DRIVE THRU CONFESSION???

GodsGrace101 said:

Why is a phoned in confession not valid?

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I'm pretty sure that it has to do with a lack of physical presence. But the Church says that it's not, and that's good enough for me because Jesus gave her the authority to say so.

GodsGrace101 said:

Exactly what kind of grace is received at confession?

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I suggest studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I also recommend a book entitled "Frequent Confession: It's Place in the Spirituall Life", by Benedict Baur.

GodsGrace101 said:

Can a mortal sin be forgiven either in a drive-thru

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Like at a fast-food window where someone hands you your food? Yes.

GodsGrace101 said:

or a phone confession?

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Asked and answered.

GodsGrace101 said:

OK.
I'll ask:

Why is a phoned in confession not valid?
Can't God bestow supernatural grace any way He wants to?

Exactly what kind of grace is received at confession?

Can a mortal sin be forgiven either in a drive-thru or a phone confession?

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There is no phone confession.

GodsGrace101 said:

Why not?
What's wrong with it?

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There is no physical presence. That’s required of both the penitent and the priest for a confession to be valid is my understanding.

GodsGrace101 said:

I know Mitchie...
I was trying to get the other member to think this over
.....I don't care for drive thru confessions. I think you must surely know about a confession of contriteness (I can't think what it's called right now).

IOW, one can confess to God and go to confession after when it becomes possible, if this is NECESSARY. Even a mortal sin can be confessed in this manner.

To say nothing of the fact that venial sins don't even need to be confessed except for the requirement that one goes to confession at least once per year and PREFERABLY at Easter time, and this is what some folk wait for....these are usually the ones that never go to Mass anyway.

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I think he might be on vacation and can’t answer right now.

bbbbbbb said:

I suppose the primary issue is not where, but who. Who is actually hearing your confession and does He have the power to forgive your sins?

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Confession is not about "who" forgives sins. God forgives and that is not disputed by anyone.
Confession is about advice, reassurance, help, and hearing. Hearing the assurance of God's forgiveness.
James 5:14-16 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.

GingerBeer said:

Confession is not about "who" forgives sins. God forgives and that is not disputed by anyone.
Confession is about advice, reassurance, help, and hearing. Hearing the assurance of God's forgiveness.
James 5:14-16 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.

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It is interesting to me that this particular verse is wrenched from its context to support the massive doctrine of auricular confession of all sins. James addressed a particular situation - a sick person - and told him to call for the elders (not the priest, nor even a set of priests, nor a bishop, nor an archbishop, or a cardinal, nor even the Pope). He then instructed the elders to anoint the sick person with oil. When was the last time your priest anointed you with oil when you were sick and confessed your sins to him? In fact, if you had the coronavirus I doubt that any priest would even go near to you, much less anoint you with oil.

So, now that folks here are okie-dokie with drive-through confession, but not telephone confessions, what do you think about Skype confessions?

GodsGrace101 said:

Chilehed,
It always amazes me how people assume things.
Like YOU assumed I was asking questions to learn the answer. Actually, I was asking them to see if YOU knew the answer.

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When I do that kind of passive-aggressive nonsense it's a sign that I haven't been taking adequate care of my own spiritual condition. Perhaps you need to shut down your computer for a while.

GodsGrace101 said:

As to the grace question...what we receive at confession is Actual Grace...help to not sin.

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Asking questions without listening to the answers is another sign of it.

GodsGrace101 said:

Sure.
But Catholics don't agree.

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Do Catholics not also agree with Hebrews then? Is the Bible itself not accurate in its depiction of who Christ is?

Food for thought, not an argument. God bless you.

GodsGrace101 said:

I don't find the pandemic horrifying...
and I live in Italy.
We should take very good care of ourselves, now especially...
but other than that, the time comes to die and it will come.

I find drive thru confessions rather horrifying because it seems to be a cold
procedure and does not have any of the sacramental qualities to it.

Do you approve of it?

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Jesus and his Apostles forgave sins wherever they were. Jesus forgave a sinful woman’s sins while she wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

Different places are adapting in different ways. My parish is having confessions in side vestibules so you can still have privacy while maintaining adequate distance to avoid infection.

I'm thankful that the Church is finding ways to continue being an ever-flowing conduit of Grace even in the midst of a pandemic that seems intent on isolation. I can't imagine getting through this without the aid of streamed/recorded Masses to help focus my devotion.

GingerBeer said:

James 5:14-16 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.

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This deals with The Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

GingerBeer said:

Confession is not about "who" forgives sins

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Jesus said to the Apostles "whose sins YOU forgive are forgiven." In the Sacrament of confession, the priest forgives sins.

GingerBeer said:

God forgives and that is not disputed by anyone.

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Yes, God does forgive sins.

GingerBeer said:

Confession is about advice, reassurance, help, and hearing. Hearing the assurance of God's forgiveness.

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a nice secular explanation. The Church teaches it is a Sacrament that imparts Sanctifying Grace.