Following The Truth: Confession – Is It Still Necessary? (Catholic or Open)

CE.com ^ | July 28th, 2009 | Gary Zimak

[Salvation]

Confession – Is It Still Necessary?

July 28th, 2009 by Gary Zimak

One of the harsh realities facing the Catholic Church is the fact that many of her members no longer receive the sacrament of Confession on a regular basis. For one reason or another, many Catholics don’t feel the need to go to Confession. Let’s look at some of the common objections and discuss why the sacrament of Confession is still as relevant today as it was when Jesus instituted it 2000 years ago.

“I confess my sins directly to Christ. Why do I need to go through a ‘middle man’?” This may come as a surprise to some, but the Church teaches that when you go to Confession, you are speaking directly to Jesus. Why the need for a priest? For one thing, that’s how the Lord designed the sacrament. In John 20:21-23, Jesus breathed on the Apostles and said “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Careful observation of Jesus’ words will show that while He is giving the Apostles the ability to forgive sins, they are also receiving the authority to make a judgment. There are certain cases where absolution may be denied and that decision would be impossible without knowing the details of the offense. Therefore, verbal confession of sins is necessary. Another very logical argument for confessing your sins to another individual is that we tend to be very lenient with ourselves. Jesus was well aware of our human nature when He instituted the sacrament of Confession. Verbalizing your sins to another individual requires a much greater level of humility than confessing them in your own mind. Throughout the gospels, Our Lord stressed the importance of humility for His followers and this is one more way to practice that virtue.

“Jesus only gave that authority to His Apostles. It doesn’t apply to priests!” The Church teaches that the authority granted by Jesus to the original Apostles is passed down to their successors, the bishops. This is known as Apostolic Succession. Due to the large number of Catholics in the world today, it would be impossible for the bishops to carry out their ministry effectively without help. For that reason, they are assisted in their mission by priests. In order to effectively assist the bishops, the authority to forgive or retain sins is also extended to priests.

“The Church teaches that it’s acceptable to’ follow your conscience’ and I don’t feel that (artificial birth control, missing Mass, premarital sex, in-vitro fertilization, etc.) is a sin.” Using this logic can justify any action and seemingly eliminate the need for the sacrament of Confession. While the Church does teach that we should follow our conscience, she also instructs that we must continually inform that conscience by studying Church teaching. The human conscience can be defective, as evidenced by individuals such as Adolph Hitler and Saddam Hussein, who believed that their evil actions were morally justified.

“I thought that the Church did away with mortal sin. Didn’t Vatican II state that nobody goes to Hell anymore?” Sadly, this is a very popular belief, even among Catholics. Just for the record, the Church teaching on mortal (or grave) sin has not changed. There are some sins that render us incapable of eternal life and their intentional commission warrants the punishment of Hell. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.” (CCC 1033)

While the above quotation may frighten some, the good news is that all of our sins (mortal and venial) can be forgiven in the sacrament of Confession. We need only express sorrow for our sins and vow to refrain from committing them again. If we fail, there is no limit to the number of times we can seek forgiveness in the sacrament. God knows that human nature is weak and only asks that we try our best to avoid sin.

“You only have to go to Confession if you’ve committed a mortal sin.” While this is technically a true statement, there is much grace to be obtained even when only venial sins are committed:

Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. (CCC 1458)

For many years, I neglected this great sacrament. I would go two or three times a year, mainly out of habit. I confessed the same sins each time, carefully avoiding any that were too controversial. My spiritual life was stuck in a rut and I wasn’t making any substantial progress in avoiding sin. One day I heard something that changed my life: I learned that the pope went to Confession weekly! Realizing that I didn’t understand the power of the sacrament, I decided that I would start confessing my sins bi-weekly. The results were incredible…For the first time in my life, I started making progress in avoiding my “favorite” sins. The sacramental grace received in Confession was helping me to become a better person!

