Actually, it says ‘confessing our faults one to another’.
No man has the power to absolve, forgive or in any manner mediate between god and man. No yogis, priests, popes, witch doctors, channelers...nobody!
Fortunately, we have the first amendment or we would be right back under the control of arminian sacerdotalists.
Good grief!
I always took the ‘confess to one another’ as more of a therapeutic instrument, especially, as you pointed out, it is not stated as for absolution, nor is it man’s place to absolve. IE, don’t keep your guilt bottled up, let it go...
Strong’s Number: 3900
a sin, misdeed
Jam 5:16 Confess [your] faults ((hamartanō) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Same Greek word
As good christians who embrace the Word of God, you are surely familiar with Scripture. In John 20:21, before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins. In the next line, John 20:22 the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place. In the next line, John 20:23, Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.
As for giving power to men, take a look at Matt. 9:8. This verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Further on, in Matt. 9:6 and in Mark 2:10, Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.
And, yes, priests are sinners and also take their sins to the Sacrament of Confession.
Jesus Christ left us these awesome gifts out of love for mankind. You should avail yourselves of them.