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Catholic ConfessionWhy Do Catholics Confess their Sins to a Priest?
Catholics confess to a priest because Jesus told them to. But why would Jesus want his followers to confess their sins to mere human beings? Why not go straight to Him?
The first Christians went to Jesus to confess their sins, and he told them to go to a priest; Christ himself determined that sins could be forgiven through human intermediaries almost 2,000 years ago(John 20:21-23). Today's modern Catholics honor that ancient and timeless tradition. What Is Confession, Anyway?Confession (also called Reconciliation) is a sacrament; a physical, visible sign that accompanies a holy and supernatural event. It is a healing sacrament, along with the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Confession/Reconciliation is the sacrament of conversion and forgiveness; it gives peace, pardon, and a new beginning to the one who receives it. Can a Priest Really Forgive Sins?Priests forgive sins only through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave this power to his successors. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples, breathed the Holy Spirit upon them, and said, “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). The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms this: “In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church…. ‘I will give you the Keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ ‘Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation, bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops’ collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry.” (CCC 1444,1461) Why Do Christians Have to Confess Their Sins?James, leader of the Jerusalem Council and brother of Jesus, instructed members of the early church to regularly confess their sins to each other in order to receive healing (James 5:16). Catholics honor this instruction by confessing their sins to a priest. Why Not Just Confess Directly to God?Catholics do ultimately confess their sins to God because God is the only one who can forgive sins. The priest is simply a human extension of Christ’s priestly ministry; a human intermediary who can hear and forgive sins on Christ’s behalf. The priest’s words and physical presence are simply a tangible sign that an invisible (and supernatural) event (God’s forgiveness) is taking place; a sacrament is being given and received. The act of confession can be an indescribably cathartic and healing experience. Why Do Christians Need Confession? Isn’t Baptism Enough?When Christians are baptized, their sins are forgiven. However, even the most pious Christian is a work in progress, and imperfect people cannot always avoid temptation and make the right choices. Through God’s love and the sacrament of Reconciliation, sinners are brought back in synch with their loving and forgiving God.
The copyright of the article Catholic Confession in Catholic Practices is owned by Francine Morrissette. Permission to republish Catholic Confession in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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