If it’s been a while since you’ve gone to Confession, I urge you to do as soon as possible. If you’re not sure what to say, simply ask the priest and he will guide you. If you’re concerned that the priest will reveal your sins to others, rest assured that he will not. He is forbidden (under threat of automatic excommunication) from revealing or making any use of any information heard in the confessional. If you’ve been carrying around guilt for a long time and wondering if God can ever forgive you…Hearing these words of absolution will assure you that God has indeed forgiven your sins!

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.

[verga]

How so? You put the kids in the car and go. Ah, just how many times a month/year do you have something to confess?

Friends of ours adopted 6 kids, and are currently fostering 2 more. The whole family goes to biweekly if not weekly confession.

[Mad Dawg]

Part of the problem is that when we talk about confession some think that’s the only way we pray about our sins. It isn’t.

Yes, certainly, at the end of the day. An optional part of “night prayer” is a little “self-exam” and prayer for forgiveness.
Yes, certainly at the moment we notice the sin.
A “rote prayer” or an extempore prayer expressing contrition and asking for help are common practices.

Aside from anything else, we pray so that we can pray more until every moment is a moment of prayer. We want to live with IHS, and we may!

[verga]

As opposed to someone who feels that you have no understanding at all and need to do as told, in Latin no less?

You do know that the first Bible was written in wait for it.......Koine (Greek for the New Testament) and also Hebrew (Mark). The Old testament was written first in Hebrew then later Translated into Greek (The Septuagint) The translation was completed long Before Christ walked among us.

The bible is in plain English now, not Latin. The veil was not torn so that a man could put it back up again.Actually the Bible is written not only in English but also in approximately 125 other languages. The tearing of the veil was was symbolic of Jesus victory over death and had NOTHING to do with confession.

OAnd I forgot about how the woman with the issue of blood made prayer to Peter first.

Actually if you had read closely you would know that the issue was that she was trying to treat him as God, where Catholics believe that the Priest is acting "In persona Christi" In place of Christ, which is what Jesus told the Apostles to do.

And how the little children should be allowed to come to Jesus, but only after giving 2 pence to Judas first.

I have no clue what this even means, even when I was a protestant I never said anything this nonsensical.

The confessional is nothing less than a modern ‘Holy of Holies’. And is as relevant.

The Holy of Holies was the place where the people representatives went to meet God since no one could look on the face of God. Your comparison really has no basis ion reality and I really don't see the relevance of your comments. Oh wait I get it you couldn't refute the Bible verses so you used the logical fallacies of red herrings and straw men to try and divert the debate.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to inform the lurkers of the Truth of the Catholic Faith while effortlessly dimantling what I guess was your best argument.

[verga]

You really think every protestant church is how you’ve said they are?

Darn few Protestant ministers have more than a Bachelors degree. Catholic Priests are required to have a Masters of Divinity degree. What are the requires to start a New Protestant denomination? Since there are over 30,000 I guess they aren't that strict.

You really want to go pointing fingers at the clergy of other denominations?

If I painted the Roman church with the same broad brush you painted all the other denominations, I’d say you ought to never leave your kids alone for 5 seconds with any priest.

You really wannna go there? Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggert. Google "Baptist Predators" , "Protestant minister scandals" and "Protestant Minister abuse"

I think you need to get the log out of your own eye before taking shots at the Catholic Church.

[Scotswife]

I’ve been saying for years...being a catholic, a boy scout leader, a teacher, a minister, a clown - doesn’t make a person a predator. Rather, people with those inclinations are naturally drawn to that type of work, knowing they will have access to children.

We have seen for years, “if only priests were allowed to marry....blah blah blah”

Time after time, we see married ministers,married teachers, and now “well respected” married athletic coaches being outed for what they really are.

It would be nice to see christians tackling this problem in unison, rather than pretending that only those folks “over there” need to worry about it wouldn’t it?

[verga]

They have no idea on all the sanctifying and actual graces flowing out of the Sacrament of Penance, do they?

I returned to the Catholic Church more than a few years ago, and that first confession after my absence was so liberating. It felt like I was floating 2 feet off the ground. When I walked in the door back home my wife knew immediately that I had gone and she told me I had an almost ethereal glow about me.

[Gerish]

Great article, thanks for posting.

