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.
How can a sacrament possibly remove sin when only Christ himself was given that power?..it is a work done within us by His Spirit only and not something we can do to remove it's stain....Jesus said HE would make us whiter than snow...not some action on our part.
Scripture calls believers... ‘the Body of Christ’....not a building or denomination.
“To the Church of God in Corinth...to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be Holy, ‘together’ with ALL those ‘everywhere’ who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ-their Lord and ours.” I Cor. 1:2
And this was to the Corinthian church in spite of the fact there were many errors Paul had to correct....he still recognized them as believers “sanctified” ...not because of any conduct of their own but because of their relationship to Christ. (Positionally sanctified).
But we have His written word today as our source of authority to establish what is true and or falsehood. He gave to us so that we might always have a compass thru life...a standard in which to judge truth from falsehood. The Scriptures ARE His words to us and His authority.
You sent me to the dictionary on this article.
:)
Oh? Jesus death isn' t enough after all? We need to add our own works of righteousness to that to *help*?
If God's Law was inadequate to save, what makes anyone thing that any replacement law we decide on and establish is capable of saving?
The Bible also says that by faith alone we are justified in several different places. Which one is right then?
Oh? Jesus death isn' t enough after all? We need to add our own works of righteousness to that to *help*?
If God's Law was inadequate to save, what makes anyone think that any replacement law we decide on and establish is capable of saving?
The Bible also says that by faith alone we are justified in several different places. Which one is right then?
The big problem with that Catholic doctrine is that while the Catholic church teaches that faith and baptism are both needed to be saved, they really don't believe it because I've yet to meet one Catholic who has assurance of their salvation based on baptism. The Church continually adds conditions to be met for salvation to occur and in the end, the most committed Catholic still lies on their deathbed not being sure if they're going to make it. They won't find out *until they get there* as admitted by Catholics on this very forum.
The visible church is the people who comprise it.
Far as I recall, however, Scripture doesn’t make that distinction.
I can’t recall an instance in the Bible where the reference to the church was the reference to a building or denomination. It was to groups of believers in different cities.
The big problem with that Catholic doctrine is that while the Catholic church teaches that faith and baptism are both needed to be saved, they really don't believe it because I've yet to meet one Catholic who has assurance of their salvation based on baptism. The Church continually adds conditions to be met for salvation to occur and in the end, the most committed Catholic still lies on their deathbed not being sure if they're going to make it. They won't find out *until they get there* as admitted by Catholics on this very forum.Yes, there seem to be many versions of salvation I hear from Roman Catholics, "Just be a good person", "Faith and baptism", "Faith and works", "Baptism saves", "Faith and Love"....etc
A big problem I find is the definition of FAITH. For a RC, faith has a different meaning than what an evangelical understands by the term.
I believe RC faith consists of believing everything in the 4 Gospels, plus everything proposed for belief by the CC, including all the Marian, Papal and purgatory dogmas.
What an Evangelical means by Faith is Trusting wholly on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus paid the penalty for sin belief/trust in Him for salvation is biblical Faith.
The Bible says, in several different places, that it's by faith and baptism, not faith alone. Do I need to quote chapter and verse?That is not altogether true as stated by the Roman church itself!
The so-called "Baptism of Desire" is sufficient. A person only needs the desire to be baptized if water baptism is not possible, correct?
Why, thank you. Always nice to receive a compliment.
Thanks for your kind reply.
Honor to whom honor is due . . . atheist or not! LOL.
I was an RM2 BTW . . . Step-Dad was an engineer on a destroyer in WWII. Blood dad was a corpsman.
Galatians 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
The RCC trying to take the place of Christ doesn’t make it so either.
Freakin' Dit Dah !! I was an A-Ganger (auxliliaries engineer) on 3 destroyers.
CONGRATS.
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE.
Hi Met --
Don't forget that ever-necessary "stop-over" in "Purgatory." According to what I've read here, that's where almost all will end up before Heaven...but, no one knows for how long...
:D
Great post, BTW.
Hoss
Naw...A synagogue is visible...The church is spiritual...A Catholic church or a Baptist is not the church...It's a misnomer...The building is not the church...The building is where the church meets...And not all who go into the building are the church...
You religion has developed a bit of a problem...You guys claim that whoever is baptized a Catholic in a Catholic church by a Catholic priest becomes a Christian, a member of the Body of Christ...
But yet many of you guys cast your doubts upon some Catholics who have been baptized into your religion as to whether they are real Christians, or Catholics for that matter...
I'm thinkin some of you realize that not everyone who gets a Catholic baptism has become a Christian...
Only God knows who in one of your churches or any church is a real Christian...The phoneys are invisible to us...As well as the real Christians...
You have a visible organization but that is not the Body of Jesus Christ...There are no non Christians in the Body of Jesus Christ...
Church buildings are visible...The Vatican is very visible...The body of Christ is not visible...
You don't know if I am an actual Christian...And I don't know if you are an actual Christian...Only God knows...If I walked into your church, I couldn't possibly pick out the Christians...They are invisible...
Isn't that the truth! or any other denomination for that matter. It's all about Christ and when you depart from Him to a building or the religion of choice you ost likely will get lost along the the way.
"Christ..the author and finisher of our faith."
Good post Iscool....point well made without a lot of unnecessary “fluff”.
“Church buildings are visible...The Vatican is very visible...The body of Christ is not visible...” Iscool.
Why Go to Confession? (Part 1) - Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Bruno Forte
Why Go to Confession? (Part 2) - Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Bruno Forte
How To Make a Good Confession (especially if you haven't gone in years)
Why Go to Confession? (Part 3) - Pastoral Letter of Archbishop Bruno Forte
Pulling Sin up by the Roots: The Need for Mortification
Reasons for Confession [Sacrament of Reconciliation]
Cardinal Stafford's Homily at Penitential Liturgy With an Examination of Conscience
How to Go to Confession
Fr. Z’s 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession
Learning to Confess
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