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brian
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Chicago South Burbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 746 |
| First Name: | brian | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | methodist, evangelical, anglican, catholic |
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Posted: Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 02:30 am |
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Jesus said that if your brother has something against you that you should leave your gift and go and be reconciled to your brother before worshipping.
my father was disciplined out of our baptist church until he would repent and be restored to fellowship. now, thank be to God, he is in RCIA with me considering joining the catholic church. My question is if technically he should at least make some formal effort to be reconciled with his brothers and sisters at the old church before he becoomes catholic. not that he should rejoin them, but if he should make an effort to twll them he is sorry for thepast and is moving on and hgelaing in another church and then let them deal with it however they will. personally i am not giving him advice bout talking to the old church becasue i am hopnig the priset who will be his confessor will look with wisdom to know what things are necessary in his sin being absolved and penenace being performed. part of me thinks that since the baptsit church has no apostolic authority to kick him out that if the catholic church accepts him and gives him penance that he is restored to all his brothers and sisters in Chrsit whether they acknowledge it or not, and has no need to formally seek their approval since a church of higher authority has taken care of it. so i am almost advising he not talk to his old friends and just let the priest help him.
still, biblically, were i him, i may want to in some way reach out and seek reconciliation with my old church, not as a member, but just because Chrsit might want us to do so before worshipping him idf we remember someone has something against us....still to me, the sins he committed maybe only mean he needs to be restored to those he directly committed them against and do penance for it and for the effect it had on the church as a whole. in this sense, i do not know why it matters if our old pastor cares about it or not because really, the sins were not against him personally. though i suppose in their mind since he did become a member of their church his behavior did effect them and ws an embarrassment to them and hurt them and so maybe he should be reconciled.
anyway, i am just wanting to vent not knowing what advice to give other than to just seek healing in the authority Catholic Church knowing that he will be restored and given the assurance of forgiveness.
Brian
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David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1792 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 08:24 am |
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One needs to see this question of personal reconciliation in light of its practicality. The Baptist congregation defellowshipped him (their equivalent of excommunication) because of his sin (you have related these things to me privately, and we need not go into them here). If your father were returning to that Baptist congregation, I would agree that such reconciliation would be in order.
However, he is instead looking to enter the Catholic Church. What would his earlier Baptist friends say about that? I am afraid they would still reject him, so that his attempt at reconciliation with them would come to naught. On the other hand, I gather that his personal reconciliation with his family is proceeding well.
Meanwhile the Catholic Church is preparing his definitive reconciliation with the entire body of Christ. He will be acknowledging and doing penance for his sins during Lent in the sacrament of reconciliation. I think we can consider his reconciliation complete upon his profession of faith at the Easter Vigil.
David
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