No greater weight has been lifted off my shoulders or burdens of a heavy heart than when I hear the words, "I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit." What a true blessing the Sacrament of Confession is!

[bjcoop]

It’s not a middle man. The priest is anointed by God and exercising HIS authority. Also, the human race as a whole is supposed to operate as a unit when it comes to our faith and not solely “personal”.

[bjcoop]

Many protestant preachers have NO religious training or divinity degrees. Some are just merely elected by the congregants because they allegedly know the Bible

[bjcoop]

The priest is called by God to exercise his will.

[dsc]

“Going through an actual confession in the Catholic Church makes you feel that inspiring power of being unchained from one’s sins.”

Bears repeating. It’s like a burden has been lifted from your shoulders.

[Salvation]

The Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament came in and did a Lenten Mission for us. We had our adoration chapel up and running by May with a few empty slots.

[dsc]

“I picture Jesus listening to Paul saying “Jesus, Salvation has prayed for such and such.”
Jesus says “I wonder why I didn;t hear from him direct?”

Wow, you really think Jesus is that petty?

Asking for the intercession of the saints is not a *substitute* for prayer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, it is a bonus, an extra, a gift, another evidence of God’s infinite love and generosity.

The way I read the Bible, all of us are working out our salvation in fear and trembling, needing all the help we can get. If God offers me a bit of help like that, I’m not going to fling it back in His face.

[Salvation]

Where did you get the idea that I would pray to Paul rather than to Jesus?

Crazy!

[Cvengr]

Every believer today also is a member of His royal family with a royal priesthood.

Christ is the Head of the body.

Confession is our admittance to God the Father of our sins, which we give through faith in Christ (what He performed on the Cross). This occurs for presalvation sin, when a sinner first becomes a believer and consequently is also to be performed to return to fellowship with Him whenever we sin for post salvation sins. (1stJohn 1:9)

When we confess these to Him, we essentially are judging ourselves and placing those sins on the seat which His blood has covered.

Christ paid the price for the judgment of all personal sins, past, present, and future. Our confession and returning to Him in our volition is then met by His forgiveness and our return back into fellowship with Him.

It is very dangerous to attempt to go through another intermediary other than what He provides in forgiveness. If each and every sin is not confessed, then that sin is not forgiven. Why give up rewards in heaven which God has predetermined, simply because we give them up to a busybody interfering with our direct relationship with God through faith in Christ?

Likewise, the person who attempts to act as an intermediary other than our Lord who bore the Cross, takes on a tremendous responsibility when attempting to decide a just resolution of a sin, without the ability to know all things even in the heart of the sinner, which are not all manifest except known by God Himself.

The arrogant are attracted to such a religious authority, thinking they can perform human good and justice independent of God, making God a debtor to their service.

The believer who is humble before God, faces Him directly and through faith alone in Christ alone confesses their sin to God the Father has a Mediator to cover their sin, so that they are forgiven and return to fellowship with Him.

[Salvation]

Did you read the words of Absolution above?

God DOES forgive the sins in Confession! Alleluia!

[bjcoop]

“busybody interfering with our direct relationship with God through faith in Christ”

That is a complete distortion of what Confession is. Have you read the Catholic Catechism and it’s references to passages in the Bible? And you are wrong as I said above that they are NOT exercising their authority independent of God but doing God’s work himself in absolution of our sins.

[Cvengr]

So if a believer in Christ facing God, confesses his sins to God the Father, ...will God forgive those sins, if another believer doesn’t forgive them? What if a RCC priest doesn’t forgive them? Do you claim God rejects any prayer by a believer seeking to confess His sins through faith in Christ?

Seems like a very poor stance in the RCC denomination.

[Bobsvainbabblings]

Salvation and all who believe Jesus gave permission to forgive sins only to the apostles and their successors as this article and the Church teaches, please answer these questions.

“If I sin against you and ask you to forgive me, can you? Must you?

May God lead us to His truth, BVB

[Salvation]

Of course I can forgive you. And of course, I must forgive you however difficult that might be — depending on circumstances.

But can you forgive yourself?

Can God forgive you for the damage that you might have done to my reputation? Etc.?