Do you go to confession?

whatdoicare

Haven't been in 22 years... My secondary school was big into making us do it.
I'd never go know, to think of it, telling some fella all your personal business that you wouldn't even tell your own mother! Why would anyone do that?

Amazingfun

whatdoicare wrote: »

Haven't been in 22 years... My secondary school was big into making us do it.
I'd never go know, to think of it, telling some fella all your personal business that you wouldn't even tell your own mother! Why would anyone do that?

:pac: Now that is the product of some first class Catechesis!

amdublin

Amazingfun wrote: »

You realize you started a thread about confession?

And that you have posted here that you are dealing with guilt for past misdeeds?

So why wouldn't someone suggest you experience for yourself the very thing you started a thread about ?

Jaysis my memory isn't that bad! Course I remember.

Here's my original post just in case anyone needs a reminder of what I posted

amdublin wrote: »

Does anyone actually go??

Does the priest sit there reading a book waiting on the off chance some aul wan or aul fella comes in??

Amazingfun

amdublin wrote: »

I just can't imagine using it for more than the made up "I fought with my sister" sh1te, as a child,

As an adult some of the stuff I did/do and feel guilt for, needs intensive counselling I'd imagine rather than a 10 minute conversation through a wooden lace panel...

Yes, and you also posted this

rwg

Gotta save time these days, every now and then I just say 3 our fathers, 4 hail marys, and a glory be - He knows what its for

amdublin

Amazingfun wrote: »

Yes, and you also posted this

Yes and read the words after your bolding.

I'm like I need more than a ten minute discussion behind a wooden panel. You're like yeah why don't you just try it.

Amazingfun

amdublin wrote: »

Yes and read the words after your bolding.

I'm like I need more than a ten minute discussion behind a wooden panel. You're like yeah why don't you just try it.

Why don't you? What have you got to lose?

Czarcasm

Amazingfun wrote: »

Why don't you? What have you got to lose?

His virginity?


I'm off to flaggelate myself now, that joke was viscous! :pac:

smurgen

When you think about it confession was the perfect way for the church to keep power over entire parishes.they knew everyone's dirty little secrets and if anyone stepped out of line they could be quieten quickly by threatening to reveal the dirty little secrets.

Dublinpato

Czarcasm wrote: »

His virginity?


I'm off to flaggelate myself now, that joke was viscous! :pac:

Hey that wasn't very nice.






but it was hilarious

amdublin

Amazingfun wrote: »

Why don't you? What have you got to lose?

Omg. I can't think of anything further to say so...

No thank you.

Czarcasm

smurgen wrote: »

When you think about it confession was the perfect way for the church to keep power over entire parishes.they knew everyone's dirty little secrets and if anyone stepped out of line they could be quieten quickly by threatening to reveal the dirty little secrets.

That theory might hold (holy) water if priests wanted to excommunicate themselves by breaking the seal of confession. Otherwise, nice theory, but needs a bit more thought.

smurgen

Czarcasm wrote: »

That theory might hold (holy) water if priests wanted to excommunicate themselves by breaking the seal of confession. Otherwise, nice theory, but needs a bit more thought.

Really?I've heard stories from older relatives about priest revealing personal information about people from the pulpit.

Czarcasm

smurgen wrote: »

Really?I've heard stories from older relatives about priest revealing personal information about people from the pulpit.

I've no doubt you've heard stories smurgen, but did you never question the validity of those stories or did you just take them at face value because you wanted to believe they were true?

Think about it - if someone knew their communication during confession could be announced from the pulpit (or more accurately the ambo in Roman Catholic churches anyway!), they wouldn't confess, and certainly they wouldn't be confessing to murdering anyone in hope of absolution (see earlier in the thread about claims of IRA members confessing, as if absolution from a priest stops a police investigation?).

See you'll hear all these stories and "I heard she said they said..." stuff, but if you ever actually think to question it, you'll find they're as made up as religion...

smurgen

Czarcasm wrote: »

I've no doubt you've heard stories smurgen, but did you never question the validity of those stories or did you just take them at face value because you wanted to believe they were true?

