[Sacrament of]Confession

Are all of our sins—past, present, and future—forgiven once and for all when we become Christians? Not according to the Bible or the early Church Fathers. Scripture nowhere states that our future sins are forgiven; instead, it teaches us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt. 6:12).

The means by which God forgives sins after baptism is confession: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Minor or venial sins can be confessed directly to God, but for grave or mortal sins, which crush the spiritual life out of the soul, God has instituted a different means for obtaining forgiveness—the sacrament known popularly as confession, penance, or reconciliation.

This sacrament is rooted in the mission God gave to Christ in his capacity as the Son of man on earth to go and forgive sins (cf. Matt. 9:6). Thus, the crowds who witnessed this new power "glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matt. 9:8; note the plural "men"). After his resurrection, Jesus passed on his mission to forgive sins to his ministers, telling them, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . 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).

Since it is not possible to confess all of our many daily faults, we know that sacramental reconciliation is required only for grave or mortal sins—but it is required, or Christ would not have commanded it.

Over time, the forms in which the sacrament has been administered have changed. In the early Church, publicly known sins (such as apostasy) were often confessed openly in church, though private confession to a priest was always an option for privately committed sins. Still, confession was not just something done in silence to God alone, but something done "in church," as the Didache (A.D. 70) indicates.

Penances also tended to be performed before rather than after absolution, and they were much more strict than those of today (ten years’ penance for abortion, for example, was common in the early Church).

But the basics of the sacrament have always been there, as the following quotations reveal. Of special significance is their recognition that confession and absolution must be received by a sinner before receiving Holy Communion, for "[w]hoever . . . eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:27).

"Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

"You shall judge righteously. You shall not make a schism, but you shall pacify those that contend by bringing them together. You shall confess your sins. You shall not go to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of light" (Letter of Barnabas 19 [A.D. 74]). [*Note that this doctrine was being promulgated as far back as 41 years after the resurrection and approximately 300 years before the bible was compiled.]

"For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ" (Letter to the Philadelphians 3 [A.D. 110]).

"For where there is division and wrath, God does not dwell. To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of God, and to communion with the bishop" (ibid., 8).

"[The Gnostic disciples of Marcus] have deluded many women. . . . Their consciences have been branded as with a hot iron. Some of these women make a public confession, but others are ashamed to do this, and in silence, as if withdrawing from themselves the hope of the life of God, they either apostatize entirely or hesitate between the two courses" (Against Heresies 1:22 [A.D. 189]).

"[Regarding confession, some] flee from this work as being an exposure of themselves, or they put it off from day to day. I presume they are more mindful of modesty than of salvation, like those who contract a disease in the more shameful parts of the body and shun making themselves known to the physicians; and thus they perish along with their own bashfulness" (Repentance 10:1 [A.D. 203]).

"[The bishop conducting the ordination of the new bishop shall pray:] God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Pour forth now that power which comes from you, from your royal Spirit, which you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and which he bestowed upon his holy apostles . . . and grant this your servant, whom you have chosen for the episcopate, [the power] to feed your holy flock and to serve without blame as your high priest, ministering night and day to propitiate unceasingly before your face and to offer to you the gifts of your holy Church, and by the Spirit of the high priesthood to have the authority to forgive sins, in accord with your command" (Apostolic Tradition 3 [A.D. 215]).

"[A final method of forgiveness], albeit hard and laborious [is] the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner . . . does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord and from seeking medicine, after the manner of him who say, ‘I said, "To the Lord I will accuse myself of my iniquity"’" (Homilies on Leviticus 2:4 [A.D. 248]).

"The apostle [Paul] likewise bears witness and says: ‘ . . . Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord’ [1 Cor. 11:27]. But [the impenitent] spurn and despise all these warnings; before their sins are expiated, before they have made a confession of their crime, before their conscience has been purged in the ceremony and at the hand of the priest . . . they do violence to [the Lord’s] body and blood, and with their hands and mouth they sin against the Lord more than when they denied him" (The Lapsed 15:1–3 (A.D. 251]).

"Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who . . . confess their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience. . . . I beseech you, brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is still in this world, while his confession is still admissible, while the satisfaction and remission made through the priests are still pleasing before the Lord" (ibid., 28).

"[S]inners may do penance for a set time, and according to the rules of discipline come to public confession, and by imposition of the hand of the bishop and clergy receive the right of Communion. [But now some] with their time [of penance] still unfulfilled . . . they are admitted to Communion, and their name is presented; and while the penitence is not yet performed, confession is not yet made, the hands of the bishop and clergy are not yet laid upon them, the Eucharist is given to them; although it is written, ‘Whosoever shall eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord’ [1 Cor. 11:27]" (Letters 9:2 [A.D. 253]).

"And do not think, dearest brother, that either the courage of the brethren will be lessened, or that martyrdoms will fail for this cause, that penance is relaxed to the lapsed, and that the hope of peace [i.e., absolution] is offered to the penitent. . . . For to adulterers even a time of repentance is granted by us, and peace is given" (ibid., 51[55]:20).

