Mark
04-02-05, 07:10 AM
A PRIEST has come under fire for hearing confessions on radio.
Outspoken Melbourne clergyman Father Bob Maguire was a guest on youth radio station Triple J on Sunday night when host John Saffran invited callers to take part in radio confessions.
Three listeners rang in, confessed on air, and were given penance by Father Maguire.
But church authorities are unhappy with the priest's modern approach to the ancient rite.
Vicar General of the Melbourne Archdiocese Les Tomlinson said the church regarded radio confessions as inappropriate because they broke the secrecy seal of the confessional.
He said there could be severe repercussions for a priest who broke the seal, including defrocking or excommunication.
"The penitent may choose to reveal the contents of their confession, but the priest can never break the seal of the confessional, and that includes broadcasting it on radio," Monsignor Tomlinson said.
One of the radio penitents was "Debbie", who said she used the "f-word" too many times.
Father Maguire -- a regular guest on Saffran's weekly slot --
told her the only sinful swearing was taking the name of the Lord in vain, and gave her one "Our Father" for penance.
"Chris", who was concerned he had used satanic powers to will to death a person in an internet chat room, was banned by Father Maguire from using chat rooms for 24 hours.
Monsignor Tomlinson said the callers' sins would not have been forgiven because the official words of absolution were not used, and was concerned the callers may have believed they had received real absolution.
The church has long resisted calls for phone confessions, insisting the rite be kept personal.
In 1998, then-Melbourne archbishop George Pell cracked down on the casual use of "general absolution" -- the forgiving of crowds for their sins without hearing specific confessions.
Monsignor Tomlinson said radio confessions could also embarrass a third party who had not consented to being identified.
"They might say: 'I've been fighting with my wife Mrs X because she's been cheating on me'," he said.
SOURCE (http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12139694%255E2862,00.html)
Outspoken Melbourne clergyman Father Bob Maguire was a guest on youth radio station Triple J on Sunday night when host John Saffran invited callers to take part in radio confessions.
Three listeners rang in, confessed on air, and were given penance by Father Maguire.
But church authorities are unhappy with the priest's modern approach to the ancient rite.
Vicar General of the Melbourne Archdiocese Les Tomlinson said the church regarded radio confessions as inappropriate because they broke the secrecy seal of the confessional.
He said there could be severe repercussions for a priest who broke the seal, including defrocking or excommunication.
"The penitent may choose to reveal the contents of their confession, but the priest can never break the seal of the confessional, and that includes broadcasting it on radio," Monsignor Tomlinson said.
One of the radio penitents was "Debbie", who said she used the "f-word" too many times.
Father Maguire -- a regular guest on Saffran's weekly slot --
told her the only sinful swearing was taking the name of the Lord in vain, and gave her one "Our Father" for penance.
"Chris", who was concerned he had used satanic powers to will to death a person in an internet chat room, was banned by Father Maguire from using chat rooms for 24 hours.
Monsignor Tomlinson said the callers' sins would not have been forgiven because the official words of absolution were not used, and was concerned the callers may have believed they had received real absolution.
The church has long resisted calls for phone confessions, insisting the rite be kept personal.
In 1998, then-Melbourne archbishop George Pell cracked down on the casual use of "general absolution" -- the forgiving of crowds for their sins without hearing specific confessions.
Monsignor Tomlinson said radio confessions could also embarrass a third party who had not consented to being identified.
"They might say: 'I've been fighting with my wife Mrs X because she's been cheating on me'," he said.
SOURCE (http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12139694%255E2862,00.html)