Hi Salvation. I hope your new year is starting well.
“God forgives the sins.”
Only God can forgive sins. Except in James, when sickness is caused by sin, no confession to Elders is necessary for forgiveness. Nor can anyone absolve another from sin.
“Catechism of the Catholic Church”
——> THIS IS THE PART THAT IS FALSE:
“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.
Through the ministry of the Church
Well, Christ established the Church on the apostles, the first bishops giving them the power to bind or loose sin in this Sacrament — although in Christ’s quote no reference to a Sacrament is made.
Since Christ established the Church I have no problem with the forgiveness of sins especially since that forgiveness comes from GOD.
I realize that in their time the quote from James was appropriate, but I’ll take Christ’s words any old day. (And it’s in the Bible! Hallelujah!)
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)