Mortal Sins, Venial Sins, and Starbucks Sins

Okay, the convert needs some help again, based on this article I found at Pewsitter.com about Nancy Pelosi's bishop threatening her with a "conversation."

Now, apparently Caleb's catechism books are outdated, even thought I just bought them off the Ignatius Press website. Because they have not been amended, but rather still the same classifications of sins that I learned: mortal and venial. And there's a lot of good stuff about penance and/or confession and/or reconciliation and/or whatever they're calling this week. But there's not a thing about those sins that only call for a good chat.

Frankly, I'd love to take Father to Starbucks instead of getting on my knees in that dark box, especially when I've done something that I was under the mistaken impression was a mortal sin. So could someone please send me the link to the page on the Vatican website, or any other Catholic website, that explains which sins can be repaired by a "conversation."

And, am I reading the article wrong, or is the conversation optional? 

I do understand the part where I get to go to communion in the meantime.

Oh, one more thing. Since what Archbishop Niederauer says is in direct contrast to what Archbishop Burke said a couple of weeks ago...

Is there going to be a tiebreaker, or do I just pick the one I like?

Comments

[piera]

"So could someone please send me the link to the page on the Vatican website"....

The pope all the time gives Communion to politician men a women pro-choice without any prior "conversation". I have a lot of pics about this.
Again, How are you American so naifs?
Why do you think, Karen, Arch Burke was sent to Vatican? Promoveatur ut amoveatur.He wasn't diplomatic.
Archbishop Niederauer has a very good Vatican style and he is esteemed in Rome.

[Karen]

Piera, Archbishop Burke and my mother-in-law are very close friends. So I might just know more about this than you do. Hard for you to believe, I know, as I am such an ignorant American. And the Pope and Niederauer at the Pearly Gates? My money is on the Pope.

[Kasia]

Dare I hope that Abp. Niederauer is planning to have a "conversation" with Rep. Pelosi that involves him telling her that she should not present herself for Communion?

I won't hold my breath, but it is a nice thought.

[Kasia]

Dare I hope that Abp. Niederauer is planning to have a "conversation" with Rep. Pelosi that involves him telling her that she should not present herself for Communion?

I won't hold my breath, but it is a nice thought.

[Kasia]

Dare I hope that Abp. Niederauer is planning to have a "conversation" with Rep. Pelosi that involves him telling her that she should not present herself for Communion?

I won't hold my breath, but it is a nice thought.

[Kasia]

Dare I hope that Abp. Niederauer is planning to have a "conversation" with Rep. Pelosi that involves him telling her that she should not present herself for Communion?

I won't hold my breath, but it is a nice thought.

[Long-Skirts]

"which sins can be repaired by a "conversation."??!!

“They have abandoned the Fort, those who should have defended it.” (St. John Fisher)

SACERDOS

Who held the Fort
Till the Calvary came
Fighting for all
In His Holy Name?

Who fed the sheep
As the pastures burned dry
A few Good Shepherds
Heeding their cry?

Who led the charge
‘Gainst heresy’s Huns
Defending the degreed
To His lowliest ones?

Who battened down
The hatch of the barque
To warm cold souls
From shivering-seas dark?

“Who?” mocks Satan
Delighting in doubt
Fills you with questions,
Never lets you find out.

“Hoc est enum
Corpus meum…
…and for many…” who kept
The dead words – Te Deum!

[Clayton]

Looks like Neiderauer's going to be having more conversations. Catholic mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom is leading the crusade against Proposition 8 tomorrow (and, by association, the Catholic bishops of California).

[piera]

Karen arch Burke can tell to your mother in law what he wants but the Vatican facts are:
Burke,too divisive,too often against his Us bishop's brothers will lead an office absolutely insignificant, off course he will get the Red hat( Vatican knows as sugar the pill.)

All this with great avowals of esteem to him personally by the Pope himself off course. Vatican works so.

[piera]

"as I am such an ignorant American."

I don't think you American are ignorants,I think this:
The Vatican is in Italy, very very tied with the Italian culture, strongly different from American culture,but you american read vatican and church facts with american eyes, so you misundestand it.
The Vatican doesn't reason black or white as you, Karen, very often think.

[piera]

"And the Pope and Niederauer at the Pearly Gates?"

And when will you Karen stop to decide who goes to hell and who goes to heaven? Do you see in the souls?

This is a Protestant attitude, maybe, sure no Catholic.

[Catholic Audio]

K,

Pelosi agreed!!

God Bless,

[Karen]

They are pals. They'll have a lovely time. They can talk about how he's leading the charge against Prop 8 in California, she can give him some pointers.

