Feb
23
Workplace Conversations on Confession and the Priesthood...
"Confessing to a priest?" the man said dismissively, as we were about to start our editorial meeting at work. "I haven't gone to Confession with a priest since I was 11-years-old!" (Mind you, the man is pushing 60!) He went on, "I knew too many priests who were scoundrels and I ain't about to confess to no scoundrel priest. No way!"
"It's not the priest who forgives your sins," I offered, as some co-workers listened in, "It's God using the priest."
"I know. I know. I confess. But, I confess directly to God, not a priest," he shot back.
At that point I kind of floundered and, like a civil servant employee who doesn't want to deal with the unruly customer any longer and says "next!" to the following guy in line, I moved on to the task at hand; our meeting.
"It's not the priest who forgives your sins," I offered, as some co-workers listened in, "It's God using the priest."
"I know. I know. I confess. But, I confess directly to God, not a priest," he shot back.
At that point I kind of floundered and, like a civil servant employee who doesn't want to deal with the unruly customer any longer and says "next!" to the following guy in line, I moved on to the task at hand; our meeting.
