work which he has called you to do.
Otherwise, it is bondage. Bondage to fear, to uncertainty, to always trying and striving, bondage to works which can’t save anyway. If I just try harder, work more, submit more, then maybe I’ll get there some day I hope.
It sets you free from the obligation of spending so much time on works and rituals and sets you free to go out and love the world to Christ. That’s what God is interested in us doing, not keeping a laundry list of do’s and don’t’s and rituals and regulations.
If all our time is tied up with religious duties which some organization obligates us to, there is no time left for reaching the lost.
I’ll pray for your Mom as well...
Our beliefs on Christianity are so significantly different that they do not describe the same Christian faith. There is precious little Christ in your Christianity. Further, there is absolutely nothing you can post that will influence my beliefs and I have no hope of changing yours. The more I see of the extreme forms of Protestantism the more I am convinced that its Christian title is at best a charade. Paulian? Bibliologian? maybe, but not Christian.
I agree. The bride of Christ will be spotless, and clothed in pure, white linen. But the clothing will be from him because he clothes us in HIS righteousness. The amazing thing is that, though because of our sins we are like scarlet, he will make us white as snow. Though we be like crimson, we shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18) By covering us in his own blood, we will be purified and made holy. What amazing grace!
Yeah, but did you tell your WIFE? ;o)
You are absolutely right! However, in doing so you need to fit the Epistles of Paul to the Gospel, not the other way around.
Thank you so much for your prayers, I really appreciate them and it is comforting to know that others are agreeing with me in prayer for her.
That'd be funny if it weren't so sad coming from someone whose church adds popes, priests, saints, angels, Mary, sacraments, holy water, rosaries, etc to the mix.
Our focus is on Jesus and Him alone and for that we're criticized and condemned.
We say we confess to Jesus and are told that that's not good enough, we have to go through a priest.
We say we trust in Him alone for our salvation, and are told that that's not good enough, we have to trust in our own good works added to His death.
We pray right to Jesus and not to saints and angels and Mary and whoever, and we're told there's precious little Christ in our Christianity?
Christ is all and in all. In Him I live and move and have my being, and that's precious little Christ in my Christianity?
Precious little Christ is found buried under all the religious trappings of any organization which adds anything to Christ.
Who would have thought that focusing on Jesus wasn't good enough?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, or depth nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:34-39.
The very meaning of being a saved, secure Christian is given above.
Who shall separate you from God? Not receiving the sacraments? Not confessing your sins to your priest? Not participating in the Mass? Not performing good works? Not praying to Mary to intercede for you?
No you are correct. They do not describe the same Christian faith.
Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19
The problem is that instead of examining what Scripture is really saying when there's an apparent contradiction, some people just jettison the Scripture they disagree with. They dismiss it based on personal preferences, judging it not worthy of being Scripture based on personal preferences of who wrote it.
Funny. This is coming from the same group of people who claim that the Catholic church actually wrote all the Scripture that they are now dismissing as invalid.
You could not be more wrong. But it is not up to me to open your eyes to the truth of God's grace. It's between you and him.
I guess there is another guy named Jesus somewhere, because the one we are following is the one spoken of in the Scriptures - the REAL one, the ONLY one who saves.
Yep, seems there is another Jesus. And another spirit. And another gospel. All preached by false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Their end will be according to THEIR WORKS. Hmmmm....Righteous as they may seem, those works will be their undoing.
I thought that addressed the topic clearly enough. But I see for whatever reason you have chosen not to comment on the fact God said NO to Christ's prayer.
Please define Old Latin - what does that mean.
Heck, I told my wife AND my girlfriend.
I agree that in eternal security is real. It is only be realized in the Spirit. I believe the flesh can create an eternal security idol however IMHO.
Idols are insidious.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.