The Catholic Church has no “small-minded rules – but rather an abundance of small-minded clerics.

Lessons the Coca-Cola Company Promptly Learned
That Catholic Clerics Never Have   

by Doug Lawrence

It is a form of blasphemy to blame God’s Holy Church for what some choose to term “small-minded” rules, since the Church belongs to God – and God is utterly incapable of any type of error.

Rather, let’s look at those clerics – at every level – who have led the Church in more worldly directions – imprudent directions that were  often contrary to the laws of God and detrimental to the care of souls.

I’m not going to attempt to list all of the official sins of the clerical leadership of the Catholic Church, nor is such a thing necessary, since unlike Church teachings, the bulk of those offenses are indeed known and essentially understood by all.

The small-minded truth of the matter is the sheer audacity and unmitigated gall of those liberal, modernist clerics who thought themselves smarter than God and who decided that everything needed to change – and who discarded 2000 years of accumulated wisdom and tradition, in favor of their own, flavor-of-the-week, untested novelties.

When the managers of the Coca-Cola Company got caught up in the very same obtuse spirit of “novelty for the sake of novelty” they too summarily discontinued a tried and true, proven “product” in favor of an all-new replacement which they deemed to be more in tune with modern  times and tastes.

They were wrong – and “New Coke” turned out to be a total, unmitigated disaster – that without prompt corrective action  might  have spelled the end of the company.

So, motivated by economic factors and the desire to survive – within a period of about six months – original Coca-Cola was back – renamed “Classic Coke” – and “New Coke” was on its way out!

You can’t even buy the stuff, today – not that anyone ever really wanted to!

Now, back to us poor, old, Catholics …

Fifty years later, we’re still being set upon by maladjusted incompetents who – having tried everything they could think of to “sell” us what is clearly an inferior “product” – now resort to media events, insults and guilting – in order to cajole the faithful into accepting their damaged and often distasteful spiritual “wares”.

Enough, already! The only reason the post-Vatican II Catholic Church hasn’t already totally gone out of business is the awesome power and the tender mercies of God Almighty – who has obviously taken pity on the remnant of faithful Catholics – those who have patiently born the trials and tribulations of “New Church” – remaining zealous and doing penance – solely for the glory of God and his Kingdom.

“New Church” never tasted right – and it’s not getting any better with age. Waiting more than 50 years to get rid of what should have been immediately recognizable and apparent to all, constitutes an abject failure of Church leadership and a willful denial of the direct advocacy of the Holy Spirit.

This is not only a travesty – it’s a sin!

We Catholics are the victims of incompetent bishops, corrupt lay administrators and a cadre of ill-trained and poorly managed priests and deacons.

Our once great system of catechetical training and Catholic education has become a stumbling block for the faithful and a safe haven for heretics and fools, while at the same time, by virtually every measure, what today passes for the Catholic Church is almost everywhere in sharp decline.

We even have a third world, South American, Jesuit-Contra, community organizer, “water down the dogma” pope who can’t seem to make up his mind about things (other than not liking traditionalists.)

Jesus knew exactly what to do with this type of foul-tasting stuff:

Revelation 3:16-19 But because you art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit you out of my mouth.

Because you say: I am rich and made wealthy and have need of nothing: and know not that you art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold, fire tried, that you may be made rich and may be clothed in white garments: and that the shame of your nakedness may not appear.

And anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise.

Be zealous therefore and do penance.

“…a real profanation, an act of pure apostasy, with those filthy and satanic images of pachamama.”

Abp. Viganò calls on Pope Francis to ‘convert’ for Pachamama idolatry in St. Peter’s

Francis’ pachamama demon idol

“The faithlessness of the Sacred Pastors is a scandal for their confreres and for many among the faithful, not only in terms of lust of thirst for power, but also — I might say especially — when they touch the integrity of the Faith, the purity of the Church’s teachings and the holiness of morals.”

Viganò mentioned in particular the “adoration” of pagan wooden statuettes before and during the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazonian Region last October.

“[These clerics] have even committed acts of unprecedented gravity, such as we saw with the adoration of the pachamama idol in the Vatican itself,” he said.

“Indeed, I think Our Lord has rightly become indignant at the great multitude of scandals committed by those who ought to be setting a good example, because they are Shepherds, to the flocks to whom they have been entrusted.”