"But I wonder that some are so obstinate as to think that repentance is not to be granted to the lapsed, or to suppose that pardon is to be denied to the penitent, when it is written, ‘Remember whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works’ [Rev. 2:5], which certainly is said to him who evidently has fallen, and whom the Lord exhorts to rise up again by his deeds [of penance], because it is written, ‘Alms deliver from death’ [Tob. 12:9]" (ibid., 51[55]:22).

"You [priests], then, who are disciples of our illustrious physician [Christ], you ought not deny a curative to those in need of healing. And if anyone uncovers his wound before you, give him the remedy of repentance. And he that is ashamed to make known his weakness, encourage him so that he will not hide it from you. And when he has revealed it to you, do not make it public, lest because of it the innocent might be reckoned as guilty by our enemies and by those who hate us" (Treatises 7:3 [A.D. 340]).

"It is necessary to confess our sins to those to whom the dispensation of God’s mysteries is entrusted. Those doing penance of old are found to have done it before the saints. It is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sins to John the Baptist [Matt. 3:6], but in Acts [19:18] they confessed to the apostles" (Rules Briefly Treated 288 [A.D. 374]).

"Priests have received a power which God has given neither to angels nor to archangels. It was said to them: ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose, shall be loosed.’ Temporal rulers have indeed the power of binding; but they can only bind the body. Priests, in contrast, can bind with a bond which pertains to the soul itself and transcends the very heavens. Did [God] not give them all the powers of heaven? ‘Whose sins you shall forgive,’ he says, ‘they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.’ What greater power is there than this? The Father has given all judgment to the Son. And now I see the Son placing all this power in the hands of men [Matt. 10:40; John 20:21–23]. They are raised to this dignity as if they were already gathered up to heaven" (The Priesthood 3:5 [A.D. 387]).

"For those to whom [the right of binding and loosing] has been given, it is plain that either both are allowed, or it is clear that neither is allowed. Both are allowed to the Church, neither is allowed to heresy. For this right has been granted to priests only" (Penance 1:1 [A.D. 388]).

"If the serpent, the devil, bites someone secretly, he infects that person with the venom of sin. And if the one who has been bitten keeps silence and does not do penance, and does not want to confess his wound . . . then his brother and his master, who have the word [of absolution] that will cure him, cannot very well assist him" (Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:11 [A.D. 388]).

"We read in Leviticus about lepers, where they are ordered to show themselves to the priests, and if they have leprosy, then they are to be declared unclean by the priest. . . . Just as in the Old Testament the priest makes the leper clean or unclean, so in the New Testament the bishop or presbyter binds or looses not those who are innocent or guilty, but by reason of their office, when they have heard various kinds of sins, they know who is to be bound and who is to be loosed" (Commentary on Matthew 3:16:19 [A.D. 398]).

"When you shall have been baptized, keep to a good life in the commandments of God so that you may preserve your baptism to the very end. I do not tell you that you will live here without sin, but they are venial sins which this life is never without. Baptism was instituted for all sins. For light sins, without which we cannot live, prayer was instituted. . . . But do not commit those sins on account of which you would have to be separated from the body of Christ. Perish the thought! For those whom you see doing penance have committed crimes, either adultery or some other enormities. That is why they are doing penance. If their sins were light, daily prayer would suffice to blot them out. . . . In the Church, therefore, there are three ways in which sins are forgiven: in baptisms, in prayer, and in the greater humility of penance" (Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed 7:15, 8:16 [A.D. 395]).

Prayers Before Reconciliation

Come Holy Spirit into my soul. Enlighten my mind that I may know the sins I ought to confess, and grant me your grace to confess them fully, humbly and with a contrite heart. Help me to fimly resolve not to commit them again.

Supreme and adorable majesty, God of heaven and earth, I firmly believe You are ever present, and that You see me and know the disposition of my heart. I adore You, and render to You my humble homage, acknowledging You for my God, my Creator, my Sovereign Redeemer. In testimony of this, my faith, I prostrate soul and body before the throne of Your infinite majesty, and offer You the adoration which is due to You alone. O Father of light, who enlightens everyone who comes into the world, send into my heart a ray of light, of love, of sorrow, that I may know, detest, confess the sins I have committed against You. I wish to see my sins in all their enormity, just as they are in Your sight. I wish to detest them for my love of You, and to confess them with the same sincerity now that I would give at the moment of death. I know, my God, that this knowledge of my sins, the sorrow for them, the sincerity in declaring them to your minister can come only from Your bounty. As You wish that the sinner should not die, You sent Your Son into the world to purchase his forgiveness, I implore this grace through the merits of Jesus Christ, who died upon the cross of my sins, and who is now sitting at Your right hand, where He continually shows You, in my behalf, the wounds He endured for me.

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, worthy of all my love, I humbly present myself before You. Look upon me with merciful eyes and help me to be reconciled to You by a good confession. But as I can do nothing if You do not help me, I implore You in Your tender mercy to enlighten me, that I may know all my sins and detest them with my whole heart.

