Ask A Catholic II

[Ajidica]

What if the priest was excommunicated after he heard the confession, would he be allowed in court to say he heard the confession without breaking any religous laws?

 

[PeteAtoms]

"Oh my God!"
"Jesus Christ!"

These exclamations are often looked down upon by pious Christians. What is the reason again? Is it taking the lord's name in vain?
-----------

"Holy cow!"
"Gee-wiz. . ."
"Golly"

If I'm not mistaken, these are all phrases that evolved from religious ones, right? Why aren't these looked down on? Are they blasphemous? Does "Holy cow" insinuate Hinduism?

 

[ParkCungHee]

So, I misunderstand, a Priest can't report a murderer who confesses to him, even though he can be a potential danger?

It seems to me that reporting it and disobeying the Catholic Law would be the better thing to do here...

If you think that's a real issue, shouldn't lawyers pass on confessions given to them?

 

[ParkCungHee]

What if the priest was excommunicated after he heard the confession, would he be allowed in court to say he heard the confession without breaking any religous laws?

No. Excommunication is not an absolution of the laws of the Church. Contrary to common belief it does not represent being thrown out of the Catholic Church: it is being unable to receive communion until you have confessed your sin. In the normal course of life, you are not supposed to receive communion until you have confessed your sins.
Excommunication is therefor a proclamation that something someone has done is a sin, and that person should not receive communion until after confessing their sin.

 

[El_Machinae]

Unless I misunderstand the confession process, I'd think that a major portion of the priest giving forgiveness to a murderer would first involve the murderer turning themselves into the police and giving a full confession to the secular authorities ... no?

 

[ParkCungHee]

Unless I misunderstand the confession process, I'd think that a major portion of the priest giving forgiveness to a murderer would first involve the murderer turning themselves into the police and giving a full confession to the secular authorities ... no?

That is up to the priest's judgement. As for if that is standard practice...maybe? I know a priest who's forgiven murderers before. I could ask him if you're really interested.

As a side note, he'd claim that it's implausible for Priests to testify to who confessed to them, as, aside from the impediments to knowing their identity, you develop a trained ability to forget these things.

 

[Arakhor]

Wait a second, WHY shouldn't the priest turn the murder in?

I mean, saying his confession should be heard I can sympathize with, but then hiding it from the law? Unless the law is particularly cruel, this seems ridiculous.

If a priest believes its is his sacred duty before God to not pass on details he gained from a confession, then clearly he should not do so, regardless of the law. God's law is superior to mortal law, right?

 

[GamezRule]

The priest is not there to provide justice in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God. God only request a confession.

 

[NBAfan]

"Oh my God!"
"Jesus Christ!"

These exclamations are often looked down upon by pious Christians. What is the reason again? Is it taking the lord's name in vain?
-----------

"Holy cow!"
"Gee-wiz. . ."
"Golly"

If I'm not mistaken, these are all phrases that evolved from religious ones, right? Why aren't these looked down on? Are they blasphemous? Does "Holy cow" insinuate Hinduism?

The last 3 aren't using God's name, so it's fine.

Unless I misunderstand the confession process, I'd think that a major portion of the priest giving forgiveness to a murderer would first involve the murderer turning themselves into the police and giving a full confession to the secular authorities ... no?

This is what should probably be done in a case like this.

If a priest believes its is his sacred duty before God to not pass on details he gained from a confession, then clearly he should not do so, regardless of the law. God's law is superior to mortal law, right?

It's a simple solution, the priest just tells him to turn himself in for penance. Part of confession is also doing penance to payback what you did wrong after all.

 

[Leoreth]

Does the Church decide who is a saint, or does it only determine it? I.e. is a saint a saint the moment he/she dies and we only don't know it, or only from the moment the Church officially declares him/her to be?

 

[Jehoshua]

the canonisation of a saint is only an acknowledgement that someone is indeed in heaven. Thus it is a determination of who is a saint and the person who is a saint in heaven is as such prior to any acknowledgement from the Church militant.

 

[Leoreth]

Does the canonization fall under infallibility? Or is there a possibility they were wrong for some saints?

 

[El_Machinae]

The priest is not there to provide justice in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God. God only request a confession.

Ah, it was my impression that a priest would demand some type of atonement before there would be absolution.

 

[NBAfan]

Ah, it was my impression that a priest would demand some type of atonement before there would be absolution.

You are right.

 

[Maniacal]

The last 3 aren't using God's name, so it's fine.

Neither is god, unless every time anyone uses the word for its meaning of a deity is whatever it is (which would be rather ridiculous)?

 

[GamezRule]

Idk, I'm not Catholic. That was intended to be more of a question.

 

[Jehoshua]

Ah, it was my impression that a priest would demand some type of atonement before there would be absolution.

penance is an integral part of confession.

Does the canonization fall under infallibility? Or is there a possibility they were wrong for some saints?

Im not sure actually it may or may not be.

Firstly it may not if it comes under the auspices of "worthy of belief" that it is the Church determines it is likely they are in heaven and so veneration of the particular saint is approved, but that the average catholic is not obliged to believe that they are actually a saint. This thing occurs with marian apparitions, they are declared worthy of belief but your not obliged to believe they occured.

Alternatively the canonisation of a saint could under the infallibility of the Church as the entire magisterium has concluded that the person involved is a saint.

I would hazard a guess that its one of those two areas regarding the canonisation of saints but as I said im not certain at the moment of the precise gravity of the canonisation, whether it is infallible or merely authoritative.

 

[Takhisis]

The priest commands the sinner to fulfil his penance but he doesn't have to stay and watch him.

 

[Jehoshua]

The priest commands the sinner to fulfil his penance but he doesn't have to stay and watch him.

As is natural when the demand to undertake a pilgrimage was once a common penance. Not to mention the busy life of a priest including hearing the confessions of many other penitents.

 

[BukoJuko]

What is the difference between Abraham, hearing the voice of God in his head telling him to murder his child...and a present day psychopath, who hears a voice in his head, which he believes is God, telling him to murder his son, or daughter, or anybody.

If you rely on faith, then we must assume that the present day psychopath, BELIEVES that it is God indeed, who is talking to him...and if we rely on hindsight, then are you saying that we should let these atrocities go through just in case God will intervene?