Think about it - if someone knew their communication during confession could be announced from the pulpit (or more accurately the ambo in Roman Catholic churches anyway!), they wouldn't confess, and certainly they wouldn't be confessing to murdering anyone in hope of absolution (see earlier in the thread about claims of IRA members confessing, as if absolution from a priest stops a police investigation?).

See you'll hear all these stories and "I heard she said they said..." stuff, but if you ever actually think to question it, you'll find they're as made up as religion...

Well one was my great grandmother who was in her 90's when she told me of a priest in her old parish in Mayo who revealed an affair in mass from the pulpit in mass.maby the information wasn't gotten from confession tho I don't know but either way she wasn't really the type to tell fibs. Our English teacher in school used always tells us of stories of priests divulging info. He was a well educated man and devout catholic.
Also I dont think priest feared being excommunicated as much as you think,I mean I'm sire they wide spread abuse of kids and subsequent coverups would be evidence enough of that? As regards the ira thing well,I'm sire the priests would be too afraid to tell anyone and the ira lads knew this.

Czarcasm

smurgen wrote: »

Well one was my great grandmother who was in her 90's when she told me of a priest in her old parish in Mayo who revealed an affair in mass from the pulpit in mass.maby the information wasn't gotten from confession tho I don't know but either way she wasn't really the type to tell fibs. Our English teacher in school used always tells us of stories of priests divulging info. He was a well educated man and devout catholic.

Ahh smurgen, come on, you'd need to be incredibly naive or just want to believe that people don't tell lies, be they an old dear or an English gent; everybody, everybody lies. They're people, people tell lies. And they tell lies to people they think will believe them. In fact the very basis of religion is telling people what they want to hear because those people want to believe it's true!

Also I dont think priest feared being excommunicated as much as you think,I mean I'm sire they wide spread abuse of kids and subsequent coverups would be evidence enough of that?

No I don't believe they were afraid of excommunication, I think it had more to do with the fact that nobody would confess anything if they knew it could be used against them. Excommunication is just one of the consequences of breaking the seal of confession, and at the end of the day, priests are people too. I'm well aware of priests who admonished persons within their congregation and held them up to public scrutiny based on rumour and gossip they'd have heard outside the confessional, and I've no doubt there are unethical people who are priests, the same way as in any other profession or vocation bound by a code of ethics there are people who regularly flout the rules and suit themselves, but these people are very much in the minority. Is it fair to tar them all with the same brush?

As regards the ira thing well,I'm sire the priests would be too afraid to tell anyone and the ira lads knew this.

That's if it ever actually happened in the first place. I've known a couple of "hard men" in my time who claimed membership of the IRA, and while it made for some mildly interesting (bullshìt) stories that passed the time, you really had to take everything they said with a pinch of salt (or a whole pillar of salt even! ).

wendell borton

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Great game to play with the priest if ever I find myself in confession!!

Tom: Father... I've killed a man.
Father Ted Crilly: Er, well, we'll talk about that later, Tom. Right now, I'm going to be on the telly!

Femme_Fatale

Czarcasm wrote: »

Like any profession (or in this case - vocation), it really depends on the person wearing the collar tbh, some are still the fire and brimstone, burn in hell type, but more are a bit more relaxed about it...

It was lay teachers though. But personally I don't agree with making a big deal out of people going to confession and calling it a crazy thing to do either.

smurgen

I'd love to go in a do a no holds barred confession of all the fu5ked up sh1t I ever done just to hear the priests reaction!I'd say I'd be after wearing through a full set of rosary beads by the time penance was served!

COYW

Confession intrigues me. So what happens if someone goes in and says that they've cheated on their wife/husband or murdered someone? Could it be possible that there are priests out there who know things about unsolved murders or terrorists acts carried out by Irish republicans or general members of the public but they cannot inform the guards?

Is that an Irish thing, the priest not being able to tell the authorities what is said in confession, or true for all RC churches?

Femme_Fatale

COYW wrote: »

Confession intrigues me. So what happens if someone goes in says that they've cheated on their wife/husband or murdered someone? Could it be possible that there are priests out there who might know details about unsolved murders, disappeared people or terrorists acts carried out by Irish republicans but they cannot inform the guards?

Seemingly so. Actually the Simpsons where Bart converts to catholicism (guest starring Liam Neeson as a trendy priest) is on Sky One at 6.30 if you have it - all your questions should be answered there.

