Posted on 09/30/2017 6:40:42 AM PDT by Salvation
Msgr. Charles Pope 9/27/2017
Question: As a child, I was taught to confess my sins individually by name and the number of times committed. Is this practice legally required? Some confessors say this amount of detail is unnecessary. Also, how did the confession ritual of the Church get established? There is no biblical record that I know of.— Glen Morton, Peoria, Illinois
Answer: Confessing sins in kind (by name) and number is required only for mortal sins. For lesser (venial) sins it is sufficient to speak of them more generally. For example, one could say, “I get angry at my kids from time to time.”
While you place the requirement of kind and number in the context of law, it is more helpful to see it in a pastoral way. Think of someone who goes to the doctor with significant headaches. To diagnose the problem and its severity, the doctor may ask how frequently the headaches occur, when and where the pain is felt. It is similar with priests. Sacramental norms indicate that serious sins be confessed in kind and number to assist the priest in understanding how significant the problem is for a person. Then he can advise and supply possible remedies and a penance more accurately.
As for the biblical roots of confession, Jesus gave the apostles authority to forgive or retain sin on the night of the Resurrection: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:23). To do this presumes that people must approach the apostles, indicate their sins and, having assessed contrition, the apostles and their priestly successors can absolve or withhold absolution. The Book of James speaks of calling on the priests of the Church when someone is sick so that they can be anointed and “if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (Jas 5:15). The Book of Acts says: “Many of those who had become believers came forward and openly acknowledged their former practices” (19:18). The context of the verse indicates it was Paul to whom they came.
The precise rituals have varied over the centuries. But the fundamental teaching of the need to confess serious sins to a priest and receive absolution is a biblical and consistent practice of the Catholic Church.
A ping for Monsignor Pope’s OSV column!
But not of the New Testament or Christianity. There is a difference.
Exactly. We are saved by grace by the blood of Christ.
Nothing we do can add to that.
We do not earn grace. It is a free gift from God.
The thief on the cross did not confess his sins to Jesus but was saved nonetheless.
Priests are not our mediator to God. Christ and Christ alone is.
For these reasons this doctrine is in error.
“Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to Church subject to him” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2089).
>>Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to Church subject to him (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2089).
There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ: nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense, be head thereof; but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God. (Westminster Confession of Faith 25.6)
The Sin Box-Why have Catholics stopped lining up at the confessional?
This article might only deal with Catholics, but it's the same in Protestant churches where the "God loves me just the way I am" attitude has taken over.
Without repentance, there is no forgiveness from sin.
I’ll take the words of Jesus.
**Jesus gave the apostles authority to forgive or retain sin on the night of the Resurrection: Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (Jn 20:23).**
I’ll take the words of Jesus. Will you?
**Jesus gave the apostles authority to forgive or retain sin on the night of the Resurrection: Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (Jn 20:23).**
Few people these days (Catholics or Protestants) are willing to confess their sins.
>><<
That’s a silly, arrogant statement. How do you know that?
How do you know what is in people’s hearts? Why do you presume that they don’t have a personal relationship with God?
I’ll take the words of Jesus!
**Jesus gave the apostles authority to forgive or retain sin on the night of the Resurrection: Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (Jn 20:23).**
They say one of the signs of a good Catholic Church is long Confession lines. We have those at my Catholic Church because we believe Jesus’ words:
**Jesus gave the apostles authority to forgive or retain sin on the night of the Resurrection: Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (Jn 20:23).**
**The thief on the cross did not confess his sins to Jesus but was saved nonetheless.**
The thief publicly admitted his guilt while rebuking the unrepentant thief.
The Son of man had power to forgive sins while on earth. He forgave the man with the palsy (that was lowered through the roof; which when Jesus “saw their faith”, forgave the man of his sins).
He also forgave the sinner woman that anointed his feet,..... after.... she anointed him.
Before he ascended to heaven, the Lord passed the authority to remit sins to his disciples. Acts 2:38 is the first application of that authority after Jesus Christ’s departure.
Fortunately, we have Christs promise that heresies will never prevail against the Church, for he told Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The Church is truly, in Pauls words, “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
I am sad for so much ignorance on the subject of mortal sin. I had one priest who after hearing sins said “Have you gone to Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin?” The Church teaches that if a Catholic does that, they commit another mortal sin of sacrilege. If they are ignorant of that sin and have not made a good examination, then they shield them from God’s grace and they keep going to Communion and receive no grace. Has this led to people’s lack of belief in the real presence? Maybe.
Because it took me a long time to find a confessional church. Few churches today publicly confess their sins during worship service.
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