Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?

The Catholic Spirit ^ | March 25, 2009 | Father Michael Van Sloun

[NYer]

Of all the objections to the sacrament of reconciliation, the one most often voiced, particularly by Protestants, and sometimes by Catholics is:  “I don’t need to go to confession to a priest! The priest is just another human being! All that I need to do is to confess my sins directly to God, and that is enough!”

This objection is flawed on a number of counts:

• Jesus com­mis­sion­ed forgiveness through his apostles. Jesus ask­ed believers to ap­proach God for forgive­ness through the apostles who were com­missioned to act as his agents.

Jesus told Peter, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

After the resurrection, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23). Priests alone carry out this apostolic role (Canon 965; CCC 1461 and 1462).

This is consistent with our Jewish heritage. When it came to atonement for sins in the Jewish tradition, God instructed Moses to have the people bring a holocaust to the temple, usually an unblemished bullock or lamb.

The sinner was to lay his hands on the head of the animal, symbolically transferring his sins to the animal, and then to slaughter it, to have the animal die in place of the sinner.

The sinner then handed the animal to the priest who offered it on the altar (Leviticus 1:1-5). The priest served as a go-between for the sinner to mediate God’s pardon and peace.

• Catholic sacraments are mediated. The sacraments celebrate the most profound moments of our lives: birth (baptism), the transition to adulthood (confirmation), lifetime commitment (marriage and holy orders), and the end of life (anointing).

Two other sacraments strengthen us for the journey through life: Eucharist, our spiritual sustenance; and penance, the forgiveness of sins.

We need to be fed at least weekly, and because we sin so often, we need to be forgiven regularly. The sacraments are not self-administered. Rather, the priest is the mediator, the linkage or conduit between God and the people, a rich channel of God’s grace.

• A personal encounter with Christ. The priest is not just “another human being,” but one who acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. With faith, we believe that when the penitent speaks to the priest, the penitent speaks to Christ, and when the priest speaks, the priest speaks on behalf of Christ. When the priest says, “I absolve you,” it is Christ who absolves (Mark 2:10).

• A community representative. Our sins offend not only God, but the community as well. It is not only impractical to admit our sins to others, but often also ill-advised, because of scandal or grave consequences. When we admit our sins to a priest, we reconcile with the community, and the priest, on behalf of those we have offended, says, “You are forgiven.”

• The personal touch. When we confess our sins to a priest, we are able to receive individualized counsel — advice that fits our unique circumstances — and we can be given a penance that is “medicinal,” specifically tailored to help us in the spiritual healing process (Canon 981).

[Lorica]

LOL. Great story.

[wtc911]

Thanks. I’ve had other successes but I like the anonymity here so I keep them to myself.

[northislander]

I’m still glad I don’t need a priest to feel that my sins are forgiven. Again, Arminianism leads to sentimental sacerdotalism and a persistent condition of uncertainty. No thanks.

[wtc911]

The names were changed to protect the innocent.

[MarkBsnr]

***I’m still glad I don’t need a priest to feel that my sins are forgiven.***

It’s not about your feelings. Scripture is clear.

***Arminianism leads to sentimental sacerdotalism and a persistent condition of uncertainty.***

Faith, hope and charity; and of these charity is the greatest. Paul didn’t know either; he merely had faith and hoped in the salvation of Christ. Do you consider yourself better in Christ than Paul?

[Invincibly Ignorant]

I'm afraid that your feeble attempt at wit and humor fell far short on both counts. It only served to prove that horses asses out number horses.

You're just jealous. :-)

[northislander]

Equal...and still not in need of a black robed hood pretending to have spiritual authority over others.

[GingisK]

Martin Luther figured that out quite some time ago. Some people are mighty slow on the uptake.

[MarkBsnr]

***Equal...and still not in need of a black robed hood pretending to have spiritual authority over others.***

You consider yourself equal to somebody that the Lord God Almighty converted in a lightning flash and became the second greatest Apostle of the Lord?

Hubris is as hubris does.

Still, the Scriptural proofs of the authority of the Church appear to have escaped you? Hmm, I’d say that this is a considerable repudiation of the false doctrines that arose from the Reformation, and for 15 centuries before that.

Jesus Christ created the Church and the Holy Spirit commissioned it at Pentecost. You have the free choice to reject it but that carries with it certain penalties.

[klossg]

C123: "I was not required to confess my sins to a priest in order to be confirmed, and at no time since I have been a full-fledged member of the Church has our priest gotten up and stated that we are required to do this."

Most priests will not venture to say that one needs to go to confession out of the all to human fear of scaring people away.

C123: "He does these communal penance services during Advent and Lent, and gives anyone who comes to this service a General Absolution."

