can a protestant go to confession

This doesnt mean, however, that we cannot ask the questions: How is one saved? Prayer stimulates the ministry of the Holy Spirit in those doing the praying and those receiving the prayer. . Weve all heard stories of Catholic priests who have given their lives to guard the information they learned in the confessional because they believe and hold sacred that every believer needs the freedom to confess their sins without fear of their confession being used against them. Required fields are marked *. Weve all heard stories of Catholic priests who have given their lives to guard the information they learned in the confessional because they believe and hold sacred that every believer needs the freedom to confess their sins without fear of their confession being used against them. Thus only baptized people can go to confession. In certain extraordinary circumstances, however, a person may receive some sacraments before confession if there is no possible alternative and confess later at the earliest opportunity. They only say such a person may be saved. Who can go to confession in the Catholic Church? Best. The concept of, The oneness of God is referred to in the Old Testament , and Jesus also reminds his followers of the, polytheism, the belief in many gods. If a priest hears a man confess that he embezzles money, and afterward the man applies to be parish accountant, the priest cant say anything! Our questioner is absolutely correct that its not our place to judge others. Yet, this does not answer the theological difficulties experienced by our reader. Doesnt confession of ones sins imply that Christs work was insufficient? Such repentance is the primary requisite for forgiveness and absolution. #1 I was wondering if a Protestant could recieve the sacrament of reconciliation? Do you have any insight or advice to the following question: Do protestants go to heaven? Here the question is rather complex, but I will try to put it into a nutshell. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as . Just as these Biblical practices are channels of God's forgiving grace, the sacrament of confession does not add to or take away from the finished work of . And I ask: 1862 One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. Perhaps an example might help: You go to confession, you to the best of your ability confess every sin you can remember. . I cannot fit this event into my traditional understanding of Catholic sacraments. Otherwise, how is the apostle to know what to retain or forgive? According to Roman Catholic theology, the seven deadly sins are the seven behaviours or feelings that inspire further sin. He wants to bring us forgiveness so much that he gave the apostles the power to forgive sins. Confession is one of three sacraments which canon 844 allows non-Catholics to receive in specified circumstances: 844:3 Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they ask on their own for the sacraments are properly disposed. Where is the sacrament of confession in the Bible? If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:2223). We would be like the three-year-old with his father who, in a rush to get home from the store, begins to run. It is important to note that not all Eastern Churches have the same law as the Catholic Church on this matter. Eastern Christians share the same sacramental practice and faith as Catholics, even though they are not in full communion. Answer (1 of 4): Confrontation of one's accusers has a long history among many cultures and societies on the planet. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is James 5:16: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. 9:6). If you'd like to speak to a priest about things in your life, you'd need to schedule an appointment to speak with him outside of the confessional. Can. This holds also for members of other churches which, in the judgment of the Apostolic See, are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned. No one falls asleep confessing to a priest, if entered into sincerely, the conscience is as far from sleep as night is from day. What needs to be discussed is how that forgiveness comes to mankind. Excommunication was the most severe and terrifying penalty for disobeying the Church laws. I know, sadly, that a Protestant can't take communion in a Catholic Church, but can he/she go to confession with a Catholic priest? Non-Christians and those who share the Christian faith but who have not been baptized cannot receive confession since baptism is the door to the rest of the sacraments. Traditionally, children around the age of 7 can receive preparation for their First Confession. These Protestants stress that God alone can forgive sins, and they believe that regular introspection and direct contrite confession of one's sins to God through prayer is a vital part of the . CCC#82 As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Since I was civilly married to a Catholic, I was required to get married in the Church before my baptism. To prevent laxity, the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 required that "every faithful of either sex who has reached the age of discretion should at least once a year faithfully confess all his sins to his own priest. 844 1). You are witnesses of this. Confession, in many religions, is the acknowledgment of one's wrong thoughts and actions ().This may occur directly to a god, to fellow people, or to a person acting as a mediator for a god. It is because of the work of Christ that we obtain forgiveness. We need to consider several points. Some pastors will state outright the fee for them to conduct the funeral service, while others will ask for a donation to the church. