Is it common for non-Catholics to show up at confession?

Factual Questions
21

In Catholic theology, a sacrament is an occasion on which we encounter God in an incarnate way - an outward sign of inward grace. A sacrament both symbolises/signifies an encounter with God, and effects that encounter.

We can, of course, encounter God anywhere, at any time and in any circumstance. But the “seven sacraments” are particular occasions, considered to be instituted by Jesus Christ, on which we are particularly assured of such an encounter.

Also in Catholic theology, marriage is a natural social and human reality. Anyone, Christian or not, can marry. Marriage can be a sacrament, but it does not necessarily have to be. A non-sacramental marriage is, nevertheless, a perfectly valid and entirely real marriage.

One of the conditions on which marriage is seen as a sacrament is the marriage represents the living-out of the spouses’ baptismal vocation. Unless the spouses are baptised, therefore, the marriage is not considered to be sacramental. I think Doreen’s husband’s RCIA instructors were mistaken; a marriage between a baptised person and an unbaptised person is not sacramental. It is not considered to be sacramental for one of them, but not the other. There’s only one marriage here; it’s either a sacramental reality or it’s not.

As to the difference, it’s theological. In practical terms, there isn’t a great difference. A valid natural marriage is entirely valid, and consequently if you’re in a non-sacramental marriage with A, you are not free to marry B in a sacramental marriage. There are some very limited circumstances in which the canon lawyers treat the two kinds of marriage in different ways, but most of us will never encounter them.

22

Why would it? I said that a marriage in which one spouse is unbaptized is NOT a sacramental marriage. How could it change from sacramental to non- when it didn’t start as sacramental?

23

IANAC, but I don’t think there is such a thing as a “non sacramental marriage” or a marriage of a lesser kind in the Catholic Church. Marriage (or matrimony) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Other Christian denominations have different teachings.

24

Strike that. Apparently, there is:

→ Natural marriage - Wikipedia

25

You are mistaken, but I see that didn’t slow you down in the least.

Correct. As the Code of Canon Law 1055 §1 teaches, was marriage covenant was raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. It existed prior to that time as a “natural marriage,” and that state still exists in marriages in which at least one member thereto is not baptized.

26

To more fully answer this point: when two people who were previously unbaptized marry, theirs is a natural marriage. If they are both baptized at some later point, at that time the marriage becomes a sacramental marriage, per Can. 1055 §2:

Now, it is possible, under rare circumstances, to dissolve a natural marriage. (This is distinct from an annulment, which is a legal finding that the marriage was not valid to begin with.)

One such rare circumstance is known as the Pauline Privilege, which begins with precisely the hypothetical case above: the natural marriage of two unbaptized people.

If one person in that marriage is subsequently baptized a Catholic, and the other person leaves the marriage as a result, the natural marriage may be dissolved. The authority for this arises from Corinthians 7:10-16.

27

Interesting.

So if I divorced my wife, could she ‘legally’ re-marry in the Church because I was an unbeliever who left? Or do I have to divorce her because she’s a Catholic for that to apply? Or would it not apply at all, because she was already baptized when she got married?

28

Well, kudos to Paul (or whoever wrote that) for his early-day gender equality attitude there.

29

A slight aside- are the Greek Orthodox now considered part of the Roman Catholic Church as what sacraments they can receive?

30

Correct, and not just you. Anyone, even an unbaptized person, even an atheist, can perform a valid baptism. All that is necessary is sincere intent to baptize, water, and words to the effect that you’re doing it in the name of the Trinity (the traditional form is "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit). Granted, it’s probably quite uncommon for an atheist to have sincere intent to baptize someone, but it could happen.

This is a more complicated question than you realize. First of all, there are the Eastern Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox. The two are superficially nearly indistinguishable: They both have similar cultures, styles of artwork, traditions, and so on. The Eastern Catholics are in full, 100% communion with the Roman Catholic Church: Theologically, we’re all one big Church, and the differences between us are all on points that are regarded as unimportant. The Eastern Orthodox are separate mostly in that they do not recognize the supremacy of the Pope over the entire Church (though they do usually recognize the Pope as having authority over a portion of the Church). So far as I know, the Catholic Church recognizes most Eastern Orthodox churches as being in union with the Catholics on all of the sacraments, but the individual Orthodox churches might or might not have the same view with regard to the Catholics.

