why me wrote:Confession is technically voluntary. But actually in the old days one could not get communion unless one confessed their sins to the priest before the Mass and this confession had to be a good confession, which would include all the sins that one commited. This was usually done on a saturday. Whether a church has confession booths or some room with a screen is moot. Since boys masturbate and since masturbation is a sin, I would leave it up to your imagination as to what was confessed by boys or even young and old men in a confession.
Are you sure you are catholic? You need to check with your friends on the taliban site. Maybe you should stop commenting on Mormonism on that site and discuss more on the catholic beliefs section.
café crema wrote:Confession has to be voluntary otherwise it's pointless, someone who is corned into admitting sins lacks a contrite heart, something integral to reconciliation.
You are just wrong about having to go to confession before receiving at Mass, going back to the Middle Ages Catholics have been required to go to confession once a year, this was codified in 1917 in the Canon Law. Everyone in my family and my husbands family is/was aware of this. Ever hear the phrase Easter Duty? Oh of course not you're not really Catholic you're LDS. One doesn't have to confess every single sin in order for it to be a good confession and you don't have to go to confession to confess venial sins, these are forgiven at Mass, you should know this occurs since you say you go to Mass.
As to imagining what boys confessed to doing, why would I do that, it's none of my business what other people do, the idea of thinking about what others confess is repugnant I'll leave the imaging to you since you appear to be a natural, swimming in the waters of the gutter.
why me wrote:http://catholicism.about.com/b/2008/05/16/reader-question-how-often-should-we-go-to-confession.htm
I think that you need to bone up on the past and just how it was. Once a year is a new policy. But in the past it was once a month and some devout catholics which you are not would still recommend once a month.
Nope not a new policy I think you need to read up on church councils and law, even "anti" Catholics know that the once a year requirement goes back to 1215. That many have and still do advocate more frequent confession is not surprising, JPII advocated weekly confession, but it does not change the fact that Catholics are obligated to go to confession once a year. This minimum is spelled out in an authoritative and binding Church Council and in the Canon Law, that venial sins do not need to be confessed is put forth in the Canon Law and the CCC. Pious lay people like Mr. Richert can recommend anything they like but they don't have any authority unlike the Churches Councils.
Whether or not I'm devout is a matter of opinion and I certainly don't place any value on your opinion of my "devoutness". Just as you shouldn't be bothered by my opinion that you not only lack "devoutness" in any of your religions, you are also a poser if you really do attend a Catholic church, while professing belief in the LDS church.