Then in the middle of confession his cell phone rang, he picked it up to see who was calling and then put it back without turning it off. Because of this distraction he even forgot to give me my penance. I tracked him down to tell him that he forgot to give me my penance and he was adamant that he gave it to me and I must have forgotten it. What would you suggest I do about this?
She receives this answer from Michelle Arnold.
He may have had the cell phone with him in case of emergency. But, if you were uncertain whether the call had been disconnected and wanted to make sure that the confession was not being overheard, you could ask politely, "Father, is your caller still on the line?" and, if so, request that the call be disconnected.
You can mention in your next confession that you didn't receive a penance last time. Whatever penance the priest gives you at that confession will cover last time. Should a similar situation happen in the future where a priest insists that he gave you a penance and that you must have forgotten it, I recommend politely asking him to give you another penance.
We find this advice appalling. The idea that it’s ok for a priest to leave his cell phone on because of possible emergency messages is total bullshit. This same priest would definitely turn his cell phone off if he was performing a wedding, or a funeral, or attending a symphony.
OFFICIAL ADVICE FROM JESUIT WATCH
Dear Margaret G.
This priest is a bad man. His main job as a priest is to perform sacraments. He’s obviously not doing his job but he’s still taking his pay. This is a sin for him.
When you pointed out a mistake he made, he called you a liar. Don’t bother talking to this priest, he doesn’t care about you, or about doing his job, and he will continue to blame you rather than admit any fault of his own.
Here’s what we recommend.
Write an letter to this priest’s superior and describe this particular confession story, just as you did above. Be sure to name the priest.
Then, write that you will withhold your donations from the parish until the priest apologizes from the pulpit. Also, demand that the parish publish a firm policy that priests will turn off cell phones when hearing confessions.
If you get no response, send the same letter to the nearest bishop, with a cc to the local pastor.
This could bring results. You see, Margaret, the Church may or may not care about you, but it definitely likes your money.
The most disturbing part of this episode for Margaret must be the way the Catholic apologist defends the priest, and seems to condone cells phones in the confessional.
It’s not a religious issue, it’s a delivery-of-services issue. Margaret knows she’s getting cheated, no matter what Michelle Arnold says.
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