VENICE (FL)
News-Press
Written by
Mary Wozniak
Canon law, the internal law of the Catholic Church, says this about the priest’s role in the sacrament of confession:
“In posing questions, the priest is to proceed with prudence and discretion, attentive to the condition and age of the penitent, and is to refrain from asking the name of an accomplice.”
Which raises the question: Is it prudent or discreet to ask teenage girls in the confessional if they’ve had sex or if they masturbate?
Fired Bishop Verot High School teacher Chris Wilson claims in a lawsuit the Rev. Cory Mayer asked those questions of at least five female students while hearing their confessions April 14, 2011. In at least one instance, Mayer said he would refuse absolution unless the questions were answered, Wilson said.
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