Please leave your confession after the beep:Fury of French bishops -phoneline for sinning Catholics

A 'pay-to-confess' telephone hotline for Catholics too busy to go to church has been condemned as 'utterly unacceptable' by bishops in France.

The service - called the Phoneline to the Lord - charges users 30p a minute to confess their sins to an automated answering machine.

When the number is called, a soothing male voice says: 'For advice on confessing, press one. To confess, press two. To listen to some confessions, press three.'

But with soft organ music playing in the background, the voice warns: 'In case of serious or mortal sins - that is, sins that have cut you off from Christ our Lord - it is essential to confide in a priest.'

The hotline was set up at the beginning of the Christian fasting period of Lent by Paris-based telephone messaging service AABAS.

Its creator told French news agency AFP she could only give her first name as Camille as she had already received threats about the service from irate Catholics.

She said: 'The idea is to confess sins which are not capital sins, but minor sins, directly to God.

My childhood Cathoic church has same services and same outreach program during the 1970 to help Cathoic Vietname community back in da day

Awesome! I still vividly recall Operation Babylift from Vietnam, back in 1975.

At the time, I worked for Air France and desperately wanted to join them in this rescue.

Generally, for a sin to be mortal requires three things:

1. Serious Matter

2. Sufficient Reflection

3. Full Consent of the Will

More detail here. Just search for "examination of conscience" and mortal and venial, and you'll find numerous discussions.

Thank you both for your replies. I tend to see sin like Jesus did. It is more important that the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law be obeyed. I see no need to call some sins venial and some mortal, because according to God's word all sin is mortal to God. Sin is what separates us from God both regarding eternal life - because he is all holy and cannot even look upon sin - and regarding our day-to-day fellowship with him. As a Christian, the debt of all my sins was paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. He paid the eternal penalty for my sin and God offers me salvation as a gift because of his amazing grace.

After I was born again into his family by faith, I began my walk with him. When I sin, either in word, deed, or thought, I put up a wall between us and because of my shame, I lose fellowship with him (never my eternal security - since it was never based upon my being sinless (as if) in the first place). He promises, though, that when I confess my sin (name it like he names it - no quibbling), he is faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. My fellowship with him can be restored, and this is something he desires and grieves when it's lost.

This by no means is saying God winks at sin and I can just live as I please. Far from it. Besides the obvious physical consequences that can happen from sin, God is now my heavenly father, and he is a loving but strict parent. He won't let his kids get away with wrong. He disciplines just like a good father does, and the purpose is our own happiness and joy. He knows when we stray from him, we get hurt and he loves us too much to let us do that. Praise his name!

(never my eternal security - since it was never based upon my being sinless (as if) in the first place).

"Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall." 1 Corinthians 10:12

"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation." Philippians 2:12

Better do some more research into that man made once saved, always saved program you've bought into.

She said: 'The idea is to confess sins which are not capital sins, but minor sins, directly to God.

If that's the idea, why does anyone need her service? Save the 30p and go to a Church.

Thank goodness the French bishops are looking to disconnect their service.

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