tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post8175040854092950356..comments2023-10-18T14:53:28.622+01:00Comments on Forest Murmurs: Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle Pastoral LetterFr Michael Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15320336535138538635noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-87623987783158922322013-02-12T09:40:01.682+00:002013-02-12T09:40:01.682+00:00Anonymous ( please note I ask that we don`t have a...Anonymous ( please note I ask that we don`t have anonymous comments: can you not adopt a name of some kind?) I too was struck by the description of the words of absolution as a prayer for exactly the same reason. The prayer part of the words of absoution would be `may God grant you pardon and peace` but the words of absolution defintely bring about what they say so long as the penitent is sincere.<br />I will have the hour for confession but we are organising it as a deanery and it is being discussed on Feb 20th.<br />Penitent, there is an obligation to go to confession once a year but I understood this was for mortal sins as no-one is obliged to confess venial sins although it is highly recommended.<br />Irish Catholic you`ve had strange advice. I`d get a second opinion!Fr Michael Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15320336535138538635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-42648367894410856032013-02-10T22:14:56.360+00:002013-02-10T22:14:56.360+00:00On a number of occasions when I went to Confession...On a number of occasions when I went to Confession I was told by the priest that "nothing,and I repeat nothing should stop a person going up to receive Communion". When I said to him - what about mortal sin Father! he seemed amused and said "you know it is virtually impossible for a person to commit a mortal sin"<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />lirish catholicnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-39496124012130677442013-02-10T20:14:52.400+00:002013-02-10T20:14:52.400+00:00I, too, thought it quite good - BUT......it did no...I, too, thought it quite good - BUT......it did not go far enough. Once again, a golden opportunity was missed to go the heart of the matter and really explain Catholic teaching. <br />Why are the clergy now fearful of speaking the unvarnished truth about the need for confession? Thankfully, Confession does forgive the sins of those who use the sacrament, but what of those who never go to Confession but troop, en masse, up to receive our Blessed Lord in holy Communion? The obligations placed on the faithful are crystal-clear: we must go to confession at least once a year. Why did the bishop not mention our Easter duty? That if we do not go to Confession at least once a year then we may not, MUST NOT, receive holy Communion; for the salvation of our souls. No person can judge anyone else, only God can do this, but we all know people who have not been to confession for years who go forward as a matter of course to receive the sacrament. And priests, and our bishop, know that this is going on but do nothing to stop it. I cannot remember the last time I heard a pastoral letter or sermon about the obligation of the Easter Duty. How many people would refrain from receiving holy Communion if they were told, kindly but firmly, in a pastoral letter from the pulpit that they will be committing a mortal sin if they do so if they have not been to confession in the previous 12 months? <br />A friend of mine who has not been to Mass for many years told me a few months ago that he had been to Mass and received Communion. I told him that he should not have done so, and the reason why, and he said all that had gone. His wife, who attends Mass every week, had told him that nobody bothers about such things any more. <br />On the same theme, the relevant part of the Epistle of St Paul in the Mass of Maundy Thursday has been removed so people are not being given this instruction as happened in past times. St Paul said that whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup unworthily will be held accountable for the Lord's Body and Blood. He emphasised the point by saying we must examine ourselves first and we are eating and drinking damnation to ourselves if we eat and drink unworthily. Why have these words been removed in the new Mass? <br />If they were to be restored then it would be of great help to the priest in his sermon. He would simply be explaining the words of the Gospel. <br />Penitentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-8723189017486917412013-02-10T19:34:54.345+00:002013-02-10T19:34:54.345+00:00A great pastoral letter. Frequent good confession ...A great pastoral letter. Frequent <i>good</i> confession does bring peace and a special kind of very profound joy. I was especially glad to read about <i>celebrating</i> the sacrament of reconciliation. I have always felt this was the right word to refer to the act of participating in this sacrament but I was not sure whether it was theologically correct to use it. <br /><br />I was somewhat surprised though at this part: "The priest then prays one of the most beautiful prayers...". I did not think of absolution as a <i>prayer</i>. A prayer, after all, is only a request; a supplication. None of us - priest or layperson - can <i>guarantee</i> that what we pray for will definitely happen. Whereas I thought we could be certain of being forgiven on receiving absolution; I thought absolution was an <i>act</i> on the part of the priest, something that would <i>definitely and always</i> result in what the Church teaches it results in (the forgiveness of sins provided, of course, that all the other conditions for the sacrament were met). Any thoughts on this, Fr.?<br /><br />I also thought the suggestion of the extra weekday evening one-hour slot for confessions during Lent was brilliant - people need not only the encouragement but also the <i>opportunity</i> to do it. It will be interesting to see how many churches implement it. Will you do it at your church, Fr.?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-10743505113808474162013-02-10T17:20:31.920+00:002013-02-10T17:20:31.920+00:00I was also impressed by this Pastoral, as were sev...I was also impressed by this Pastoral, as were several of my parishioners.Fr Dicksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11702725497183621855noreply@blogger.com