The following is from the National Catholic Register:
“A website has been set up in Italy whereby hundreds of priests from all over the country can offer pastoral help and advice on the Internet but not the sacraments.
Called Pretionline.it, users can request to hear the advice of a priest, all of which is given in confidence. Each priest is listed according to his region, and under his listing is a short bio and statement of his area of expertise. There are 825 priests registered to help on the site, and some limit their pastoral skills only to certain groups, such as the lonely and the sick. Others specialize in exorcisms, helping widows or parents who have lost children.
Each priest has a ?traffic light? symbol beside his name. Users are advised to avoid a priest whose particular light is red, as he is likely to be busy in his parish. One priest who is busy in three dioceses has a red traffic light that is ?always on,? according to an article on the site in today?s Il Giornale.
The venture has the blessing of Italy?s bishops, but they warn the Internet cannot be used to give or receive the sacraments.”
Certainly an interesting idea. I wonder if it will catch on in other countries and dioceses.
Tags: News and Media
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Isn't this what Fathers Trujillio and Levis already do? And what the ..ahem…"experts" on EWTN's Q&A; have been doing for years?
It's a bit different. The priests at this Web site aren't so much answering questions on liturgy, theology, and Canon Law, but are providing pastoral care over the Web.
~Dr. K
Oh, okay. Thanks.
Were I an e-priest the first thing I would want to know before I continued would be why they are not going to their own priest. I might just find that these people have needs or issues much larger than the one they came in with.