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BettyBoopToo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Oct 12th, 2006 11:11 pm |
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Before I was a Catholic I had alot of strange convictions, Beliefs & idea's that I would angerly and adamently defend or ridicule at the mention of any christian behaviors that would be seen as unique to the RCC. I really thought I new why, But in reality when It came right down to it, I really rejected these things just because I was taught to reject them at the Baptist church I grew up in or by other protestant friends & relatives , But truthfully I had no other basis for rejecting them.
I ran onto this article a while back and found it encouraging toward maybe clearing up some misunderstandings we have with our separated Bros & Sisters. or at least opening up a door that we might be able to discuss the sacrament of confession with other christians. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=7526
Most of my adult life I had spent suffering from anxiety attacks, occaisionaly needing medications to help control them. Since becoming Catholic and utilizing this most wonderful avenue of healing and forgiveness I've never had another attack.
I know and understand how catholics might reject the idea and think it a possible mockery of the sacrament to go about it online.
What I really was wondering is if anyone thinks maybe this might or could be a step in the unified direction or could possibly generate some interest by other christians to look into the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
And also, Could a protestant pastor have the authority to forgive sins?. I've never heard a pastor who supported confession so I've never thought about wether it would be valid or not.
Also here is the web-site. http://mysecret.tv/
Thank You For any responses
BBT
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Fri Oct 13th, 2006 12:13 am |
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BettyBoopToo wrote: I ran onto this article a while back and found it encouraging toward maybe clearing up some misunderstandings we have with our separated Bros & Sisters. or at least opening up a door that we might be able to discuss the sacrament of confession with other christians. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=7526
We had discussed this article briefly on the old forum. I think it represents the fact that Evangelicals are slowly but surely drawing closer to the Catholic faith.
Most of my adult life I had spent suffering from anxiety attacks, occaisionaly needing medications to help control them. Since becoming Catholic and utilizing this most wonderful avenue of healing and forgiveness I've never had another attack.
Catholics who frequent the sacrament of Reconciliation have a 50% lower suicide rate than the general population. Jesus had a reason for giving us the Church to forgive our sins.
I know and understand how catholics might reject the idea and think it a possible mockery of the sacrament to go about it online.
The Catholic Church some years ago rejected confession by any means other than face to face. At the time the question regarded telephone confessions, but the principal is the same. Still, if Evangelicals are helped by an online confession, I would not want to take it away from them. Neither does the Church. All of us confess to one another by various means, but sacramental absolution is normally only possible in a face to face confession to a priest.
What I really was wondering is if anyone thinks maybe this might or could be a step in the unified direction or could possibly generate some interest by other christians to look into the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Everything is a step closer when they find benefit in what we do.
And also, Could a protestant pastor have the authority to forgive sins?
No. Only ordained priests have that God-given authority.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1793 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Oct 13th, 2006 12:52 am |
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This is a very thoughtful post, Betty. What you say about the sacrament of penance helping you with your own difficulties shows how powerful it is even on the natural human level. But of course we believe it brings about much deeper and more lasting healing of the spirit through the infusion of the grace of God, so that our sins actually are no more.
This, I think, is where we differ from the Evangelicals who are providing avenues for confession such as the internet site you link to. They know there is a certain power in it, but accept this confession only for what it can do on the natural level — that is, psychologically. Catholics see confession to a priest as part of a series of acts which have a divine foundation and a supernatural effect, which we refer to as a sacrament.
It is true, however, that those who oppose confession as unnecessary must now deal with scientific evidence as well as religious tenet.
Now you ask, “Could a Protestant pastor have the authority to forgive sins?”
On a religious level, no. This authority was given to the apostles, and unlike Catholic priests, Protestant pastors by their own doctrine and admission do not participate in the authority of the apostles. But this does not mean that they cannot be catalysts of healing, for this is available to any person of reasonable grace and virtue. And it can take place on both the natural and supernatural levels, even if no specific authority to forgive sins is present.
As you may know, in chemistry, a catalyst does not enter into a chemical reaction but simply brings it about by its presence. Thus Jesus tells us that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” What he means is that those gathered in his name, regardless of their exterior affiliation, participate interiorly at least to some degree in his divine indwelling and spiritual presence, just as they participate in the omnipresence of God on the fundamental level of creation.
These points of contact with our God and Savior produce positive psychological and spiritual effects simply through the intimate presence of the divinity in the souls of those gathered together. In the same way, a person’s grace and virtue can act as a catalyst for divine grace to act when they come in contact with broken souls. It is for this reason that we hear of occurrences such as this from Acts 5:14–16:
“And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
These healings did not preclude the apostles from using their authority to forgive sins. They were, in fact, given to demonstrate that authority, so that the people might believe in Christ just as the apostles believed and preached, and so have their sins forgiven.
Rick has answered your other questions. I need not repeat what he has so ably said.
David
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BettyBoopToo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Oct 14th, 2006 02:31 am |
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Thank You Both
for your kind and imformative answers.
My large family is so spread out in all different spiritual directions (S.Baptist,SDA,Morman,fundamentalist non-denom,First Baptist) that any time I see anything that may bring us closer to unity I get a little excited.
Yes! christmas is interesting. My favorite part is when one of my older Brothers leads us in prayer before dinner. Its the only moment of the year that we all get to pray together.
Peace be with you both
Thanks again
BBT
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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twiggymoo
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| Joined: | Fri Oct 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 36 |
| First Name: | Twiggymoo | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Nazarene, Free Methodist, Baptist..Romeward bound |
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Posted: Tue Oct 24th, 2006 03:13 pm |
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BBT,
Among evangelicals going to college, studies in Counseling have experienced astronomical growth - reason: there is no provision in evangelical churches for confession of sin - no instead, there is a great denial of it and so to deal with the problems created by unconfessed sins, evangelicals have embraced secular psychology and counseling techniques.
It would be so much easier to confess sins and receive absolution, wouldn't it?
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Sat Nov 18th, 2006 02:21 am |
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Hello Friends in Christ,
Can a Protestant confess their sins to a Catholic priest and receive absolution?
Darlene
____________________
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Sat Nov 18th, 2006 01:23 pm |
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Darlene wrote: Can a Protestant confess their sins to a Catholic priest and receive absolution?
Technically, yes. Practically, no.
Confession and absolution are dependent on the authority of the Church. Therefore, like Eucharist, the Church restricts sacramental absolution to those who are in full communion, and in extreme circumstances, those who are members of Churches that are recognized as having valid sacraments (Orthodox, etc.) if they are unable to find a priest of their own church and freely request the sacrament.
Those who are baptized but do not accept the authority of the Magisterium are not admitted to any of the Church's sacraments except if they are in danger of death or preparing for acceptance into the Church, so a candidate for full communion who has already been welcomed into the Church but not yet received confirmation and/or Eucharist may receive the Sacrament of Penance.
Obviously, those who have abandoned apostolic succession by being Protestant cannot expect to receive a sacrament that depends on apostolic succession for its very existence. Once they are admitted into the Church by a public declaration of their intention to join, they accept and believe all that the Catholic Church teaches and believes, including apostolic succession, and so sacramental absolution becomes possible.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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