Full story here

As it was in the beginning…

2nd Chronicles 7:13-14  If I shut up heaven, and there fall no rain, or if I give orders, and command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people:

(2 out of 3 occurring, as this is written)

And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.

(While all the Catholic Churches, everywhere, are closed)

Luke 24:44-48  And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms, concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.

And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead, the third day: And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

(Not much preaching of penance
and remission of sins, anymore)

Revelation 6:8  And behold a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death. And hell followed him. And power was given to him over the four parts of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine and with death and with the beasts of the earth.

(We have at least 2 out of 4 of these
going on – “big time” – as this is written)

Revelation 1:12-15  And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks:  And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

And his head and his hairs were white as white wool and as snow. And his eyes were as a flame of fire:  And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. And his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars. And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword. And his face was as the sun shineth in his power. 

And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. I am the First and the Last, And alive, and was dead. And behold I am living for ever and ever and have the keys of death and of hell.

(It’s good to know that Jesus is still in charge,
but he doesn’t look very pleased)

 

A Reflection on the Modern Error of Preaching Mercy without Repentance

There are of course many ways of describing the pastoral, liturgical and theological struggles of our day. But one very simple way of describing current problems that touches on all these areas is simply this:  that a presumptive attitude of mercy without repentance is both taught and widely held by far too many modern Catholics, and other Christians. (Editor’s note: And evidently – certain Roman Catholic Popes.)

Read more

The Catholic Church has no “small-minded rules – but rather an abundance of small-minded clerics.

Lessons the Coca-Cola Company Learned
While the Catholic Church
Remained Dominated by Small-Minded Clerics   

by Doug Lawrence

It is a form of blasphemy to blame God’s Holy Church for what some choose to term “small-minded” rules, since the Church belongs to God – and God is utterly incapable of any type of error.

Rather, let’s look at those clerics – at every level – who have led the Church in more worldly directions – imprudent directions that were  often contrary to the laws of God and detrimental to the care of souls.

I’m not going to attempt to list all of the official sins of the clerical leadership of the Catholic Church, nor is such a thing necessary, since unlike Church teachings, the bulk of those offenses are indeed known and essentially understood by all.

The small-minded truth of the matter is the sheer audacity and unmitigated gall of those liberal, modernist clerics who thought themselves smarter than God and who decided that everything needed to change – and who discarded 2000 years of accumulated wisdom and tradition, in favor of their own, flavor-of-the-week, untested novelties.

When the managers of the Coca-Cola Company got caught up in the very same obtuse spirit of “novelty for the sake of novelty” they too summarily discontinued a tried and true, proven product in favor of an all-new replacement which they deemed to be more in tune with modern  times and tastes.

They were wrong – and “New Coke” turned out to be a total, unmitigated disaster – that without prompt corrective action  might  have spelled the end of the company. So, motivated by economic factors and the desire to survive – within a period of about six months – original Coca-Cola was back – renamed “Classic Coke” – and “New Coke” was on its way out! You can’t even buy the stuff, today – not that anyone ever really wanted to!

Now, back to us poor, old, small-minded Catholics …

Fifty years later, we’re still being set upon by maladjusted incompetents who – having tried everything they could think of to “sell” us what is clearly an inferior “product” – now resort to media events, insults and guilting – in order to cajole the faithful into accepting their damaged and often distasteful spiritual “wares”.

Enough, already! The only reason the post-Vatican II Catholic Church hasn’t already totally gone out of business is the awesome power and the tender mercies of God Almighty – who has obviously taken pity on the remnant of faithful Catholics – those who have patiently born the trials and tribulations of “New Church” – remaining zealous and doing penance – solely for the glory of God and his Kingdom.

“New Church” never tasted right – and it’s not getting any better with age. Waiting more than 50 years to get rid of what should have been immediately recognizable and apparent to all, constitutes an abject failure of Church leadership and a willful denial of the direct advocacy off the Holy Spirit. This is not only a travesty – it’s a sin!