O Jesus, ever flowing fountain of compassion, I approach You to cleanse me from all my sins. O Divine Physician heal my soul. O infinite Love, enkindle the flames of Your Love in my soul that it may love nothing but You. May this Confession bring about in me an entire change in my life so that I may be fully reconciled to You.

Mother of God, You are so charitable to sinners who desire repentance, assist me to make a good Confession. My Guardian Angel, help me to discover the sins I have committed. My Patron Saint and all you Saints of Heaven, pray for me that I may bring forth worthy fruits of repentance. Amen.

Act of Oblation to the Sacred Heart

My loving Jesus, out of the grateful love I bear you, and to make reparation for my unfaithfulness to grace, I give you my heart, and I consecrate myself wholly to you; and with your help I purpose never to sin again. Amen.

Prayer After Reconciliation

I give you thanks, O Lord Jesus, because you have cleansed me from my sins. I adore and praise your infinite mercy. I consecrate myself entirely to your love and service. Give me, good God, the grace to avoid sin and the occasion of sin. Mary, my Mother, bless my good resolution, and may my Guardian Angel help me to keep it. Amen.

Prayer for Avoiding Sin

Hear, Lord, the prayers we offer from contrite hearts. Have pity on us as we acknowledge our sins. Lead us back to the way of holiness. Protect us now and always from the wounds of sin. May we ever keep safe in all its fullness the gift your love once gave us and your mercy now restores. Amen.

You are a brave soul for posting this thread! Let the discussions begin .......

Minor or venial sins can be confessed directly to God, but for grave or mortal sins, which crush the spiritual life out of the soul, God has instituted a different means for obtaining forgiveness—the sacrament known popularly as confession, penance, or reconciliation

As students in catholic elementary school, we always saved the "tough" questions for the monthly visit by the parish priest.

"But, Father, what if your family drags you to a friend's house for dinner on a Friday and they serve you something that contains meat ... but, you didn't know it until after you swallowed it ... would that still be a sin and would you have to confess it?" I'm sure that many priests qualify for sainthood simply by their virtue of witholding corporal punishment for the "demon" kids who plotted these convoluted questions.

As I recall, a sin is mortal when:

1. you know that the action is a sin.
2. you agree that it is a sin, and
3. you do it anyway.

Right?

You are a brave soul for posting this thread! Let the discussions begin .......

I had to take a day of rest yesterday after the purgatory thread. =)

And you are right about what constitutes mortal sin. I try to get to confession once a month, but I don't always make it. It is required that you do so only once a year if you haven't committed any mortal sins, but I like to go anyway because its like having a burden lifted from your shoulders.

For newly converted members, I have found that they often dread this sacrament because it can be nerve-wracking not knowing what to expect in the confessional. However, after done once or twice it really is something one comes to enjoy.

I don't think they can relate. It really does have to be experienced to be understood. I sponsored someone into the church once and they were terrified about going. It almost prevented him from joining, he was that uncomfortable about it.

I think some new converts or others believe you have to tell every mortal sin you can think of since early childhood, but for new members I think two or three issues is enough to tackle on the first time--that will be plenty of time to talk to the priest and develop a comfort level.

And after confession ALL past sins are forgiven ,even ones not mentioned. I usually say something to the effect when nearing the end of my list: And for everything that I cannot now remember, but want to be forgiven with a sincere heart.

It really is painless and it draws you closer to Christ.

Okay here goes. Now don't anybody attack me for not knowing perfect theology, as I've said my concentration is in something else, however, I'm not sure I fully understand the sacrament. From the New Testament, I am taught I should confess my sins to God BUT I should also confess them to others such as with the 'sorcerers' in Acts 19 because through that action I am showing the power God has in my life and it is a testimony to those around me.

Now I'm not saying one should air out all their dirty laundry to everyone in the middle of a church meeting(while truthfully it might be a good Christian ideal I don't think it's going to catch on!!) but I'm not sure I see the reason to pick a priest in particular. Because in verse 20 the public deed in confession was used to spread the Word and the power of God. Wouldn't my confession be a witness and furthermore show other Christians if God can overcome what He did in my life than He can be just as powerful for them? A confession to a priest alone wouldn't allow that the way I see it because it would be kept between the priest and myself

From the New Testament, I am taught I should confess my sins to God BUT I should also confess them to others such as with the 'sorcerers' in Acts 19 because through that action I am showing the power God has in my life and it is a testimony to those around me.

Here is the Catholic viewpoint on the issue:

The ealry Christians really did confess their sins in church in front of everybody! Of course, we don't do it like that today. We go into a confessional, a practice that evolved over the time. Most of us like to go behind a screen and not face to face.

Because in verse 20 the public deed in confession was used to spread the Word and the power of God. Wouldn't my confession be a witness and furthermore show other Christians if God can overcome what He did in my life than He can be just as powerful for them? A confession to a priest alone wouldn't allow that the way I see it because it would be kept between the priest and myself.

It would indeed be a testament. Norma McCorvy comes to mind on this issue. She is brave to say how wrong she was in Roe Vs Wade. However, I think it can be traced in the above biblical passages and from the quotes showing that they were promulgating this doctrine as far back as 41 years ofter Christ's resurrection, which gives the issue more weight.

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