Computer system could help deaf Catholics make confessions

cna ^ | December 20, 2013

[NYer]

Confession. Credit: catholicrelics.co.uk..

Phoenix, Ariz., Dec 20, 2013 / 02:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A Phoenix, Ariz., priest has invented a computer system intended to help Catholics who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired to make their confessions.

Father Romuald P. Zantua, the system’s inventor, told CBCP News that his invention will help increase the practice of confessions, especially for deaf people who have limited access to priests who know sign language.

The website for the system, called St. Damien’s Confession Box, says it is primarily aimed at the deaf and those with speech impediments who may not be able to communicate well to the priest hearing their confession.

“Most priests are also not trained or proficient enough in sign language conversation,” the website said.

About 500,000 Americans use sign language as their principal means of communication.

The system runs special software that uses two dedicated, secured computers. All network connectivity options are disabled except for an Ethernet connection, which connects the devices with a network cable.

The penitent and the priest each have their own computer. They communicate through typed messages on a chat program. The messages are erased at the end of each confession.

The system is still awaiting approval from the Holy See. The National Catholic Office for the Deaf and the National Catholic Partnership on Disability have helped assess and revise the system in its development.

Church law recognizes that the deaf may confess through written communication or an approved interpreter, though all confessions must be made in person.

A video presentation for St. Damien’s Confession Box said there will “always be a need” for priests who know American Sign Language, but the system provides an alternative in the absence of such priests.

The system is named for Saint Damien of Molokai, a priest who ministered to Hawaiian lepers and contracted leprosy himself. He was forbidden to leave the island of Molokai and faced great difficulty making his own confession.

The St. Damien’s Confession Box website is http://stdamien.org.

[NYer]

Ping!

[Tax-chick]

In one movie I saw, Fr. Damien rowed a boat near a ship on which his bishop had travelled, and shouted his Confession to the bishop in Latin.

[freedumb2003]

You realize this puts a shudder through the Sign Language Interpreters community...

[oh8eleven]

The messages are erased at the end of each confession.
Oh yeah, what could go wrong?
BTW, if Catholics were able to confess directly to God, the same way they pray, you wouldn't need the computer, the priest who can sign, or the priest for that matter.

[verga]

You realize this puts a shudder through the Sign Language Interpreters community...

The deaf people in my community write on note paper while in the confessional. I have several deaf acquaintances.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

BTW, if Catholics were able to confess directly to God, the same way they pray, you wouldn't need the computer, the priest who can sign, or the priest for that matter.

How can I explain to Protestant friends why Catholics go to confession? They ask, "Can't God forgive your sins directly?"

Fr. Eamon Tobin has written in The Sacrament of Penance:

In response to this question, the first remark I often make is, "Why do we not object to having a mediator, another man, at the sacrament of baptism? Why don’t we just baptize ourselves?" Baptism, among other things, cleanses us of sin. The sacrament of reconciliation is like a second baptism; it cleanses us of post-baptismal sin. If we have no objections to another man’s mediating to us God’s grace in the sacrament of baptism, why should we object to another man’s mediating God’s grace in the sacrament of reconciliation?

The primary reason, however, why the Catholic Church asks her members to confess their sins to a priest is simply because the Church has always believed that sin, however private, is a community affair. Every sin, however small, wounds the Body of Christ, the members of the Church. . . . When any of its members sin, they all suffer. Moreover, because my sins wound the community and diminish its effectiveness, reconciliation must include the community and not just God. In the confessional, the priest is the representative of God and of the community. In the confessional, the priest represents the whole Christ, the Head (Jesus) and the members (the Church). [Emphases added]

[FourtySeven]

Interesting. I must admit I never thought of this problem before. Good to see the Church is on top of things.

[Bulwyf]

yes, I skip the whole deal too and go directly to Jesus. Even if I was deaf, he could still hear my thoughts. Sign language and computers not needed.

[freedumb2003]

>>The deaf people in my community write on note paper while in the confessional. I have several deaf acquaintances.<<

I was talking about the technology, not its application.

[FourtySeven]

Just to add one thing to Carpe Cerevisi’s post:

We Catholics not only can but are encouraged to confess our sins to God directly, every time we realize we have sinned (and every night in case we forgot about some sin during the day).

The confession with a priest gives us assurance that the sin(s) have been forgiven, and that we aren’t fooling ourselves thinking we are truly sorry (contrite) when we are not.

God only forgives the truly contrite. The problem is we can all too easily fool ourselves into believing we are truly sorry when we are not. Anyone who denies this is the case is lying to themselves.

Fortunately though, He instituted the Sacrament of Penance to supplement any lack of contrition on our part with His Grace. Thus through this supplementation we can be assured we are as contrite as the Most Holy requires.

We are so contrite, not through our effort alone but by cooperating with Him.

[papertyger]

BTW, if Catholics were able to confess directly to God, the same way they pray, you wouldn't need the computer, the priest who can sign, or the priest for that matter.

But that wouldn't be Biblical.

[kitkat]

>>BTW, if Catholics were able to confess directly to God, the same way they pray, you wouldn’t need the computer, the priest who can sign, or the priest for that matter. >>

We do confess directly to God when we go to Confession. The priest is merely the intermediary to whom Jesus told while He walked this earth, “Whose sins ye shall forgive will be forgiven them; whose sins ye shall retain shall be retained.” Jesus therefor created the act of Confession.

We are sometimes confused about what is a sin, and what isn’t. We receive excellent advice from the priest when we confess to him. And, of course we can ask Jesus’ forgiveness while we wait until we go to Confession. Both things work together.

[Buckeye McFrog]

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned...”

“Just a moment, my son. You’ll have to be patient with me, I’m running Vista....”

[Old Yeller]

BTW, if Catholics were able to confess directly to God, the same way they pray

No, they pray to Mary, hoping she'll tell God what to do, because she's His mother and he has to do what he says. Why else would they pray to Mary as their intercessor instead of directly to God?

[oh8eleven]

No, they pray to Mary, hoping she'll tell God what to do, because she's His mother
No, Mary is not God's mother.

[NYer]

Mary is not God's mother.

Then you deny that Jesus Christ is God?

[JoeFromSidney]

I wonder if this would have helped me. The day before I rotated back from Thailand in 1963, I tried to go to confession in a Thai church. I asked the priest if he understood English. He didn't. So I got up and left the box. Would Babelfish have translated my confession accurately enough?

[oh8eleven]

God only forgives the truly contrite.
Actually, my original question (why not confess directly to God?) is moot because I don't believe God sees, hears or does anything.
I mean, where has He been during all the suffering by mankind since Day 1?
Look at just the the 20th Century alone ... WWI, WWII, the Holocaust.
The only God I can believe in is one who created the Universe, gave us free will, and has been hands off ever since.
This does not demean your religious beliefs by any means, but I just can't believe an "interactive" God stood by and did nothing.

[oh8eleven]

Then you deny that Jesus Christ is God?
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son ..."