tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post7925725669489962730..comments2024-02-26T09:30:54.111-06:00Comments on Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!: Confessional AdviceFr. Philip Powell, OPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14970857401221305221noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-251579507931963012008-06-08T09:27:00.000-05:002008-06-08T09:27:00.000-05:00Fr Philip,thank you for this post. I'll leave a co...Fr Philip,<BR/><BR/>thank you for this post. I'll leave a comment just in case you still check them. Most of what you wrote is very helpful, but I do find that this part has unfortunate implications: <BR/><BR/>"I’m smart but I’m not Two-Thousand Years Smart, so I will assent to this teaching and assume that my rejection of the teaching is based on my ignorance and not on the falsity of the teaching"<BR/><BR/>While calling us to humility is proper, this way of putting it effectively suggests that we should stop thinking and reflecting ourselves. That is advice fit for the Dark Ages. Catholicism has a strong tradition of welcoming and encouraging rational enquiry - see eg Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus on the Faith-Reason Synthesis, http://www.zenit.org/article-18765?l=english.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-46936418663746116932008-02-25T12:35:00.000-06:002008-02-25T12:35:00.000-06:00I have a question, Father. I understand that grave...I have a question, Father. I understand that grave sin is done with knowing intent. And information on what constitutes sin is readily available from the Catechism, for example, which can be found in many places on the internet. But can Catholics truly be culpable for their actions if they never hear such instruction from the pulpit (and I do mean NEVER)? I know many who have never even heard of the 'Catechism' and feel themselves informed simply from word of mouth. Thank you.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12261160059694221054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-30062580831579637962008-02-21T22:09:00.000-06:002008-02-21T22:09:00.000-06:00Burnt,If you have knowingly committed an intrinsic...Burnt,<BR/><BR/>If you have knowingly committed an intrinsically morally evil act, I'm not sure why knowing the "level of [your]free cooperation" is important. It might be important for your spiritual director to know this so you guys can work on any vices that lean you toward committing IMEA's. Otherwise, why would you need to know the extent of your cooperation? <BR/><BR/>Piece of advice #1: No, not for mortal sins. Venial sins are taken of in the Mass proper, but mortal sins need a greater effort on your part to recognize and seek out penance. <BR/><BR/>Piece of advice # 2: No, this is a lazy way of out of taking responsibility for your sins. If every sin is assumed to be mortal "just in case," then there's no point in any of us using the gift of our deliberative faculties when it comes to make a moral choice. <BR/><BR/>Hope this helps.Fr. Philip Powell, OPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14970857401221305221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-90895920676198073292008-02-21T21:41:00.000-06:002008-02-21T21:41:00.000-06:00Concerning your advice: Don’t turn every sin into ...Concerning your advice: <I><BR/>Don’t turn every sin into a mortal sin “just in case.”</I><BR/><BR/>When I knowingly commit an intrinsically morally evil act but am unsure as to the level of my free cooperation, does this mean I cannot receive communion until I go to confession even though I might not be in a state of mortal sin?<BR/><BR/>My research so far has always told me to consult my confessor and he will help me make this determination. Unfortunately, my confessors have refused to do this and instead fall into one of two camps:<BR/><BR/>1. just make an act of contrition and go to communion and go to confession as soon as reasonably possible. This directly contradicts what I have read in the Catechism and from JPII's Reonciliatio et Penitentiae<BR/><BR/>2. assume the sin is mortal "just in case" which directly contradicts your advice.<BR/><BR/>Would you be able to help me out like you did for milehimama?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-76070423107066593682008-02-19T17:28:00.000-06:002008-02-19T17:28:00.000-06:00Milehimama,As I note in my post above, 99.999% of ...Milehimama,<BR/><BR/>As I note in my post above, 99.999% of sins are adjudicated best when treated subjectively, that is, the penitent gets to decide almost everytime what counts as sin for herself. The obvious exception here, of course, are acts that are intrinsically morally evil. The subjective element has to come in b/c intent is so radically important to the definition of sin. Sins are deliberate acts of disobedience. If you tell me that you have sinned, I must assume that you did so with intent. The one case that pops up occasionally is the penitent who says, "Father, I might have sinned against charity..." "Might have"? Did you or didn't you? We can discuss the incident, and I might very well tell you that the matter was not grave or that your obvious ignorance mitigates the incident to mere error. <BR/><BR/>I hope this helps!<BR/><BR/>Fr. Philip, OPFr. Philip Powell, OPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14970857401221305221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-86493776457434752362008-02-19T13:38:00.000-06:002008-02-19T13:38:00.000-06:00Father,I have a technical confession question if y...Father,<BR/>I have a technical confession question if you don't mind. If the confessor does not think what you are confessing are sins, can he absolve you? Very often when I go to confession, our priest tells me "don't worry about that, you are a good Catholic mother" and seems to dismiss them out of hand. I am a Catholic mother, still working on the 'good' part!Milehimama @ Mama Sayshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04755353355022539817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18842286.post-11890038876164053232008-02-16T12:45:00.000-06:002008-02-16T12:45:00.000-06:00Re #7: My spiritual director often advises if you ...Re #7: My spiritual director often advises if you don't have the desire (to avoid temptation for example) - pray for the desire. If you can't bring yourself to pray for the desire, pray for the desire to pray for the desire!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12617476463347663364noreply@blogger.com