Let's look at the whole picture. Crucifixion was and is the most gruesome and painful means of execution. 1,025 years before it was used on Jesus, BEFORE IT WAS EVEN INVENTED, King David wrote about Jesus' execution in this manner in Psalm 22. The Romans desired to make execution in this manner as the greatest crime deterrent. They devised ways to speed up or keep the execution going slowly. Yes, there was plenty of time to, as you say, "chit-chat" while dying, as executions could go on for days, and I know my wife, when she is in tremendous pain will say things that she does not remember that she said. So I believe that Saint Dismas, the repentant criminal, said what he said, and Jesus said what he said, and both said what they said with immense sincerity. Who were witness to this? In the Gospel of John we see the unnamed women, the mother of the Lord and her sister; and 2 women by the names of Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." (John 19:25) As Luke the Apostle records in the Gospel of Luke, there were many women, but these stand prominently out, as having been most closely associated with Him: "A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him." (Luke 23:27) "But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things." (Luke 23:49) The Apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke and John speak of the presence of the soldiers, and of the two malefactors crucified one on either side of Jesus. The Apostles Matthew, Mark, and Luke draw special attention to the centurion in charge of the carrying out of the crucifixion, and they give some account of how he was impressed in the presence of the Jesus the Crucified. According to Matthew he said, "Surely he was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54) According to Mark, "Surely this Man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39) According to Luke, "Surely this was a righteous Man" (Luke 23:47) The presence of the chief priests is recorded by Matthew, Mark, and John with Luke making no reference to them. Matthew, Mark, and Luke refer to the scribes, elders, or rulers, comprising the Sanhedrin, while John ignores their presence. "In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him." (Matthew 27:41) "In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. 'He saved others,' they said, 'but he can’t save himself!'" (Mark 15: 31) "The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.'” (Luke 23:35) "The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.'" (John 19:21) It was no accident that Jesus was crucified between 2 thieves. There are no accidents in a world that is governed by God. Much less could there have been any accident on that day, or in connection with that event of all events - a day and an event which lie at the very center of the world’s history. No, God was presiding over that scene. From all eternity He had decreed when and where and how and with whom his Son should die. Nothing was left to chance or the impulsiveness of man. All that God had decreed came to pass exactly as He had ordained, and nothing happened save as He had eternally purposed. Whatsoever man did was simply that which God’s hand and counsel "determined to be done" (Acts 4:28). When Pilate gave orders that the Lord Jesus should be crucified between the two criminals, all unknown to himself, he was simply putting into execution the eternal decree of God and fulfilling His prophetic word. 700 years before Pilate gave his command, God had declared through the prophet Isaiah that Jesus should be "numbered with the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12). How utterly unlikely this appeared, that the Holy One of God should be numbered with the unholy; that the very one whose finger had inscribed on the tables of stone the Law should be assigned a place with the lawless; that the Son of God should be executed with criminals - this seemed utterly inconceivable. Yet, it actually came to pass. Not a single word of God can fall to the ground. "Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89). Just as God had ordained, and just as He had announced, so it came to pass.

please see the video entitled, "I heard the voice of Jesus!... | Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | 1956-68" on this channel. He had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ in January 1956. He speaks about it in this recording

Please view, "I heard the voice of Jesus!... | Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | 1956-68," on this channel. He had a personal encounter with Jesus in January 1956. He speaks of it in this recording.

catholic, i.e., universal, yes. Catholic, as in Roman, no. Saint Thomas Choir School is a boarding school located in Manhattan, New York, one of three world-wide that exclusively educate boy treble choristers, while requiring them to board at the school (the other two being Westminster Abbey Choir School in England and Escolania de Montserrat in Spain). The school is under the aegis of the nearby Saint Thomas Church (Episcopal), whose choral ensemble, the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, performs music in the Anglican tradition at worship services, while offering a full concert series during the course of the school year.

I was waiting for others to jump in and explain this but apparently they are not. The Catholic faith says that Jesus’ priesthood was also given to men so that they could continue his earthly work of forgiving sins. In the Gospel of John 20:19-23, it reads, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” You have an excellent question which you should direct to either the priest or the deacon teaching your Order of Christian Initiation of Adults or RCIA class