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. . It severs you from Gods Grace. (2 Cor 5:18) The Didache (or Teachings of the Twelve Apostles), written about 80 AD, stated, "In the congregation you shall confess your transgressions" and "On the Lord's Day, come together and break breadhaving confessed your transgressions that your sacrifice may be pure." The Seal of Confession is absolute. Why is the oneness of God important in Christianity? This also applies to any Catholic that is not properly prepared, as well, so it is not just about "you aren't Catholic". Does that mean they are only saved if they manage not to commit a mortal sin after they are baptized? Why do I have to go to a priest for confession instead of going straight to God? This means that mortal sins are premeditated by the sinner and thus are truly are rejection of Gods law and love. Why? The Anglican and Lutheran churches use formulas ranging from the declaratory I forgive you all your sins to Almighty God have mercy upon you, and forgive you all your sins. In general, Protestant churches have tended to confine absolution to prayers for forgiveness and the announcement of Gods willingness to , It is one of the most important documents of the Protestant Reformation. I know its foreign to our Protestant ears, but Jesus gave us the power, by faith, to hear their confession and let their sins be washed away . In the same way that Jesus gave his apostles other supernatural powers (such as raising men from the dead), he gave them power to absolve sins (raising them from spiritual death). Let me pick you up, the father offers. Can a priest give last rites to a non-Catholic? "That would be insanity on stilts," said Patrick. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective because God hears and takes actions. This means even though Protestants lack the sacrament of holy orders and do not have valid Eucharist or Confirmation they still have one of the three sacraments of initiation, making them, from the perspective of the Catholic Church, in imperfect communion with us. . . The Council of Trent in 1551 in its asserted that since mortal sin "kills" the life of God in our souls, these sins must be confessed and absolved through the sacrament of penance (a principle repeated by Pope John Paul II in ). If the Church did initiate the sacrament of reconciliation in 1215, why were there no cries at the time of invention? You'd be suprised how that verse is hand-waved away. Although this answer may be a trifle speculative, I hope it is sufficient to clear up the difficulties. I presume they are more mindful of modesty than of salvation, like those who contract a disease in the more shameful parts of the body and shun making themselves known to the physicians; and thus they perish along with their own bashfulness(Tertullian,Repentance10:1 [A.D. 203]). The more we love the Lord, the more we are aware of the smallest sins and the more we want to say, "I am sorry. Lets summarize: Catholics confess their sins to a priest because that is the method of forgiveness that God established. Whose sins you shall forgive, he says, they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. What greater power is there than this? However, since the confession was made before the candidate was actually in the Catholic Church, how could it have been a valid Catholic sacrament? The rest of this online article is available for current subscribers. Because I believe confession and repentance are fundamental to my biblical faith, and that my relationship with God is more important to me than the opinions of those who enjoy using the content of my confession against me. Nevertheless, we see this ministry of reconciliation lived out in the early Church. Actually. In the case of the person who is about to be received into full communion, the Church creates, so to speak, an automatic exception which makes the sacrament of reconciliation both valid and licit for the person involved. What is the difference between a priest and a deacon in the Episcopal Church? I cant think of a time when I didnt. I'm not very good at explaining myself. A Catholic friend of mine wrote to me regarding this issue. St. Paul wrote, "God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." 5:20), bringing his forgiveness to the world through the sacraments and the message of the gospel. What happens if you receive Communion in mortal sin? He cleanses us of all unrighteousness, thus removing the consequences of the previously unconfessed sin. Full sacramental initiation into the Body of Christ (the Catholic Church) requires Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. However, perfection wont be completed in our lives until we see Christ face to face. Finally, a reader from Ontario asked about marriage: "I just read your response to the question about the validity of the sacrament of penance for a baptized non-Catholic person before being received into the Church. But if he should happen to need wiser counsel let him cautiously seek the same without any mention of person. What was the most severe and terrifying punishment possible for disobeying church law? Christian Condolence Ideas Inspired from the Bible. Or does the absolution take effect only when the person is received into the Church? A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. Having the power to forgive and to retain sins implies that the apostle knows what a persons sins are, which in turn implies oral confession. . But the Church has long recognized other possibilities, such as baptism of desire for those who have Christian faith but die before they are able to receive ritual baptism (such as the good thief crucified next to Jesus); and baptism of blood for those who suffer death for the faith even if they have not received water baptism. Fr. A Protestant View of the Confessional We Christians must never use the content of another's confessions against them. In the confessional, the priest is the representative of God and of the community. It is great to see you leading the charge here, where as your personal testimony might suggest you would decry confession based on the way it has been used against you. Consider the following early Christian writings from the first five centuries: Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. (Lk 15:7) Jesus Himself forgave sins: remember the story of the woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:1ff) or the woman who washed His feet with her tears. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates fromTed. We recognize Protestant baptisms as valid, which means salvific grace is operative within Protestant communions. 1. Children under the age of 7 are not obligated to attend Mass, but if they can there are benefits for them and for the community. However, If you are non-catholic, but have been baptized the proper Christian way, you can seek out a priest for penance in cases of grave necessity. Someone who has never received the gospel of Christ but nevertheless is seeking to know God and do his will would presumably desire baptism were they to know this was the ordinary means to unite themselves to God; therefore they would theoretically be recipients of something akin to the baptism of desire. 