Posts Tagged ‘Confession’

The peace I’ve experienced hearing confessions in prison

Monday, August 21st, 2023
Prison

When he pulls back from the table, it is wet from his tears. It isn’t like he is sobbing. The tears just fall silently. Salvo, the name of this 30-something man who signed up for confession at the prison where I serve as a chaplain, kept on speaking. I wasn’t sure whether he was talking Read more

French bishop covers up his sexual abuse in Confessional

Thursday, October 27th, 2022
spiritual abuse

The Vatican has been informed of a French bishop’s alleged spiritual abuse for sexual purposes. Bishop Michel Santier (pictured), was quietly disciplined by the Vatican and, in 2021, he reported to his diocese he resigned for “health reasons”. However, the weekly Famille Chrétienne revealed Santier was also removed for “using his influence over two young Read more

The seal of Confession

Thursday, September 17th, 2020
voice

In every family, in every community, there are unresolved conflicts; there is sin. In Matthew 18:15-20, he sets out the steps for reconciliation. First, “if your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone”. If that works, well and good. If it doesn’t, then call him to the table with a Read more

Uber Eats driver asks priest to hear confession after delivering food

Thursday, May 7th, 2020

A Virginia priest ordered Chinese food on Uber Eats, but when the driver arrived, the priest got a second knock on the door. “Are you a priest? A Catholic priest?” the man asked Father Dan Beeman of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Virginia city of Newport News.  Read more

Philippines parish cancels planned ‘online general absolution’

Monday, April 6th, 2020

A parish in the Philippines has canceled an ‘online general absolution’. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Quezon City, Philippines had advertised the event would be available by livestream, and was set to take place on April 3. On Thursday, the parish issued a retraction and an apology. “Fr. Nelson wants to correct Read more

Canon lawyer asks: When can Catholics confess by phone?

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

If a priest is wearing a mask and standing three or six feet away from a penitent requesting the sacrament of reconciliation, is he really more present to a penitent he knows than he would be by telephone? Maybe, but maybe not, said Father Giorgio Giovanelli, a professor of canon law at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran Read more

Bishop changes phone confession decision

Monday, March 23rd, 2020

Confession cannot be heard by telephone says a Peruvian bishop. His decision comes just five days after authorising priests in his diocese to do so. Last week, Bishop Reinhold Nann told priests of his diocese that while they could not hold public Masses or religious services, they could hear sacramental confessions by telephone. He felt Read more

‘Bless me father’ – but from 2 meters away

Thursday, March 19th, 2020

Demand for confessions at St. Mary’s in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, has always been high: it’s a centrally-located church with convenient, daily confession times and often multiple confessors. During the parish’s normal 11:30-noon weekday confession times, penitents on their lunch breaks line up, often 20 people or more deep, for absolution and sacramental grace, before returning Read more

Confession

Monday, September 23rd, 2019
simplicity

Once more, I take my good friend Jesus to the Theatre of my Life. We are going to see a rerun of the show” The Seven Deadly Sins.” “Not again!” Jesus sighs We sit in comfortable seats near the back of the theatre but even from a distance, the players look tired, more dead than Read more

Indiana Priest Offers ‘Confessions on the Go’ on a Golf Cart

Monday, September 16th, 2019

A Catholic priest in Indiana is offering putting a new spin on confession—he’s offering it on the back of a golf cart. Father Patrick Baikauskas is director of Campus Ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. To better reach the faithful, he’s launched what he Read more