From: creps@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps)
Subject: Re:      Re>Absolution
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 18:37:57 GMT

In article <CHRISTIA%92091005013185@ASUACAD.BITNET> Wolfgang Hutter <HUTTER@DULRUU51.BITNET> writes:
>So here is my question. How do you know that a RC 'truly believes God
>wants him to confess his sins to a priest'? There are many RC's that I
>know who doubt the virgin birth of Jesus, the transsubstantiation or
>other doctrines of the RCC. So I would presume that there are indeed RC
>Christians who don't believe it to be necessary to confess to a priest.

   Technically speaking, such Catholics are heretics.  One who does
not believe these things has two valid choices: 1) try to find the
faith necessary to believe them, or 2) leave the Catholic Church.
Often they choose 3) remain in the Church while rejecting her basic
doctrines.  In my opinion, this is living a lie.

>'interiorly *does not know*'.

   One who interiorly does not know can still fall under choice 1)
above, as long as they are trying to believe, or trying to find the
truth.

>But if I understood it correctly it is not even a matter of my belief
>for confession to be necessary - for then indeed there would be no
>difference between a Protestant who thinks so and a RC who thinks so -
>but it seems to be a matter of 'inculpable ignorance'. Let me cite Steve
>Creps for clarification:

   In my opinion, such Catholics would most likely fall into the
category of _culpably_ ignorant.  The teaching goes something like
this: one is morally obligated to be in the church he considers to be
the true Church.  A Catholic who does not believe the Catholic Church
to be the true Church commits serious sin by remaining in the Church
(see "living a lie" above).  Since the Catholic Church teaches she is
the true Church, and teaches other dogmas as true, one who believes
her to be the true Church must also accept her dogmas.  One who
rejects her dogmas thereby rejects that she is the true Church.
Therefore, he commits serious sin by remaining in a church he does not
consider true.

>>   For non-Catholics, confession isn't required, since they aren't
>>held accountable for inculpable ignorance (which, from the Catholic
>>point of view, is not knowing that the Catholic Church is the true
>>Church).
>
>So indeed my view on the (R)CC is what determines the way I can (or
>can't) receive forgiveness?

   If I understand you correctly, I agree with that.

>So depending on the meaning of 'to know the Sacrament of Penance as it
>is' there are three possibilities:
>
>* if it means 'to know that the Sacrament of Penance is part of Christ's
>  law' then this should exclude me from receiving forgiveness, beacuse I
>  was told so by my RC brothers (I indentified them all as male) over and
>  over again.

   I think, rather, that you still are considered inculpably ignorant.
You have, in fact, already learned teachings that contradict the
Catholic Church.  Just being told otherwise will not _make_ you
believe.

>* if it means 'to agree with the official RC doctrine of Penance' then
>  this should include members of the RCC who disagree with this
>  doctrine.

   See above on Catholics who are "culpably ignorant."

>* if it means 'to recognize it as God's decretive will for me' then -
>  and only then - the last sentence of the above citation makes sense.
>  But then again: who belongs to the group that can  * not *  receive
>  forgiveness without confession to a priest? - Obviously only those who
>  sin willfully by ignoring what they  * know *  to be God's decretive
>  will for them. Who does this when it comes to seeking forgiveness???

   Again, I think the bottom line is following the teachings of what
one considers to be the true Church.  Non-Catholics are forgiven
because they "don't know any better."  It's harder for Catholics who
don't accept this to be forgiven, because they _should_ know better.

   Finally, I'd like to add that this discussion totally ignores the
grace that God gives in addition to His forgiveness.  This grace can
be given only by confessing to a priest.  That is the advantage of
going to confession, no matter what the penitent believes.

--Steve

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Steve Creps, Indiana University
creps@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU