Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

Maybe not but you definitely need a priest in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

So, a priest has the power to keep God's forgiveness from you?

No, YOU have the power to keep God's forgiveness FROM YOURSELF by not going to the Priest and confessing your mortal sins.

Catholic catechism is very clear on this (CCC 1033):

To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."

And the Catholic Church is an expert on guilt too. It's always your fault and never the priest's

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

Maybe not but you definitely need a priest in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

So, a priest has the power to keep God's forgiveness from you?

No, YOU have the power to keep God's forgiveness FROM YOURSELF by not going to the Priest and confessing your mortal sins.

Catholic catechism is very clear on this (CCC 1033):

To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

Maybe not but you definitely need a priest in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

So, a priest has the power to keep God's forgiveness from you?

No, I don't think that's how it works. The priest has the power to grant God's forgiveness, as Jesus conveyed that power to his disciples at the Last Supper. God can still forgive you, but you're sort of rolling the dice there. I think C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce is a really interesting though piece on post-death forgiveness of sins. Obviously, he wasn't a Catholic, but I think his work is not inconsistent with Catholic teachings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

Maybe not but you definitely need a priest in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

So, a priest has the power to keep God's forgiveness from you?

Anonymous wrote:Growing up I went at least twice a year. The last time I went was when my oldest made her first communion, when they also asked parents to go. I really should go. I wish they hadn't gotten rid of the old screened confessionals. I hate sitting and talking face to face.

Yup; I'm way to shy for face to face.

I'm a good rule follower so I try to force myself to go once a year but I hate it so I always put it off until the very last minute. Our old church had a penance service every year right before Easter, which I think of as kind of a drive-through express confession, so that at least checked the box if I didn't actually make it to a real one. I don't think our new church has that though, so I'll have to find a friend to hold me accountable.

Canon 989 After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave sins at least once a year.

So, once a year is the obligation. I go three or four times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

Same here.

Is it even required?

LOLWUT are you even Catholic?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

Maybe not but you definitely need a priest in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

DW is catholic and really wants me to attend mass, thinks its good for our marriage. I'm a get-along kinda guy, so I go along. Since I think it's hooey, but would never tell DW, I like to make confession a game. I use funny voices and tell crazy stories. Pretty sure father doesn't know it's me. Only one time he chastised me for not taking it seriously, I think the other times he bought it. I've been a reformed Irish bank robber, a black market nitrous oxide dealer, a coffee shop manager who uses the store for crazy after-hours sex parties...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

It's not about communicating with God. There is accountability in confessing and comfort in being absolved. It is very easy for us to rationalize that what we say and do is not really wrong or hurtful. Examining your consencience and being contrite enough to confess openly is humbling. Plus you get the counsel of a priest and the grace to make changes in your life. Why go it alone if you don't have to?

Give me a break. You're not even confessing to the person you wronged.

That person deserves an apology, not necessarily a confession. I cannot make you believe the religious aspect of this if you are determined not to value it, but those of us who do understand that the priest alone is given the ability by Christ to absolve sin and impart grace on an individual making a sincere confession. I can feel bad and apologize and vow to not do it again but it is only through the priest's absolution that I KNOW I am forgiven in God's eyes and I have made things right without my penance.

Without a priest's absolution through the confession process, Catholics cannot be officially absolved of sin, no natter how sorry they are. The only way to avoid the requirement to confess and do penance is to leave the catholic faith and join another religion that does not have such harsh rules and penalties regarding sin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

It's not about communicating with God. There is accountability in confessing and comfort in being absolved. It is very easy for us to rationalize that what we say and do is not really wrong or hurtful. Examining your consencience and being contrite enough to confess openly is humbling. Plus you get the counsel of a priest and the grace to make changes in your life. Why go it alone if you don't have to?

Give me a break. You're not even confessing to the person you wronged.

That person deserves an apology, not necessarily a confession. I cannot make you believe the religious aspect of this if you are determined not to value it, but those of us who do understand that the priest alone is given the ability by Christ to absolve sin and impart grace on an individual making a sincere confession. I can feel bad and apologize and vow to not do it again but it is only through the priest's absolution that I KNOW I am forgiven in God's eyes and I have made things right without my penance.

Growing up I went at least twice a year. The last time I went was when my oldest made her first communion, when they also asked parents to go. I really should go. I wish they hadn't gotten rid of the old screened confessionals. I hate sitting and talking face to face.

Never. Last time was 8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. I think the last time I went I was in high school.

This. I don't need a priest to communicate with God.

It's not about communicating with God. There is accountability in confessing and comfort in being absolved. It is very easy for us to rationalize that what we say and do is not really wrong or hurtful. Examining your consencience and being contrite enough to confess openly is humbling. Plus you get the counsel of a priest and the grace to make changes in your life. Why go it alone if you don't have to?

Give me a break. You're not even confessing to the person you wronged.