To summarize the Catholic views on various sacraments:

As mentioned above, anyone can validly baptize (it ought to be done by a priest, if possible, but anyone can do it), so long as the minimal requirements laid out above are met. Almost all Christian baptisms meet these requirements, so almost all sects’ baptisms are valid. Baptism can be received only once in a lifetime, so any subsequent baptism is meaningless.

Communion depends upon a belief that the Eucharist contains the real presence of Christ, with the inherent substance of the bread and wine being changed to the substance of the body and blood of Christ. I think all of the Orthodox churches hold this view, but none of the churches coming out of the Reformation do. Some of the churches from the Reformation hold views that are permissive of this possibility, however, and thus some Lutherans and Episcopalians (for example) can legitimately hold this view. If they do, they can validly receive the Eucharist at a Catholic mass. Communion can be received many times, and ought to be received at least once a week.

Ordination is only valid in the Apostolic Succession: That is to say, a man is ordained by a man who was ordained by a man … who was ordained by one of the Apostles. Again, the Orthodox share this view. Many (but not all) Protestants do as well, but most of them have recently started ordaining female priests, which in the eyes of the Catholic church breaks the chain. Ordination can be received at most three times in a lifetime: Once each to become a deacon, priest, and bishop (the bishops are the ones who can in turn ordain others).

The other sacraments, I’m not sufficiently sure of the status to comment further.

31

Doesn’t apply at all. The privilege is triggered when a marriage is changed by one unbaptized person converting and getting baptized, leaving the other remaining as an unbeliever. Sounds like she married you already knowing you heathen-ish ways.

32

Almost, but not exactly. “Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full Communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed.”

The Greek Orthodox church is an Eastern (“Oriental”) Church not in full communion with the Holy See, but they have an identical understanding of the sacraments and and their Orders are valid – that is, every Eastern Orthodox priest was validly consecrated a priest by a bishop that was, in turn, validly consecrated by a bishop going back to the apostles, just as the Catholic Church’s bishops are. Even though the Catholic Church doesn’t regard those ordinations as licit, in that they stem from bishops ordained without the permission of the then-Pope, they are still VALID. The Greek Orthodox shares the Catholic Church’s understanding of the Eucharist, and so a Greek Orthodox Christian is welcome to receive the Eucharist from a Catholic minister, if he wants to.

Additionally, a person baptized in the Greek Orthodox church is perfectly validly baptized. Catholic Church teaching is that baptism can only happen once: it “imprints a character on the soul.” So a baptized Greek Orthodox member who wanted to join the Catholic Church and receive Confirmation would not need to be “re-baptized,” and I mention this only to say that this adds Confirmation to the list of sacraments that could be validly given to someone who was Greek Orthodox. Of course, the very act of receiving Confirmation is a willing acceptance in joining into full communion with the Catholic Church, so in such case, the person wouldn’t really be Greek Orthodox any more. :slight_smile:

Matrimony, as a sacrament, comes to any two baptized persons in a valid marriage. So that’s another.

33

Even without the issue of female ordination, there’s the issue of the Edwardian Rite.

34

Eastern Orthodox != Oriental Orthodox. Different churches, different sacraments.

35

True, and I should not have elided that point by putting “Oriental,” in quotes after Eastern. But The balance of my post is accurate.

36

Yup. I guess she’s stuck with me. :smiley:

37

10 Take My Wife, Pleases, and 3 Chinese, Brit, and Jew Walk Into A Bar.

38

This is going to depend on the parish and neighborhood. Attendance at the Sacrament of Reconciliation is way down from the days prior to Vatican II and priests often joke about their time in the confessional being the loneliest part of their job.

If there was an actual line waiting, I think it would be rude to wander in and ask for an hour of counseling, but if there is no one there and one does not expect to need a lot of time, I doubt that it would be a big issue.
On the other hand, most priests, (there is always the occasional jerk), would be more than willing to simply provide listening support or counselling to any person who asked them to schedule such a time, regardless of that person’s belief, lack of belief, or religious affiliation.