Just to clarify - General absolution only works in case of emergency (see CCC 1483) ... for example priests on 911 gave general absolution to anyone looking for it. (John Paul II clarified this here (see Communal penance services happen every mass with the Kyrie or the "I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters ..." But, this is not proper absolution.

C123: "This is canonically valid according to him."

Ask your priest again. He may not have understood that people are relying exclusively on communal absolution. And you may want to ask him to clarify it based on JPII's Motu Proprio titled "Misercordia Dei" that I referenced above in the link.

[northislander]

Not nearly the penalties associated with troubling the saints with your popish doctrines. Nuff said.

[MarkBsnr]

***Not nearly the penalties associated with troubling the saints with your popish doctrines. Nuff said.***

Do I detect random wanderings around multicoloured and hysterical websites? Popish doctrines? You mean the doctrines of the Church that Jesus Christ authorized to create doctrine? But evidently the Bible is not enough to convince you that the Church is appointed by Christ and the individual is expressly not, to interpret the Bible and to teach the meaning of Christ.

If you would, please explain the meaning of “troubling the saints”. And if you would, let me know if you consider yourself one of them.

“Nuff said”: and like everyone who has had enough, you will still come back for more.

[highpockets]

You all are better educated than me.

When I confess, I feel better.

Nothing more, nothing less.

I have that opportunity to reflect on my actions, I am given another touch of the lords love, and the freedom to live once more.

[Natural Law]

"You're just jealous. :-)"

Yeah, that's it. I'm jealous......By the way, we are not laughing with you.....

[motor_racer]

It’s their club, they make the rules. If you want to be a member you follow them.

[klossg]

I wouldn't want to be a member of a club that would have me!


I was just born there.

[Desdemona]

Well, I was required to receive Penance before both First Communion and Confirmation. In my parish, we are reminded that the Church teaches that we are all to go the Confession at least once a year (that’s in every Church teaching book I’ve ever had. Not that everyone observes it). And from the pulpit Confession is pushed. We now have Confession times between Masses on Sunday and the lines are always long enough that you can say an entire Rosary before you get the front.

[Salvation]

Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?
Why do Catholics have to confess their sins to a priest instead of praying straight to God? [Ecu]

When did confession to a priest start? [Ecumenical]
Confession, Confession Everywhere (Cardinal Says Youth Day Is Reviving the Sacrament)
In One Church, Confession Makes a Comeback (Catholic Caucus)
Priests should encourage recovery of Sacrament of Reconciliation
A Gift That is Always in Season (Sacrament of Penance) Catholic Caucus

[Sacrament of]Confession
Make a Good Confession
Those in Mortal Sin Can't Go to Communion, Says Pope
Holy Week Recovers Celebration of Penance (at St. Peter's Basilica) - photos!
Reasons for Confession [Sacrament of Reconciliation]

Lesson 19: Confession (Part 1) BY FATHER ALTIER
Lesson 20: Confession (Part 2) BY FATHER ROBERT ALTIER
Serious about God? Then get serious about confession
St. Ephraim the Syrian: On Repentance
What happened to confession – Changing mores reflective of use
Repentance and Confession - Introduction [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Spiritual and Psychological Value of Frequent Confession
Pick a sin, any sin (Confession gone awry)
The Early Church Fathers on Confession / Reconciliation - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Catholics called from the idiot box to confession
Benedict XVI Extols Sacrament of Penance - Says Priests Need to Make It a Priority

Confession’s Comeback
Priests say more Catholics returning to confession
Pope Hears Confessions of Youth
MESSAGE FOR ALL CATHOLICS (in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday - April 15)
Salvation: Just click and confess

CONFESSION AND CONFUSION
Get Thee To A Confessional! (beautiful insight for those who dread going to Confession)
Emerging Trends: The Return to the Confessional
Confessing to 'sins' is booming in America (Evangelicals and Protestants take up practice)
What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Penance (Reconciliation, Confession) [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

A Comeback for Confession
MORTAL SIN and HOLY CONFESSION - The Antidote of Death
Thinking Inside the Box: An Attitude for Confession
Confessional Advice
The Epidemic and the Cure [The Sin of the World and the Sacrament of Reconciliation] (Confession)

[Salvation]

Here are the actual words of absolution spoken by the priest to the penitent:

 

1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church:

God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and the resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[SuziQ]

Priests are human beings, and are as capable of venial and mortal sins as the rest of us. They need to 'get right with God' as we all do, from time to time.

I assume that you believe that accepting Jesus as your Savior means you're saved. Does that mean you can sin as much as you want and still enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Catholics believe that since God created us with free will, and He understood human beings, He also gave us the mechanism by which we could repent of our sins, on an ongoing basis. After all, if Jesus hadn't intended for us to repent of our sins, why did he give the Apostles the power to forgive them, in God's name? Jesus knew he was going to redeem us by His Saving Blood, yet he still allowed for Confession of our sins.