God loves you. So what?

What fills me with distrust is my belief that the church is suppressing historical documents.

Let's find some common ground to stand on. I think we can all agree that if you were bothered by something in your past the worst thing you could do is keep it inside and not talk to someone about it. Talking directly to God about these things is essential and I couldn't encourage it more. However, God knows us very well, being made in His image and likeness and all, and realizes that as human beings we need to talk about these things with others. With people you trust and people who can help you deal with these things and move on. Confession is not counseling or psychotherapy, which are extremely good gifts someone could give themselves. But Confession plays an important role in one specific way, it is a real tangible way to know that God still loves you, forgives you, and that despite your sins you are a good person. It is the safest place on Earth for a sinner to go. It carries an inviolable seal degrees stronger legally and morally than even that of therapy, lawyers, or doctors. It is the opposite of control and is a place to be set free, that is all. I hope this makes sense.

Quote: FrGamble

It is the opposite of control and is a place to be set free, that is all. I hope this makes sense.

That's what I'd say too, if I wanted to
convince people it wasn't about the
Church trying to keep tabs on everybody.

If it's so wonderful, why do most Catholics
run away from it now. In some places there
are so few confessions you have to make
an appointment days in advance. 50
years ago 90% went to confession on a
regular basis, today 90% never go. Many
consider it an invasion of their privacy,
which it obviously is.

I promise you that the nobody is keeping tabs on anybody. You do know that confession is anonymous don't you?

Confession of our failures can be difficult, but it is an important step to healing and freedom.

Quote: FrGamble

I promise you that the nobody is keeping tabs on anybody..

Not anymore, not for a long time. But they
did, especially priests confessing to other
priests, on up the chain of command. It
wasn't the flock they were interested in,
it was the infrastructure of the church.
It's fallen by the wayside because it's
no longer a useful tool, nobody is pushing
for a resurgence of confession. It's outlived
it's usefulness.

Never has Confession been used to keep track of other priests. Remember such confessions are anonymous and there are even rules in Cannon Law making sure that someone in authority of the priest or responsible for his evaluation cannot hear his confession. For example, as a seminarian I could not go to confession to the rector or my vocations director.

Their is a huge call for a return to confession in fact many protestant churches and other groups are clamoring for accountability partners and types of confession. As everyone knows, confession is good for the soul.

Quote: FrGamble

Never has Confession been used to keep track of other priests..

Sure it has. The Church has always been
and continues to be the most secretive
religion on the planet. Information is
invaluable and confession is the best way
to get it. A huge call for return to confession?
Even if you can con people to returning, you
don't have enough priests now, who's going
hear the confessions, lay people? That would
be fun.

Quote:

As everyone knows, confession is good for the soul.

What you mean is, as the Vatican always says,
confession is good for the soul.

Quote: Evenbob

Information is
invaluable and confession is the best way
to get it.

How can I convince you that is completely and utterly false. Absolutely NO information is gotten in confession. The people are anonymous and the seal is inviolable with an automatic excommunication and the loss of the priestly state for breaking it. Why do you keep saying things that are blatantly not true?

Quote:

What you mean is, as the Vatican always says,
confession is good for the soul.

Nope, look at your Psychology today or any other reputable source of mental or spiritual health.

Quote: FrGamble

people are anonymous and the seal is inviolable with an automatic excommunication and the loss of the priestly state for breaking it. .

Uh huh, or so they say. Looks good on paper,
in practice it's something else. Look at child
abuse by priests. This is supposed to get you
an immediate defrocking if caught, but did it?
Hell no, the Crimen sollicitationis was used to
silence the abused, not punish the priests.

"Crimen sollicitationis was a 1962 decree issued by the Vatican that laid out the procedures for dealing with Roman Catholic priests who solicit sex from parish congregants during confession... Section 11 of the Crimen required that all testimony given in such cases be sealed. Anyone caught discussing the testimony at these tribunals were to be excommunicated. This included the victims of the abuse and their parents, families and friends"

That's just one example of how confession was
used to make people do what a priest wanted.
And this was in modern time, imagine hundreds
of years ago when everything that happened in
the Church stayed in the Church.

What is the biblical basis for confessing to priests?

I found this:

Quote: James 5:16

therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous
person is very powerful.

Why do you need a priest to absolve you of your sins if only god can forgive your sins?

This instruction to confess sins to one another seems to be in conflict with the idea of confidential confessions one-on-one with a priest.