We Catholics are the victims of incompetent bishops, corrupt lay administrators and a cadre of ill-trained and poorly managed priests and deacons. Our once great system of catechetical training and Catholic education has become a stumbling block for the faithful and a safe haven for heretics and fools, while at the same time, by virtually every measure, what today passes for the Catholic Church is almost everywhere in sharp decline. We even have a new, third world, South American, Jesuit-Contra, community organizer, “water down the dogma” pope  who can’t seem to make up his mind about things (other than not liking traditionalists.)

Jesus knew exactly what to do with this type of foul-tasting stuff – and he told us what we should do about it, too:

Revelation 3:16-19 But because you art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit you out of my mouth. (17) Because you say: I am rich and made wealthy and have need of nothing: and know not that you art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. (18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold, fire tried, that you may be made rich and may be clothed in white garments: and that the shame of your nakedness may not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (19) Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore and do penance.

******

Be zealous therefore and do penance, indeed!

What the Coca-Cola Company Learned From the “New Coke” Debacle

What the Catholic Church Learned From the Vatican II Debacle

Don’t forget to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory

Visit the site

Father Z on the Apostolic Pardon: Why don’t more priests administer it to the dying?

The Apostolic Pardon, or Benediction, forgives temporal punishment due to our sins, not the sins themselves.  If anything remains from our lives, provided we die in the state of grace, for which we have not done adequate penance is forgiven us through the Apostolic Pardon.

This is why the Apostolic Pardon is often given after the Last Rites of sacraments of penance, anointing, and Viaticum.

Read more

Anointing of the Sick, Last Sacraments, and the Apostolic Pardon

Probably the main point of Lent

Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore, fruit worthy of penance.

This, in the following biblical context:

Matthew 3: 1-9 And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. And the same John had his garment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey.  Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan: And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore, fruit worthy of penance.

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

The Catholic priest and confession

Just as he does at the altar where he celebrates the Eucharist and at each one of the sacraments the priest, as the minister of penance, works “in persona Christi”.

The Christ whom he gives and makes present, and who by means of his ministry effects the remission of sins is with the priest, who appears as a brother of man, a merciful bridge-builder, faithful and compassionate pastor dedicated to search for the lost sheep, the doctor who heals and comforts, the one teacher who teaches the truth and teaches the ways of God, who judges the living and the dead and judges according to the truth and not according to appearances.

Read more from Pope John Paul II

This Week’s Ask Alice: Praying for the Dead, More About the Sacrament of Reconciliation, What Constitutes A Shrine.

Send A Question To Alice

She’ll answer as many questions as possible,
right here, every Thursday.

Email responses will also be provided, as time permits.

Joan Writes: Where are references to praying for the dead in the Bible? And how can I refute my son when he says prayers for the dead are ridiculous because they are already dead and you can’t help them after they are dead.

Alice Answers: Aren’t children experts at challenging our patience and faith? With three kids of my own and 28 years of catechizing other people’s children, your son’s question is a common one.

The earliest Bible reference that states the doctrine of praying for the dead is found in the Old Testament. When the Israelite leader, Judas Maccabeus, and his army gathered up bodies of the slain for burial they found amulets to the idol, Jamnia, under the tunics of the deceased. Since Jews were forbidden, by law, from wearing pagan charms, Judas and his men prayed for the dead that their sinful deed might be forgiven.

“He then took up a collection among his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this hea acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if her were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been foolish and useless to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward which awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” (2 Maccabees 12:43-46)

I hope this helps you explain to your son, the ministry of praying for the dead.

In Christ’s Love,

Alice

Here’s a couple of pages of related scripture references

A recent article on Purgatory and praying for the dead

****

Mike Asks: Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest? The shortest, sweetest answer possible is preferred.

Alice Answers: We must confess our sins to a priest because Jesus Himself instituted the Sacrament of Penance when He gave His apostles the power to forgive sins. “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20: 22-23)

The sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation since it provides forgiveness from all the sins we have commited since Baptism. It sometimes is called “laborious baptism.” The sacrament of Penance reconciles us with God and the Church, which by our sins, we have wounded.

Baptism and Penance are sacraments of exorcism. Penance is more powerful than the rite of exorcism. Penitents obtain pardon for their sins. The rite of exorcism is a sacramental, calling on the name of God to restrain the activity of the devil.

May God bless you abundantly for bringing Christ’s love to our incarcerated brothers and sisters!

In Christ’s Love,

Alice

Some “deep” background and additional scripture references

****

Daria Asks: Do you know what is involved in something being made a “shrine”?

Alice Answers: A shrine is a sacred place where pilgrims come to pray and worship. As Catholics, we are invited to become part of the great pilgrimage that Christ and His Church have made and continue to make throughout history. A shrine is the goal of that pilgrimage, the goal of the pilgrim’s journey.

A precedent for shrine building can be found in Genesis (35:1) “God said to Jacob, ‘Go up now to Bethel. Settle there and build an altar there to the God who appeared to you while you were fleeing from your brother Esau.’ ”

A Catholic church becomes a shrine under the guidance of the local ordinary (bishop). A national shrine must receive approval from the whole episcopal conference. An international shrine must be designated by Papal (Holy See) approval. Catholic shrines include historical sites associated with Jesus, the Virgin Mary, a particular saint, or a sacred charism, such as the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. A shrine can contain relics related to Christ or a saint and be the site of visions, miracles, or miraculous statues.

A shrine is not a parish. It must be a self-sustaining, free-standing church. The rector is the administrator of a shrine. It is open to the public. The ministry of a shrine is to inspie both locals and travelers to become pilgrims for a day or even an hour. Mass, reconciliation, and special devotions are held at a shrine.

In Christ’s Love,

Alice

Fr. Z shares his preferred version of the Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they have offended Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Link

A Guide for Confession

Remember

If you need help–especially if you have been away for some time–simply ask the priest and he will help you by “walking” you through the steps to make a good confession.

Before Confession

Be truly sorry for your sins. The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with a resolution not to commit it again, out of the love one has for God and which is reborn with repentance. The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the future (amendment) is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic. This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A resolution to try to avoid the near occasions of sin suffices for true repentance. God’s grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.

Read more

Indulgences

A number of popular devotions have indulgences attached to them. Indeed, the fact that a particular devotion has an indulgence attached to it is an indication that this devotional practice has proven itself within the Church to be helpful in bringing people closer to God. Because of the close association between popular devotions and indulgences, a clear understanding of the Church’s teaching on indulgences is necessary to appreciate the role of popular devotional practices in the life of the Church.

i. What are indulgences?

An indulgence does not confer grace. An indulgence is not a remission of the guilt due to sin. The guilt due to sin is ordinarily taken away by the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance (confession), in which we receive forgiveness for sins through Jesus Christ. Although guilt is taken away, and with it the eternal penalty that is due to sin—namely, damnation, the eternal loss of the presence of God—there remain consequences for sins that those who have committed them must bear. There is what is traditionally called the temporal punishment for sin.

By its very nature, every sin inevitably causes suffering for the one who has committed it. Every sinful act creates a disorder within the soul of the human person; it distorts our desires and affections, leaving us with “an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory.”⁵⁷ Furthermore, sin disrupts one’s relationships with God, with the Church, with other people, and with the world as a whole. The communion intended by God is damaged or lost. Those who have received forgiveness for their sins still have an obligation to undergo a difficult and painful process (the temporal penalty for sin) to be purified of the consequences of their sins and to restore the disrupted relationships. “While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace.”⁵⁸ The necessary and painful process that brings restoration and purification can take place either in this life or in Purgatory, as whatever part of the process remains unfinished at death must be completed in Purgatory.⁵⁹

Through an indulgence, God grants the prayer of the Church that the temporal penalty for sin due to someone be reduced (or possibly eliminated). By God’s grace, participation in a prayer or action that has an indulgence attached to it brings about the necessary restoration and reparation without the suffering that would normally accompany it. The granting of an indulgence by the Church is “the expression of the Church”s full confidence of being heard by the Father when—in view of Christ’s merits and, by his gift, those of Our Lady and the saints—she asks him to mitigate or cancel the painful aspect of punishment by fostering its medicinal aspect through other channels of grace.”⁶⁰

ii. How can indulgences remove some or all of the temporal punishment for sin?

