I don’t read anything more in 1stJohn 1:9 than what is there.
Turning back to God (repentance) and confessing our sins to Him (not third party nosy busybodies who attempt to counterfeit the relationship between believing priest and God) results in God being faithful and just, forgiving us those sins and cleansing us of all unrighteousness.
What about in the Gospels where Christ gives the keys of the kingdom to Peter and says, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”??????
This is Christ giving Peter, the head of the Apostles the ability to bind or forgive sin. I think it is one of the verses (just like Luke 25-56) that Protestants have a problem with, because it doesn’t quite go with their strong beliefs in other parts of the New Testament.
But it is still there. The Apostles passed that down to the next generation of priests and so it has been passed down from generation to generation.
That is why the Catholic Church claims
“Apostolis”
as one of the four marks of the Catholic Church. Our faith came from Christ through the Apostles to our present day bishops and priests.
I do realize there is a difference of opinion here, but we will have to agree to disagree on it. I know I won’t change my beliefs and I doubt that I can sway your beliefs either.
I would just ask that you ponder that part of Matthew — I believe Chapter 16. (There’s a FR Bible Study thread on it right now.