Documentary that speaks to a selection of Irish priests, urban, rural and chaplains discuss the sins they’ve heard that have impacted and stayed with them. They also discuss why they have stayed within the church.
This link is to RTÉ Player and only works in Ireland (copyright reasons).
https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/the-confessors-e1/157358632412
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Fr Peter Daly wrote recently in the National Catholic Reporter about problems he sees that arise as a result of the church’s position on mandatory celibacy for priests of the Latin Rite.
“Celibacy is not essential to Catholic priesthood. It is only mandated in two of the 24 “autonomous churches” in communion with Rome; the Latin Rite and the Ethiopian Rite….. At least seven popes were married…..There was even a father and son pope combination, Pope Hormisdas (514-523) who was father to Pope Silverius, (536-537)…..Today we have many married priests in the Roman (Latin) Rite who have come to us from the Anglican or Lutheran traditions. ….. If they can be married, why not others?
The practice and teaching of the church on priestly celibacy has been inconsistent and incoherent. But, most important of all, Jesus did not mandate celibacy.”
Interesting, but very scrappy. Could have done with a good editor and a producer/director who was a bit more together.
Obviously very fine guys interviewed and, at long last, a Church-friendly programme on RTE. But not a single word was mentioned about Community Confession. We talk so much about community, celebrating together, working together, and even about social injustice, societal sins and the enormous shame of the Catholic Church as a community. So, where has community confession gone? In the 80s and 90s, I remember celebrating Community Confession in Brazil – with an optional one-to-one with the priest where possible, but always with Community Absolution.
Seems so awkward to be hearing confessions at 2/3 metre distance in the open air! And with children! Undoubtedly brave priests, but is there not another ecclesial solution? Shouldn’t the possibility of Community Confession – and I mean real Community Confession – not be studied in these trying times? This is not to disparage the one-to-one more therapeutic Confession.
The form of community confession is a perfectly respectable and even traditional form of the sacrament (communal confession was normal when groups embarked on sea journeys). The Vatican stonewalling on this has wiped out the sacrament.