It is because of the Communion of Saints that some or all of the temporal punishment for sin is removed. Although we always have to face the consequences of our sins in the form of the temporal punishment for sin—that is, the painful process of restoration and reparation—as members of the Body of Christ we are never simply on our own. We are linked with Christ and with the martyrs and saints and can benefit from their holiness in such a way as to be freed from at least a portion of the temporal punishment for sin. “In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others.”⁶¹

As a result of the communion that exists between Christ and all the members of the Church, the Church has a treasury of spiritual goods that is inexhaustible. The source of these spiritual goods is Christ. Pope Paul VI taught that this treasury of the Church

is not to be likened to a centuries-old accumulation of material wealth. It means rather the limitless and inexhaustible value that the expiations and merits offered by Christ have in the eyes of God for the liberation of all humanity from sin and for the creation of communion with the Father. The treasury of the Church is Christ the Redeemer himself: in him the atonement and merit of his redemption exist and are at work.⁶²

Since the martyrs and saints have accomplished all that they have in union with Christ, this treasury also includes the value of all their prayers and good works. “As they followed Christ through the power of his grace, they became holy and they have accomplished a work pleasing to the Father. As a result, in working out their own salvation they have also contributed to the salvation of their co-members in Christ’s Mystical Body.”⁶³

Through her union with Christ, the Church has the authority to dispense this treasury. When the Church does this, in order to spur people to acts of piety and charity, the Church requires those who seek an indulgence to perform some good work or act of devotion.⁶⁴ Furthermore, for reception of a plenary indulgence, which grants the remission of all temporal punishment due to sin, in addition to this good work or act of devotion, the Church specifies four conditions: (1) sacramental confession, (2) reception of Holy Communion, (3) prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, and (4) complete detachment from all sin, even venial sin.⁶⁵ It must not be thought, however, that such acts of ours are somehow of themselves sufficient to earn the remission of the temporal punishment for sins. Our efforts, themselves the work of God’s grace, express our openness to receive God’s mercy. In the work of our salvation, it is always God’s grace that is primary, with a power that far exceeds all our efforts.

iii. How can we help the deceased through indulgences?

Just as it is because of the Communion of Saints within the Body of Christ that the Church can grant an indulgence to someone, it is likewise because of the Communion of Saints that one person can obtain an indulgence for someone who has died in order to reduce his or her temporal punishment in Purgatory. We the living are not separated from the faithful departed by death and can still do things for their benefit. As Pope John Paul II has pointed out, “the truth about the communion of saints which unites believers to Christ and to one another, reveals how much each of us can help others—living or dead—to become ever more intimately united with the Father in heaven.”⁶⁶ At the same time, all of us in the Communion of Saints need to recognize that whatever help we can give each other ultimately comes not from ourselves but from Christ. “For when the faithful gain indulgences they realize that by their own powers they cannot atone for the evil that they have afflicted upon themselves and the entire community by sinning; they therefore are moved to a healthy humility.”⁶⁷

Official Catholic Church Manual of Indulgences (PDF)

A Guide To Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)

A handy guide to making a good confession.

PDF format.

The Instinct of Repentance

A large measure of the language of repentance is found in the word repentance itself. It is a Latin cognate (coming into English through the French). Rooted in the Latin word paenetentia, repentance has long held associations with crime and punishment. Our prisons are penitentiaries, though repentance of a true sort is rarely their result. To be given a penance also has had a sense of a punishment given for sins forgiven.

This differs greatly from the original language of the New Testament in which repentance is metanoia, a change in the mind (nous). The word nous, in Eastern Christian tradition, is often used interchangeably with the word heart. Repentance is an inner change of heart. Repentance is not concerned with clearing our legal record but with being changed – ultimately into the likeness of Christ.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

The language of repentance is part of a forensic legacy within a segment of Christian history that has marked our culture. To hear Christ say in Scripture, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” is often misheard – with the forensic message embedded in our language replacing the language of the heart proclaimed by Christ. Thus the Christian who seeks to follow the gospel (in English) finds that he has to make an effort to re-translate what he hears. This deeper matter of repentance (metanoia) is heard even in the prophets of the Old Testament:

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,“Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments;return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).

Read more

On reconciliation and penance in the mission of the Church – by Pope John Paul II

ORIGIN AND MEANING OF THE DOCUMENT

1. To speak of reconciliation and penance is for the men and women of our time an invitation to rediscover, translated into their own way of speaking, the very words with which our savior and teacher Jesus Christ began his preaching: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,”(1) that is to say, accept the good news of love, of adoption as children of God and hence of brotherhood.

Why does the church put forward once more this subject and this invitation?

The concern to know better and to understand modern man and the contemporary world, to solve their puzzle and reveal their mystery, to discern the ferments of good and evil within them, has long caused many people to direct at man and the world a questioning gaze. It is the gaze of the historian and sociologist, philosopher and theologian, psychologist and humanist, poet and mystic: Above all, it is the gaze, anxious yet full of hope, of the pastor.

In an exemplary fashion this is shown on every page of the important pastoral constitution of the Second Vatican Council Gaudium et Spes on the church in the modern world, particularly in its wide-ranging and penetrating introduction. It is likewise shown in certain documents issued through the wisdom and charity of my esteemed predecessors, whose admirable pontificates were marked by the historic and prophetic event of that ecumenical council.

In common with others, the pastor too can discern among the various unfortunate characteristics of the world and of humanity in our time the existence of many deep and painful divisions.

Read the whole thing

What constitutes a “good confession”?

 

Q: Regarding the Catholic sacrament of reconcilation, what’s the difference between a “good confession” and some other kind?

A: The only type of confession that is typically acceptable to God and effective for the forgiveness of sins is a “good” one. The late Auxilliary Bishop of Joliet, Roger L. Kaffer, who was known to hear lots and lots of confessions throughout his more than fifty year priesthood, once explained it to me like this:

It is absolutely essential for the penitent to confess every mortal sin that they can remember, since deliberately holding back even one grave sin, no matter what the reason, typically results in the penitent remaining in a state of mortal sin, still deprived of God’s grace, still unforgiven, no matter how many other sins they might have confessed … whether the priest provides absolution … or not.

(By definition, a mortal sin must be gravely serious, the person committing the sin must KNOW that it is gravely serious, and the sin must have been committed with the full consent of the sinner.  An experienced priest is the best guide for evaluating and explaining the “fine points” of these matters.)   

Deliberately holding back serious sin(s) in the confessional may also constitute another grave sin … the sin of sacrilege … which is defined as the abuse, deliberate misuse, or profanation of a holy thing.

If one actually forgets about a particular serious sin(s) and so fails to confess for that reason alone, there is no real problem … but if the “forgotten” sin one day comes to mind again, it should be properly confessed, as soon as possible.

The circumstances which lead a person to commit sins are also often important. If and when a priest inquires about such details, it is important to respond honestly.

For example, someone confesses the sin of fornication or adultery: Under normal circumstances, it might be a “one time event”. But if the sin is the result of an unmarried couple “living in sin”  under the same roof, without benefit of matrimony, then absolution (forgiveness) is typically NOT available unless and/or until the illicit living arrangement is terminated.

This would apply equally to ANY unmarried couple who might be living together … whether straight or gay … without distinction.

Minor or venial sins may also be confessed to the priest in the confessional, but since those can also be routinely forgiven through reciting a good act of contrition, by attending Mass, and in other ways, confessing venial sins is laudable and recommended, but not required.

Assuming that the penitent has accurately confessed ALL the mortal sins of which he/she is aware, then, acting in and through the ministerial priesthood of the Holy Catholic Church, in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the priest prescribes an act of contrition, assigns a small personal  penance, absolves the penitent of all sin, and dispenses the graces necessary to fill any spiritual “void” that the sin(s) might have caused.

The whole idea behind confessing one’s sins in the great sacrament of Reconciliation and subsequently receiving absolution (the absolute assurance that ALL of one’s sins have truly been forgiven by God) is to avoid the prospect of divine judgment, and to truly be at peace with both God and man, since once sins have been properly absolved through a “good confession” God will never bring them up again. 

For this reason, it is also advisable for the penitent to listen carefully, after his confession has been completed … to make certain that the priest does not fail to provide the necessary absolution.  The “formula” for absolution (at a minimum) sounds like this, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” 

So, a “good confession” is one where we properly prepare by conducting a through examination of conscience, we subsequently confess every mortal sin without exception, providing details to the priest/confessor as necessary, we recite a good act of contrition, do our assigned penance, and we receive absolution and grace from the priest, who acts in the person of  Jesus Christ, for the purpose of our salvation.

Any confession other than a “good” one is simply unacceptable … and may actually be worse than no confession at all!

For a complete, Traditional Catholic study of this entire matter, click here.