Posted on 05/30/2019 6:33:24 PM PDT by marshmallow
Bishop's Column
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am all in favor of laws that protect all our children from any form of abuse. The Catholic Church has been working hard to be a leader in Safe Environment training, vetting of clergy, employees and volunteers and reporting allegations to police authorities.
However, a new law being proposed in the California State Senate is misguided and does nothing to support our efforts. It aims to strip confidentiality from the Sacrament of Confession. If passed, it would require priests to report certain sins they heard in confession to the police.
This is a violation of one of our most sacred sacraments. According to Canon Law, any priest who breaks the Seal of Confession, divulging sins he has heard, to anyone at any time, commits a mortal sin and is in danger of excommunication.
Confession is a privileged communication between the penitent and the Lord. Christ came on earth, died on the cross and shed His blood “So that sins may be forgiven.” This is an attack on the very heart of our faith, our freedom of religion and against the protections given to all Americans by our Constitution.
A priest reported to me on May 21 that because of publicity surrounding this bill, teenagers on his Confirmation retreat hesitated to go to Confession recently, as they thought the priests were now required to divulge their sins to law enforcement.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicvoiceoakland.org ...
I agree with him on that.
Show me in the Bible where we are required to go through a middleman to talk to God and request forgiveness for our sins. The confessional seal is a made-up act that is contrary to the Bible. No earthly person has the right to hear a confession or to forgive it through mindless repetition of some type prayer to Mary, which is in and of itself, idolatry. Christians (which catholics are not) pray to God alone, through Jesus Christ, and are forgiven by God (through Jesus Christ) alone. Anything else is a mockery and an affront to God Almighty.
Too bad...doctors and all licensed professionals are mandated to report.
Then pull the tax exemptions. ...don’t give them my tax dollars to continue to shield pedophiles.
Shielding pedophiles...wow, that’s sacred??? Ha
Amazing!! Has he come out with other positive issues?
And you are an affront to this Roman Catholic and to millions of others who believe in and live by the sacrament of confession. Why attack something you obviously know little about? So much for tolerance of religion.
I am saddened that you lack much knowledge of the Bible. I am paraphrasing here: “Whatsoever you hold bound is bound and whatsoever you release is released.” Surely you have read that passage.
Shielding pedophiles? Don’t you know that since 2002 or 2003 the current practice in the American Catholic Church is to call law enforcement if there is a credible claim of pedophilia?
In John’s Gospel (20:23), the disciples receive the Holy Spirit. Then, they are told: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you shall retain, are retained.”
Are you ready to apply your rules to muslims?
[23] Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. John, Chapter 20.
Absolutely
I’m sure that, when the Founders wrote the First Amendment, they only intended it to apply to religions you approve.
“The confessional seal is a made-up act that is contrary to the Bible.”
Surely, you jest. Confession is one of seven sacraments and each one is listed in the Bible many times. A thirty second search on Google or Bing will lead to a list. Personally, I like how purgatory is listed in the Bible over twenty times.
But, heck, who are we to stand in the way of the almighty state. That's what conservatism is all about, isn't it? Unlimited government power and to hell with civil liberties that get in the way. /s
Wow, who woulda' thunk it?
Ca passing bullshit like this,.
I am stuned.
Patriots are reminded that although Congress has the express 14th Amendment (14A) power to make punitive laws that discourage state actors from abridging constitutionally enumerated rights, we’re still stuck with a corrupt Congress that has a track record for letting state actors get away with oppressing citizens who exercise their enumerated rights, 1st Amendment-protected religious expression and free speech in this example.
From the 14th Amendment:
"Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States [emphasis added]; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
"Section 5: The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article."
The remedy for useless, do-nothing Congress …
Patriots in all states need to come to rescue of oppressed California citizens by electing a new patriot Congress in 2020 elections that will not only promise to support PDJT’s vision for MAGA, but will also promise to exercise 14A power to discourage state actors from abridging enumerated rights.
Remember in November 2020!
MAGA! Not Democratic MADA (Make America Dead Again).
Wish FR had a like button. That's a big reason I left the Catholic Church. Priest are just men, so why am I going thru them to ask forgiveness.
Sacerdotalism is right up there with holy relics...
You’re trumpeting that track record as something to be proud of?
“Hey, we haven’t been an international support network for pedophiles for almost 20 years, according to policy!”
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