[Salvation]

**The sacrament of penance was instituted by Christ on Easter Sunday night, when he told the Apostles, "Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained" (John 20:22-23).**

[Salvation]

God forgives the sins -- see the words of absolution:

Catechism of the Catholic Church

 

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.

 

[RnMomof7]

The sacrament that, by means of certain acts of the penitent and by the absolution of a qualified priest, remits sins committed after baptism.

Ummm is there scripture of the apostles holding confession??

[Old Yeller]

When I went to confession, my penance was was to always say x number of Our Fathers and x number of Hail Marys. Now how is praying considered a penance. I realize they were just memorized prayers and I would just rip through them as fast as I could to get up off that kneeler and go do other things.