While she does not have anti-cahtolic bias, she very much beleives that many Catholic teachings are wrong.
I have gotten her to accept that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ, however she thinks it has gone totally astray. Anyway, her major problem is the refusal to accept the idea of confessing to men i.e. Priests. Anyone have any advice?
bump
Welcome home!
*her major problem is the refusal to accept the idea of confessing to men i.e. Priests. Anyone have any advice? *
Perhaps the following Scriptural references will clarify the matter for her.
I. Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins
John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.
John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.
John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.
Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?
Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.
Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.
Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.
John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").
2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.
2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.
James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.
1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.
Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.
I think you need to listen to your wife more, but the bottom line is that all religions, along with apostate Protestants and Catholics (under the next Pope probably) are on a path to unite and find their purpose under the New Spirituality of the UN/URI. The key thing is that you want to be in the remnant of Protestants or Catholics who oppose the New Fake Christianity. It will probably be slightly easier to oppose Rick Warren as a Protestant than it would be to oppose a globalist Pope as a Catholic.
I can recommend an excellent book on the Biblical principles behind confession - by Scott Hahn, who converted IIRC from the Presbyterian Church. Lord, Have Mercy. He has written a lot of books, and he stands as sort of a "bridge" for new Catholics (or even old Catholics) to understand traditional doctrines from a Biblical point of view.
Anyhow, to cut to the chase, here's the deal on confession as I understand it from a scriptural point of view. Christ gave specific authority to the apostles to hear and pardon sin in his name: John 20:23 "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
When you go to confession, you aren't confessing "to a man" i.e. the priest - you are instead confessing to God, through the method that Christ himself appointed. The priest is Christ's official stand-in, who may offer advice and counsel, who will usually give a small penance (an act for you to perform to show your true contrition and make some small recompense for the offense - it may be to God as in saying a number of Our Fathers or Hail Marys, or it may be to the person offended as in returning something that was stolen or making amends for harsh words). But it is God that hears the confession and God's power that pardons the sin.
Since the Episcopal church officially has "auricular confession" but nobody ever uses it, I had never gone to confession before we converted. The first time is the worst! I was very nervous and had a long list which I did NOT want to lose ("OMG! I left my sins in the Kroger!") But the priest was very kind and patient, and I can't explain how good it felt to get all those lifelong things I STILL felt rotten about straightened out. The only thing I can say is that I felt heavy as lead going in, and light as air coming out.
I think that auricular confession forces you to really THINK about what you have done wrong, who you have hurt, and what you can do to change. Just standing up and reciting the words of the General Confession during the Episcopal service does not require one to think about EXACTLY what you have done wrong, or how to fix it.
Hope that helps!
I would say that she is not confessing "to a man," but rather Christ himself. The priest is the instrument. Christ is working through him! Confession and Pennance is a way for us to get clean again and be restored. It's something that we have to do. It also goes hand in hand with recieving the Eucharist. We can't be in grave sin when we recieve the Eucharist, because the Eucharist is the Flesh and Blood of Christ Himself.
I have gotten her to accept that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ, however she thinks it has gone totally astray. Anyway, her major problem is the refusal to accept the idea of confessing to men i.e. Priests. Anyone have any advice?1. Be patient. Then,
At your first confession, do you try to go back and confess everything that you know you have done? How specific is it? Can I say "I have lusted after lots of women" or do I have to list every one? That could go on all night. LOL.Its called a general confession, and you can do one from time to time if you want (even after your first). You can be pretty general, its up to you. I don’t list every time I’ve committed each sin, like you say, it would take a while. I’d list each category out, and probably focus more on the ones that have been a real hindrance to you. One other thought, if you can, its nice to schedule some time with the priest, rather than getting in a large line on Sat. afternoon. You probably want all the time you can get to go through these things, and its more relaxing if no one is waiting.
patent
"I have gotten her to accept that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ, however she thinks it has gone totally astray. Anyway, her major problem is the refusal to accept the idea of confessing to men i.e. Priests. Anyone have any advice?"
I know other people have said stuff (and a lot better than I could), but I'll throw my 2cents in anyways...
You can be convinced intellectually of the need for Confession/Penance (however you like to call it) but there is nothing like actually going to Confession yourself. Afterwards, it is like you are floating in midair. (Similarly, Scott Hahn in his (excellent) book Lord Have Mercy likens it to Christ raising Lazarus from the dead.)
But don't neglect the effect of Confession while actually in the confessional. I know before I enter the confessional sometimes I will think I have prepared myself well, knowing my sins, etc., but once inside I have been silenced by the process, taking a while to even begin speaking. And then also, there is something about it that just makes you realize truly what sin does to the soul, and how grave our sins are.
Consider reading "Pardon and Peace" by a one Father Alfred Wilson. It's old, hard to find, but well worth the trouble. You can find "Lord Have Mercy" at any old Catholic bookstore; it's newer than Fr. Wilson's, so you might prefer that one just as well.
Also, here's a tip: find an excellent confessor. Although any priest is perfectly good for confession, there are some that have a very keen mind in determining our spiritual sicknesses, and their corresponding remedies.
You should follow her lead on this one.
BigMack
RK, you gotten some fine advice here on the issue of Confession. If it means anything at all, you and your wife should know that it isn't just Roman Catholics who not only have but partake of the grace of the Sacrament of Confession. As an Orthodox Christian I have regularly gone to confession since I was little. It is a wonderful and transforming sacrament and one of the greatest gifts Christ left to his Church. Indeed, for the Orthodox, regular confession is a sine qua non of reception of the Eucharist. My experience throughout a lifetime of long confessions has been identical to those related to you by the Roman Cathlics here. I simply can't imagine life without it.
A priest is Christ's representative on earth. When confessing to a priest, you are confessing to God. The priest gives a penance to be served before the sacrament is complete, hence the true name of the sacrament - Penance.
This is a sacrament that has been with the church for centuries and is actually quite cathartic. It is quite a wonderful thing to walk out of the confessional felling clean, having unburdened yourself. Truly.
You could mention to her that God is listening to her confession, not just the priest. The priest is there as a witness, to offer prayer, comfort, and encouragement through penance.
The way I see it (just my humble "o", no one elses) it holds me accountable to confess my sins by mouth. Many times, the priest will offer advice via scripture to pray over, that helps one over come that sin.
There is a lot of truth behind the saying, "confession is good for the soul." It's not as bad or intimidating as some perceive.