COYW

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Seemingly so. Actually the Simpsons where Bart converts to catholicism (guest starring Liam Neeson as a trendy priest) is on Sky One at 6.30 if you have it - all your questions should be answered there.

The Simpsons, never would have guessed that it would have the answer to a question like that .... I'll watch it.

Manach

On OP's question - about once a year.
Although if writing snarky boards posts is a sin, I need to go more often

Tar.Aldarion

That imaginary dudes lackey is not getting any of my juicy juicy secrets.

Czarcasm

COYW wrote: »

Confession intrigues me. So what happens if someone goes in and says that they've cheated on their wife/husband or murdered someone? Could it be possible that there are priests out there who know things about unsolved murders or terrorists acts carried out by Irish republicans or general members of the public but they cannot inform the guards?

Is that an Irish thing, the priest not being able to tell the authorities what is said in confession, or true for all RC churches?

It's true for all RC churches, but, it's not recognised by all legal jurisdictions. I think in the US priests are obliged to report crimes of a nature such as child endangerment or abuse, that's legally speaking, but under canon law then they're obliged not to break the seal of confession. I think in Ireland it's the same, not sure about other countries/judiciaries -

http://ww2.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=life.nationalpost.com/2011/07/23/the-catholic-seal-of-confession-under-siege-in-ireland

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Seemingly so. Actually the Simpsons where Bart converts to catholicism (guest starring Liam Neeson as a trendy priest) is on Sky One at 6.30 if you have it - all your questions should be answered there.

Not the first time Liam Neeson played a priest either, he was also a priest in "Lamb", a fantastic, poignant, "tear the heart out of your chest" kinda film, very sad.

Another film, "Sleepers", where Robert DeNiro plays Father Bobby who has to lie under oath to protect "his boys", that's another cracker of a film that partly examines the conflict for a catholic priest caught in a catch 22 about "the right thing to do" when he knows child abuse has been committed, he knows a murder has been committed, but has to lie under oath about the murder to protect the victims of the abuse decades earlier who murdered their abuser. Good film, vastly under-rated.

MissD93

does telling a taxi driver everything at 4 o'clock in the morning when your still locked count as confessions

gobnaitolunacy

One of the last times I went when I was a kid, I couldn't remember the act of contrition, for the first time ever.
The priest, instead of prompting me with the first line, read me the riot act. That turned me off it for good.

buyer95

Czarcasm wrote: »

It's true for all RC churches, but, it's not recognised by all legal jurisdictions. I think in the US priests are obliged to report crimes of a nature such as child endangerment or abuse, that's legally speaking, but under canon law then they're obliged not to break the seal of confession. I think in Ireland it's the same, not sure about other countries/judiciaries -

http://ww2.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=life.nationalpost.com/2011/07/23/the-catholic-seal-of-confession-under-siege-in-ireland





Not the first time Liam Neeson played a priest either, he was also a priest in "Lamb", a fantastic, poignant, "tear the heart out of your chest" kinda film, very sad.

Another film, Sleepers, where Robert DeNiro plays Father Bobby who has to lie under oath to protect "his boys", that's another cracker of a film that partly examines the conflict for a catholic priest caught in a catch 22 about "the right thing to do" when he knows child abuse has been committed, he knows a murder has been committed, but has to lie under oath about the murder to protect the victims of the abuse decades earlier who murdered their abuser. Good film, vastly under-rated.

Great name for an underrated film.

keano_afc

Isnt there a forum for these questions?

Amazingfun

amdublin wrote: »

Omg. I can't think of anything further to say so...

No thank you.

Um, you do realize that no one here will know if you go or not?

Good luck with your "guilt problem" btw!

Amazingfun

MissD93 wrote: »

does telling a taxi driver everything at 4 o'clock in the morning when your still locked count as confessions

:pac: I've always pitied Taxi drivers for this reason, lol

Ghost Buster

keano_afc wrote: »

Isnt there a forum for these questions?

Yes. This is one of them.
Why does this petulent whine only apply to threads about religion? Take a look and you will find plenty of threads which could be else where.

Pherekydes

I'd only confess to the wife.

Honey, I haven't got the dinner made.

