Posted on 06/14/2012 8:00:00 AM PDT by marshmallow
SEANAD: DAVID CULLINANE (SF) said he was glad the Minister for Justice had made it clear that there would be absolutely no exemptions in terms of legislative requirements on the reporting of the abuse of children or vulnerable adults.
Mr Cullinane had earlier noted that the Association of Catholic Priests had stated that there would be no breaking of the confessional seal. It had to be made clear to everyone, including the main church in this State, that the rights of children and the laws of the land came first, Mr Cullinane stressed. Priests should know that they could not use the confessional seal as a reason for not coming forward with information on abuse.
(Excerpt) Read more at irishtimes.com ...
Luke 17:2
It would be best for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to lose his faith.
Sad. Ireland stayed Catholic longer than most because of the history of English colonization and persecution there. But there have been numerous signs that that ancient, and freely chosen, tradition has been eroding.
The article goes on to say that Ireland no longer is officially a Catholic country. It does say that “If such a claim was based on freedom of religion, the courts might be called on to decide the issue.” But it goes on to say that probably the courts would decide against any such appeals.
Persecutions coming against the Church in Ireland? Nothing new about that, but it will certainly be new if the Irish themselves are planning to be responsible.
It is, of course, not the case that the privacy of the confessional can be used to cover up crimes. That is not the purpose of confession. For instance, in this case a priest would normally refuse to give absolution if there was a substantial threat that more children might be injured in the future, until the person confessing had agreed to make proper amendment and disclosure.
To cut off the ability to receive forgiveness of one’s sins because of the fear of exposure would cause countless people to loose their faith. If this law were to reach into the confessional not a single crime would be exposed. Rather those who would have sought forgiveness would just refrain from going to Confession.
Not sure what you are intending for that passage to mean in this context. But I will tell you now that no reporting of any crime, no matter how horrific, should take place if it means the confessional seal is broken. God’s laws are more important than the state’s laws.
Forcing paedophiles not to confess their grave sins?
How does that help children?
Answer: it doesn’t. It’s just an attack on the Church under a false flag.
Government is the religion of the sociopath.
Yeah, well, I'm thinkin' the Lord has an opinion on the molestation of children, too. Or do you suppose that the sexual molestation of a child is a breaking of the state's law only?
Yeah, well, I'm thinkin' the Lord has an opinion on the molestation of children, too. Or do you suppose that the sexual molestation of a child is a breaking of the state's law only?
Nevertheless, it is hard for me to see how a priest could offer absolution and forgiveness if the sinner was determined to continue in his sins.
Not saying the Irish government is right. It's not. This IS a freedom of religion thing. I'm just glad that I will never be a priest in such a situation, nor a self-righteous liberal lemming that would try to force this on the Church.
Hang tough, Catholics of Ireland!
Priests are not supposed to forgive sins if the sinner is determined to continue the sin.
God has expressed His divine opinion on this. He founded the Catholic Church. Then His church made saints of many priests who died rather than break the confessional school. Also the Church excommunicates any priest who breaks the confessional seal. Why would a priest want to risk losing grace in his soul, and maybe be denied Heaven?
And who will be giving guidance to the criminal if the criminal is scared to go to the confessional?
Of course the Lord has an opinion on molestation. Molesting children is evil.
That’s why you confess it. Because it’s a sin.
If it wasn’t a sin, you wouldn’t confess it.
Hmm, I don’t know how I can make that any clearer.
But how does stopping paedophiles from confessing their crimes stop them from committing those crimes?
Answer: it doesn’t. In fact it makes it more likely that they will carry on.
And as well as separating these most terrible of sinners from a vital sacrament, the Left get a way to attack the church by staging fake confessions as part of a ‘sting’.
But please bear in mind the context of my earlier comment... it was in reply to impimp stating "God’s laws are more important than the state’s laws."
That particular comment struck me as being pointless, because God certainly has standards of righteousness that apply on both sides of the issue.
For the record, and though I am not Catholic, I favor preservation of the sanctity and confidentiality of the confessional.
I guess what puzzles me is why the abuser is seeking absolution if they are determined to continue in their wicked ways.
It just seems to me that there are a number of sins that I wouldn’t want made public, but was determined to resist on my own with Christ’s help. But sexual child abuse is not one of them. If I couoldn’t help myself (or thought that I couldn’t) then it seems to me that I must either make a definite decision to continue unrepentedly, or I must make the decision to let society put me where I could do no more harm to the innocent.
And if the former, why am I going to a priest, anyway? What’s the point?
Priests are not supposed to forgive sins if the sinner is determined to continue the sin.
I think it is worth pointing out, for those who may not be too familiar with Catholic sacraments, that in actuality priests cannot "forgive sins if the sinner is determined to continue the sin." The sacrament of penance is only valid if the penitent has true repentance for their sins and an intention to avoid falling into sin again in the future. Even if a person lies to a priest about their contrition and says they are repentant when they are not any absolution given does nothing for the penitent at all. Confession is not some sort of shortcut to forgiveness that avoids repentance and conversion on the part of sinners. We cannot fool God.
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