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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Confess sins, hit "send"
Father Jim St. George, pastor of St. Miriam.

Parishioners at St. Miriam Church have a new way to receive the Catholic sacrament of Reconciliation, once known as penance.

They can now web-surf to an on-line confessional on the church’s website, confess their sins, hit “send” and then wait for an e-mailed absolution.

Which is just gr8, IMHO.

From a church press release, here's how Father Jim St. George, pastor of the small Manayunk congregation, describes how his church got into cyber-forgiveness:
 
 ‘The [web] site has recently undergone some needed revisions and so we decided to make it also a bit easier for people to cleanse themselves and heal. Confession attendance is down across the Catholic spectrum, and a recent survey by our church shows people are ashamed and afraid. I think it awful that someone would be afraid to sit with me or a fellow priest, but it is reality.
 
“The newly revised site has increased security, needed to ensure that only the eyes of a priest would ever ‘hear’ the sent confessions... The ‘online confessional’ explains all about the sacrament, why it is important, how it works, and then provides a means for the person going to confession to submit their ‘sins’.
 
"They may then choose to meet with a priest in person, receive counseling and pastoral care online, or speak over the telephone and/or via email.
 
“ We took this decision very seriously when we created it. But we feel it is a good decision in keeping with our commitment to God’s people.”
 
“The Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite) believes that the penitent and the priest must be in the same physical location. The RC Church maintains that it must take place in a public venue - like a church - because it is a personal and a corporate act.
 
“ At Saint Miriam, we believe this to also be true, but we also maintain that God brings people together in marvelous and unique ways! So, God is truly present, then, between priest and penitent as they make a confession, even online.
 
“And, since our priest brings your confessions with him to the Eucharist Table weekly in and their private devotions, the act is at once both a personal act of confession, and a celebrated act of the entire community of believers.
 
“The final act - the absolution formula and penance- will be sent to the confessing person in return, so all aspects of the sacrament are met; just in a time-sensitive manner unique to the online environment."
 
The on-line sacrament is available to anyone with a heavy heart, not just to members of St. Miriam, says Father Jim, (whom I wrote about last fall, when he got into a bit of a donnybrook with some local church pastors over whether his church is truly "Catholic").
 
So you can unburden your soul whenever and wherever the spirit moves you - and not worry about looking your Sunday best.
 
 
 
 
Posted by Ronnie Polaneczky @ 4:54 PM  Permalink | 9 comments
Comments   
Posted 08:09 PM, 02/24/2009
david
I rarely keep holy the sabbath, I ate meat on Fridays, when i was in high school, i experimented with... wait, was "Would you confess your sins online" a theoretical question?
Posted 08:31 PM, 02/24/2009
Douggernaut
I'll have the Salisbury Steak...hold the holy days of obligation annnnddd SCORE! Internet Confessions! YES! Come on Padre, join the Cafeteria!
Posted 08:35 PM, 02/24/2009
CountryRose
Sounds great! I will do it!
Posted 09:08 PM, 02/24/2009
frinkie
Sins? What a concept. I don't buy it. If this is going to work, the penitent has to be in the same "virtual room" at least. E-mailing isn't good enough. The priest and congregant should use IM only.
Posted 09:08 PM, 02/24/2009
frinkie
Sins? What a concept. I don't buy it. If this is going to work, the penitent has to be in the same "virtual room" at least. E-mailing isn't good enough. The priest and congregant should use IM only.
Posted 09:24 PM, 02/24/2009
lcdc12861
Way to go St. Miriam's! This is more private and can serve the same purpose.
Posted 09:44 PM, 02/24/2009
hoyalawya
I don't know about this plan -- shouldn't we be trying to stop our kids from chatting with pedophiles online?
Posted 09:45 PM, 02/24/2009
bgpoppapump
Ronnie you're a dope. Anything to tear down what is traditional and right is right up your alley. Why don't you go steal some more lawn furniture you rube. BTW, can you say "would you like fries with that?" because judging by your writing, I'm sure that's all you're qualified to do.
Posted 04:53 PM, 02/25/2009
duchess1800
I don't think I like this idea. Nothing that is entered into the computer is totally private. I wouldn't want my confession floating out in cyberspace for someone to hack into and find. Something that private really should be kept in person one on one either face to face or behind a screen should the person not want to be seen by the priest. Also, if the penitant did something criminal, but wanted to confess it to this priest before turning himself in, what will stop the authorities from taking this priest's computer (if the crime warranted that) and then perhaps find and read other "sins" confessed by other people? The Sacrament is supposed to be extremely private and the priest is not allowed to share it with anyone. By having a record of it on the computer (even if it was "erased") would be leaving it open to the public - if only by accident.
9 comments
About Ronnie Polaneczky
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with,. “Yeah, so what happened was…”

Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob, or Mary, and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are far too direct for that. They just say “Yeah, so what happened was…,” and then tumble into a tale they’re desperate to tell a perfect stranger (me) in the hope it will be told to a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, precisely where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with my fellow citizens in a way that no other job would allow. Well, okay, no other job that I’m remotely qualified for.

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Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs and two cats in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams at night of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.

Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green

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