BBDBB

I am a sinner and only fire is the cleanser

eyescreamcone

Following on from another post - should priests drive taxis in order to increase confessions??

I Heart Internet

amdublin wrote: »

Does anyone actually go??

Does the priest sit there reading a book waiting on the off chance some aul wan or aul fella comes in??

A good confession - getting something off ones chest - can be very good for people, no matter who you confess to.

But for those who believe in what the RCC teaches about sin and confession and grace, it can be even mor epowerful.

I've been in the last 18 months and felt a weight off my shoulders afterwards. Some of the best advice I ever got in my life came from a priest who was hearing my confession.

wendell borton

Cautionary Japanese tale about the dangers that confession can lead to:rolleyes:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fxa5NuVrqU

old hippy

wendell borton wrote: »

Cautionary Japanese tale about the dangers that confession can lead to:rolleyes:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fxa5NuVrqU

LOL. That's a bonkers film. Over 4 hours long, too, iirc.

No, I don't go to confession. All this weight off one's shoulders comes across like some "get out of jail free" card.

WilyCoyote

eyescreamcone wrote: »

Following on from another post - should priests drive taxis in order to increase confessions??

Or become hairdressers?

old hippy

WilyCoyote wrote: »

Or become hairdressers?

You just can't help yourself, can you? Nudge, nudge here, wink wink there.

WilyCoyote

old hippy wrote: »

You just can't help yourself, can you? Nudge, nudge here, wink wink there.

Again, your persecution complex is dictating your retorts.
The reason I said hairdressers is because a hairdressing salon is like a huge confession box. Whether it's the shampoo head massage, the hair dryers or the occasion ........ secrets and gossip rule. And confessions.

Frank Lee Midere

The need for confession is replaced - for those who do need it - with calls to Joe, or psychoanalysis, or chats with Jeremy Kyle ( more or less a public confession), or those websites where people apologise anonymously or self flagulate about their white guilt.

The rest of us keep our sh*t private.

I Heart Internet

Rasheed wrote: »

Went when I was in Lourdes. It was mighty, got a grand little foreign priest. He was lovely, it was face to face, not through a bit of aul plastic lace. More of a counselling session than a confession. He's ruined me now though, I could tell him anything, not like the local priest that baptised me. I'd go back just to have a chat with my little foreign priest.

IMHO there's a lot to be said for only ever having a "strange" (i.e. not known to you) priest as a confessor. Seal of theconfessional is all well and good, but it's way easier to talk to an anonymous guy.

WilyCoyote

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

The need for confession is replaced - for those who do need it - with calls to Joe, or psychoanalysis, or chats with Jeremy Kyle ( more or less a public confession), or those websites where people apologise anonymously or self flagulate about their white guilt.

The rest of us keep our sh*t private.

Frankly my dear .......... you have put it in a nut shell. The need to feel guilty is a drug to some people.

old hippy

WilyCoyote wrote: »

Again, your persecution complex is dictating your retorts.
The reason I said hairdressers is because a hairdressing salon is like a huge confession box. Whether it's the shampoo head massage, the hair dryers or the occasion ........ secrets and gossip rule. And confessions.

Sure you did, Wily. Absolutely no stereotypes were implied in your analogy.

Czarcasm

old hippy wrote: »

Sure you did, Wily. Absolutely no stereotypes were implied in your analogy.

It's a valid question (Should they become hairdressers to increase confessions?) in fairness seeing as I asked the priest one time "So what do you do on your days off?", thinking the only day they work is Sunday, and the other six days of the week they sit around Father Ted style.

The only stereotype I see there is that haidressers, salons, and barbers, are notorious for idle gossip and confessions

I think hippy you want to believe something that isn't there...

old hippy

Czarcasm wrote: »

It's a valid question (Should they become hairdressers to increase confessions?) in fairness seeing as I asked the priest one time "So what do you do on your days off?", thinking the only day they work is Sunday, and the other six days of the week they sit around Father Ted style.

The only stereotype I see there is that haidressers, salons, and barbers, are notorious for idle gossip and confessions

I think hippy you want to believe something that isn't there...

Not at all. I'm aware of the poster's previous form for getting the digs in.

Anyways, I'm sure monks are hairdressers. Someone has to do barber duties in the monastery...