Question:
Padre kindly forgive these two stupid questions
_ I regularly confess a sin which has became now a daily affair.
I want, I wish I give up on it but I have not decided or I have decided but still, I am commuting that same sin every day even I feel ashamed to confess it.
What have I to do?
_then if you were my priest confessor, can I confess my sins through phone? DD
Answer:
They are not stupid questions, anyway.
If you have a problem with a particular sin, make it known to your confessor. Don’t confess it like any other sin. That is why it is even encouraged to state the number of times you commit a particular sin. So for example instead of saying “I have committed fornication”, say “I commit fornication everyday or almost everyday”. In that way your confessor can better appreciate your problem, help you identify the cause and assist you to come to a better resolve at overcoming it.
One of the things that make confession special is the secrecy attached to it. This is usually referred to as “internal forum”. It means the confessor, the penitent, and any other party who is involved in the act of confession, are bound not to reveal anything that is discussed in the confessional! A priest must not reveal anybody’s confession even if he has to suffer death for it. Failure in this regard comes with the severest of canonical penalties! This is how safe you are when you confess to a priest! Unless of course, someone else knew about the act, or the penitent has discussed it with someone, be assured of its secrecy.
Having come to this understanding, we can better appreciate why we cannot confess using phone. The secrecy of whatever you discuss is highly compromised!
Therefore, just as you cannot receive holy Communion, confirmation, baptism, anointing of the sick, etc., over the phone, the Internet, or Skype, you cannot go to confession over the phone because a sacrament is to be given and received personally.(Cf. Pontifical Council for Social Communication: “The Church and the Internet”; 2002, No. 9)
In any case, how sure are you that it is the priest who picked your call or text? You may have finished talking before realizing that the phone was in wrong hands or you actually dialed or text a wrong number, and you can imagine the consequences! (Imagine how one feels when he/she posts something personal or discreet into a whatsapp group accidentally! )
Have a great day and stay blessed.
Padre Antonio
(WhatsApp number: +233 541 859198)
(You may whatsapp your questions and contributions for further clarifications)
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