we do confess to God, but we do it the way that Christ instituted...
Did James miss something --- like --- taking one's sins to "priests" to have them "forgiven" only through a [presumed] priesthood?
Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The active prayer of a righteous person has great power.Here's the [above] same verse, in multiple English language translation.
Feel free to show us the way that Christ instituted which differs.
Relying narrowly upon the passages speaking of sins forgiven or retained (John 20:23), doesn't quite work, for in addition to the explanation at this link not only does Roman Catholic doctrine much negate by total NEGLECT what James wrote in this regard [highlighted in blue text, above] also, it must rely upon a particularly specious distortion which makes the "priesthood" (which there is no direct establishment for using the words "priest" or "priesthood" in the NT, other than as priesthood of believers) into being only those whom the RCC ordains as "priests" can one find propitiation for their sins, thus making Christ Himself a hostage of sorts, according to Romanist theology.
Uh...don't look now mr., but the 'prisoner' has escaped. With RC 'magesterium' even agreeing that be so, when they admit that those far outside of the narrow confines of Roman Catholicism, can indeed perceive the "real presence" of Christ in context of communion -- if those be as the RCC says, "sufficiently devout".
Personally, I don't think my own finding the Spirit of the Lord be present in taking communion be due to my own being devout enough, or in any manner whatsoever reliant upon my own righteousness -- for such can never be enough(!) for the Holt Spirit of God Almighty to be present within a human being, and the deep of the Holy Spirit within, call unto the deep which is the Lord beyond ourselves... with our own selves carried along as it were...not unlike a babe carried by it's own parent.
The sort of eisogesis of scripture which makes RC "priesthood" into sole channel (even chokepoint as it were) of the Lord's own Grace, I do believe, was part of what led Jan Hus to pose the question --"is the priesthood -- the Church?", which if the answer be "yes" that would then leave all others being something of outsiders, or mere supplicants at best, forever in need of this singularly RC defined "priesthood" to dole out the things of God, which sort of thinking would [again] much negate what James had to say, along with the sense we can gain from Paul and Christ both(!) concerning the "renewed man", those born of God, and how we are to interact with one another, in one accord, united in Him. (John 14, Acts 2)
Boldly approach the throne of grace, <---yet as Spurgeon preached (at that link<---), along with other conditions and attitudes he recommended, I ask that you consider particularly those aspects discussed in the first three paragraphs, with Spurgeon later on including "...If in prayer we come to a throne, it is clear that our spirit should, in the first place, be one of lowly reverence."also...
From the 4th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews;
11 May we be diligent, then, to enter into that rest, that no one in the same example of the unbelief may fall,12 for the reckoning of God is living, and working, and sharp above every two-edged sword, and piercing unto the dividing asunder both of soul and spirit, of joints also and marrow, and a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart;
13 and there is not a created thing not manifest before Him, but all things [are] naked and open to His eyes -- with whom is our reckoning.
14 Having, then, a great chief priest passed through the heavens -- Jesus the Son of God -- may we hold fast the profession,
15 for we have not a chief priest unable to sympathise with our infirmities, but [one] tempted in all things in like manner -- apart from sin;
16 we may come near, then, with freedom, to the throne of the grace, that we may receive kindness, and find grace -- for seasonable help.
Now, all of these things I have brought here, do not preclude or necessarily exclude one confessing their sins to one looked upon within Catholicism as being a "priest", for that process as many have bore witness of, can be both freeing, and valuable too, assisting in bringing ourselves into better accountability with God and one another; yet at the very same time does not demand the same be said only to one bearing title of "priest", unless one accepts also the concept of "priesthood of believers", which would open ourselves to needing be honest and forthright with other Christians in confessing ourselves being sinners, even as to what precisely those sins may be, here again referencing James' "confess your sins one to another that you may be healed" to which also could be added reference to persons openly confessing their sins when undergoing the Baptism of John (the Baptist) for help as to wider context.