Can non-catholics go to confession?

Just curious.

why would you need to? why can't you speak to god on your own terms? why should you have to have a priest as a conduit?

B) You'd have to learn the drill.

C) Probably not a good idea. Why not talk to a counselor?

a number of churches in the US don't rely on the same level of ritual as older, traditional churches do. The last church I attended, confession was simply a conversation between you and a priest, face to face rather than behind the grate of a confessional. They also had psychologists on staff who did spiritually based counseling. It was an interesting approach.

I think you would be immediately struck by lightening for defiling a holy sacrament.

You could if you wanted, since the priest wouldn't know unless you told him.

But - you're not actually supposed to unless you are a member of one of the eastern orthodox churches that are very similar to the Catholic church. And even then it is only really allowed in extreme cases, like if you were dying & and want to convert on your deathbed.

but for the most part, Protestants have group confession as part of their services.

However, any mainstream clergyperson will listen to your concerns (if you're looking for moral/ethical guidance) and/or refer you to someone who can help you further (if you're having emotional problems).

and indeed of anyone who seeks guidance is a major part of the role of the clergy IMHO.

Admitting when you have done wrong is a very important thing and I think that it's a good sign that people are curious about this matter. :-)

'confession' is a sacrament....meaning it's imbued with meaning beyond what occurs in the confessional. It transcends mundane human drama because the authority to 'forgive sins' can be traced back from the human priest to Jesus (thus to God) I recall a story about failed priests, priests who had quit the church or rebelled against the church etc; the point was even the most radical failed priest always maintained the secrecy and 'divine' aspect of the confession (now called 'reconciliation') ...while a non catholic can go through the motions, and maybe find a priest who goes along, it's the magical or spiritual quality of the drama that has meaning, not the outward form. The same thing with Communion....i knew an old drunk once who went every sunday to church and took communion, though he wasn't catholic (hell, he was barely xian!)...the priest obviously knew he was a 'bush catholic' lol but let him since refusing Communion to someone probably cause more chaos then just letting the fool persist in his foolishness (which William Blake said will gain the fool heaven if they never stop persisting in it(?)) One of the big lies about the catholic church is that 'works' trumps faith...nothing transcends faith. There are death camp guards who will go to heaven while popes considered holier then a dunkin donut will go straight to satan, according to the bible. iow if you went to confession, and obeyed the tenets of the sacrament (you're sincere about stopping sinning) then God would overlook you're appalling sinfulness and forgive you....you can read that in the bible

It was at University Campus. That Church has none of the old confessionals you see in older churches. The priest told me if I felt compelled to receive confession I could, but it wasn't a requirement. Plus when you did so, you simply had a conversation with the priest. This particular priest was a reformed lawyer, a very intelligent man.

I'm sure Pope John Paul II would not have approved.

Canon Law (from memory) requires the faithful to make confession at least once every year.

This Priest (rightly or wrongly) was expressing a personal opinion, not the formal position of the Church.

what you have to say. The LBW and LW have rubrics for it.

I am seeing a therapist and have had several sessions. There are things though that I haven't told her yet and don't know if I can anytime soon. There is only so much time and she is working on getting me well. There are just so many different issues. My therapist and I agree that I am having spititual issues and perhaps need a little guidance and greater study.
The reason that I think confession would help is because I really would like to tell someone everything. I haven't told anyone everything because of how I fear it will affect my relationship with them. As a result, it needs to be someone who does not know me nor who I will have a continuing relationship. I prefer this person to be a spiritual type because I am having spiritual issues which I would like to discuss. I would describe myself as Christian. I disagree with Catholicism on its authoritarianism and some of its doctorines. I have respect for most religions though and spiritual people.

As someone said above, it's a sacrament, and pretty much a "members-only" kind of deal. The main theological idea behind it is that the priest can absolve you of your sins, speaking on God's behalf, I guess. So the sacrament itself isn't really appropriate if you're not Catholic, because it has symbolic meaning and theological weight beyond the issue of counsel and support. But I'm sure that any Catholic priest (or other clergy member) would be more than happy to counsel you, and he or she will surely keep everything private if you ask.

Good luck in finding someone to help you out. :hi:

Catholic, he could get into serious trouble. You can talk to a priest, but he would not be bound by the confidentiality agreement that is given to Catholics. I'm with some of the others, why would you want to?

I feel the need to tell another person everything that I have done and that has happened to me. I am seeing a counselor and should be able to do this with her, but I can't because we have an ongoing relationship in which she is trying to help me. I can't expect this person to help me after I tell them everything. Perhaps, they will, but I can't take that chance with anyone who I have a current relationship with or which will get back to anyone in any form. I prefer that it can be all at one telling and not interupted much, if at all.
I am in a spiritual crisis. This past year, my anxiety has increases and I can't feel confident or positive about myself because of everything. As my therapist and friends have noted, I tend to ascribe blame to myself for everything and this is not healthy, but I need to tell those things too. I need someone to hear everything and to say to me that I am forgiven. Why isn't it enough that God will forgive? I don't know, but I need what I described above right now to move forward in my life.