Confession, Purity and the Soul

This sermon, titled "Confession, Purity and the Soul" was given by our Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson on Sunday, 27th October, 2019 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide.

As a former young Catholic, Rob reminisces about the nature and purposes of the Sacrament of Confession within the Roman Catholic Church. Such old habits "die hard". Before his confession, Rob would be expected to catalogue all his transgressions. And after conferring regularly and privately with a priest within the 'privacy' of a confessional, these sins would then be ritually absolved - or washed away - so that Rob would be purified - cleansed of his sins - before the Mass. Rob then explains why Confession was such an imperative for Catholics and observes the institutional power that is drawn from it. He then compares the variations to be found on the Sacrament of Confession in Catholicism and other churches with our Unitarian Universalist perspective on wrong-doing and forgiveness. Listen on!