2. . Priests would rather go to jail than break seal of confession. Confession is one of three sacraments which canon 844 allows non-Catholics to receive in specified circumstances: For those who fall into mortal sin after baptism, sacramental confession is the normal remedy, but Christ makes the grace of reconciliation available outside the sacrament to those who are perfectly contrite. The child says, No, Dad. But from the sound of things, Ado's non-Catholic friend doesn't go to the parish priest at confession-time just to talkit appears that he enters the confessional, recites the standard words and then confesses his sins, like any Catholic would do. Note that the Council Fathers dont say such a person is definitely saved. (However, traditional or "high" Episcopalians have confessions. One reader posed a theological teaser to our statement that "If conditional baptism is foreseen, the confession should be postponed until a suitable time after the celebration, since certainty is required in questions regarding the validity of the sacraments. In fact, the function of confession is to restore the grace which was originally conferred on a person in baptism but which has sense been lost through (mortal or venial) sin. The Church usually recognizes the sacramental quality of any valid marriage between a baptized man and woman. We can go straight to God to confess. The purpose of confession is not to speak to a priest but to go before the Lord in humility to confess and ask forgiveness, and the priest works in the person of Christ to absolve us of our sins. How to cite ESV Study Bible by APA. If Jesus has set up a way for us to draw near to him and receive his grace, why should we prefer another route? Because of this, the Catholic Church permits them to receive the sacraments of reconciliation, Eucharist and anointing of the sick for any just cause when one of their own priests is unavailable. Cary . ZE05112920. "Any priest with faculties for hearing confessions may receive this confession. Imperfect communion is not full communion, but its also not nothing. Such conditions are set out, for example, in the Ecumenical Directory, and usually require grave conditions such as danger of death, the spontaneous request of the person desiring the sacrament, and faith in the Catholic understanding of the sacrament by the person requesting it. Later in John 7: 37-39 Jesus once again speaks of living water, saying, Let anyone who is thirsty, Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. How do you cite the ESV Bible in Chicago? The reason that Protestants don't consider confession a sacrament involving the need for a priest, is that Protestants believe that in Christ, we are a royal priesthood ourselves: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood , a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of . There are many Catholics who leave the Catholic Church for Orthodox Churches, and I am curious to know whether they can receive absolution from a Catholic priest while remaining Orthodox.". First we die to self and are reborn in Christ. He was excommunicated by the Catholic Church for teaching in the 1940s that it was impossible for non-Catholics to be saved (he was eventually reconciled to the Church before his death in 1978, praise be to God). However, they may reveal their mistakes and shortcomings when they ask others for help and support. This blog is for us to build character in ourselves, to become those who are trustworthy, who understand the Gospel, and respect the sanctity of the confessional. You will learn everything about life in a Catholic church, how to prepare for confession and communion, how to fast, what baptism means, and much more. In charity, we shouldnt deny our neighbors all that the Church has to offer. The Problem with Interpreting Your Own Bible, Heres what happens to the Bible without the authority of the Catholic Church. This article is taken from the April 7, 1994 edition of the "Arlington Catholic Herald. Those that do had some defect in the form of the putative first baptism. Create a website or blog at WordPress.com. If you would like to strengthen the ministry of St. James Church and Pastor Ted Haggard by giving, please use the give tab athttp://www.saintjameschurch.com. "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.". After all, James writes, prayer works. Our reader has a valid point, but I do not think that such a practice is appropriate. CCC 847, quoting Lumen Gentium 16 Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do, though the understanding of the sin in antiquity was that this laziness or lack of work was simply a symptom of the vice of apathy or indifference, particularly an apathy or boredom with God. But, if we violate the sanctity of the confessional, we might be denying the very faith that we trust will save us on that day. He is the husband of Gayle, and the father of Christy, Marcus, Jonathan, Alex and Elliott. Is the Eucharist a Symbol, or Is It Real? It would seem that the candidate should receive a conditional absolution before receiving these sacraments.". That is something known only to God, and we cannot put limits on Gods mercy. Sep 10, 2003 9,260 383 There is an ancient adage in the Catholic Church: lex orendi, lex credendi. James command is for us, as much as it is for the original readers. It is definitely an area still needing reformation, renewal and rebirth within the church at large. I was wondering if a Protestant could recieve the sacrament of reconciliation? We Christians must never use the content of anothers confessions against them. When it comes to donations, this can either be a monetary donation, with $150-$200 often being the most common, or a gift. If I can add to this . There is also another situation (in the United States, at least) in which a non-Catholic Christian can go to confession, and that is when he or she is in the process of converting to the Catholic faith. What are the rules of Catholic confession? This should tell us that something of great importance is taking place. 1. All rights reserved. Confession For Baptized Non-catholics Confession is a sacrament reserved for Catholics who have gone through baptism and are in communion with the church. God listens and responds. I wouldn't think so under normal circumstances; you need to be Catholic to receive Catholic sacraments. it isn't that a protestant, or anyone for that matter, cannot go and confess their sins to a priest, it is that they can't particpate in the sacramental nature of confession, they can't receive absolution .

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