Shamelessly pulled entirely from the blog of Dr. Edward Peters, JD, JCD. I really had no idea there was such a practice as “joint” celebration of Penance.
The practice of spouses jointly celebrating the sacrament of confession recently garnered support from Catholic News Service veteran columnist Fr. John Deitzen. Provided that couples “approve and consider it helpful for their marriage”, Deitzen holds that spouses may confess their sins in each other’s presence and receive absolution. He notes only that each spouse would be bound by the seal of confession in regard to what he or she learned about the other.
Dr. Peters is a canon lawyer and is always great reading. It also helps to have a canon lawyer around as a resource 😉 His books on Annulments and Excommunication are spectacular!
Heh. I wonder how many engagements have ended before absolution…
I could only imagine what it would be like for married couples that have the role reversal syndrome. The Husband would confess something, and the wife would tell him that he is wrong, that’s not the way it happened. Then the husband would say yes dear just to shut her up, then he would have to confess, submissiveness to a woman and not being a true man. Not to mention she would go in with a check list of the “sins??? he committed, like not reading her mind that she wanted him to take out the garbage, not putting the seat down, and most importantly not bowing down when she enters a room.
Wouldn’t this open doors to be more critical of one’s spouse, and sew the seeds of bitterness?