[Tim]

Jesus must've been a poor fit for Rome then. Calling sin by it's name, rebuking hypocrites and above all reconciling God and man. He wasn't working toward a red hat, but a crown of thorns.

[paolo]

Piera,

since I'm Italian as well, I would like to know how can you say that the Vatican in Italy thinks differently from the Vatican in the USA. Did you read what the current and former Popes teached about abortion? It's sure that someone who's pro-abortion got the Communion from the Pope's hands, but this is a shame for them, not the Pope. The teaching is very clear, and it holds both in Italy and in America; may be that we Italian Catholics are LESS faithful than the Americans.

[Mary W]

Piero, please read the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. It is VERY black and white on the subject of abortion and other issues. ALWAYS intrinsically evil.

Praying for Nancy Pelosi and Archbishop N.

[Burnt Marshwiggle]

Frankly, I'd love to take Father to Starbucks instead of getting on my knees in that dark box, especially when I've done something that I was under the mistaken impression was a mortal sin.

Good news, your desires are perfectly in line with ideal practices. The difficult task of discerning which sins to work on and which virtues to pursue at the moment (often known as spiritual direction) is best done outside the confessional.

Conversations at Starbucks are much better venues for this than the confessional as the lineups behind aren't rushing you to finish.

[Piera]

paolo,
you are italian so you know that in the last election neither the Vatican nor card Ruini endorsed Ferrara and his list against abortion.
And this is a great shame for the pope and Ruini.
Sure the Pope speaks against abortion, but in Italy he acts as Abp. Niederauer.

[Piera]

Mary W

of course abortion is evil.
My point was the pope in Italy acts like Abp. Niederauer and others, the pope praised all the time politician and lawmakers pro-choice, gave Communion to them, so for the Vatican the practice ( not the theory about abortion) is not black or white.

[Mary W]

Piera- names, please! To which "pro-choice" lawmakers and politicians did His Holiness PERSONALLY administer the Eucharist while having full knowledge of their views.

[piera]

Mary W,
for example on 17 June 2007 in Assisi and 21 October 2007 in Naples BXVI PERSONALLY gave the Eucharist to Prodi, Italian Prime Minister and pro-choice.
Prodi was, before to be Italian Prime Minister, "President" of the European Union and very often praised the European abortion laws as "a great achievement of European countries".

[piera]

Mary W,

and Francesco Rutelli former mayor of Roma that sponsored the italian abortion law.

[Janny]

I see no purpose in continuing to argue about whom the Pope gives Communion to over in the Vatican, when we have a few thousand bishops over here in America who have the authority, and should use it, against those who are committing sacrilege in their own backyard. We cannot control the actions of prelates in Italy; we can, and should, demand that our bishops step into their roles of authority HERE. And we have every right to doubt their salvation when they persist in refusing to do so.

But that's "deciding" who's going to hell and whom to heaven , and that's a "Protestant" attitude and "no Catholic", you say? Come on. Be serious. Even Jesus Himself said "By their fruits..." He gave us eyes, ears, and brains for a reason, and He expects us to use them.

When Jesus said, "Do not judge," he wasn't telling us, "Ignore what your eyes see and your ears hear, just let these people be." On one level, sure, we can't see into someone's soul--but we sure as heck can see the "fruit" of what's in that soul--and form conclusions about it--by the outward actions and words of the person involved. Not only does Jesus say that's OKAY to do, he COMMANDS us to do so. Otherwise, why would one of the spiritual acts of mercy be "to admonish sinners"?

I'll meet you at Starbucks, Karen. :-)

[piera]

Janny

"We cannot control the actions of prelates in Italy"

We are speaking about the pope,Janny, not just Italian prelates.BXVI is committing sacrilege. But if for you is ok...

"But that's "deciding" who's going to hell and whom to heaven , and that's a "Protestant" attitude and "no Catholic", you say? Come on. Be serious. Even Jesus Himself said "By their fruits..."

Yes Janny, it is true. BXVI, the pope will go straight to the hell, with Niederauer an other US Bishop, because BXVI acts in the same way.There isn't difference.

"Otherwise, why would one of the spiritual acts of mercy be "to admonish sinners"?

Come on, Janny.I'm waiting.Begin to admonish the Pope too, and not only the US bishops. If you don't make this you are only an hypocrite.

[Nathan]

Hello, Karen--there's a very good discussion on this topic (tangentially)at Fr. Z's blog now: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/09/bp-morlino-of-madsion-on-pelosi-biden-and-the-failure-of-clergy/

In Christ,