Catholic Confession

[damaris13]

What is confession? 

Are Catholics required to go to a Priest for confession?  Must it be a Priest?  Why?  Why do Catholics have to confess through a confessor rather than directly to God himself as the protestants believe.

What happens during confession?

Thank you for your answers!  Smiles!  Jesus loves you!

damaris

 

[kern]

Originally posted by damaris13

Are Catholics required to go to a Priest for confession?  Must it be a Priest? 

Yes and yes. You are required to go to Confession at least once a year, and you may not take Eucharist if you are concious of a mortal sin without first going to confession.

Why?  Why do Catholics have to confess through a confessor rather than directly to God himself as the protestants believe.

Because we believe that it's God's will that we do that.

However read the following quotes from the Catechism:

1441 Only God forgives sins.[39] Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, "The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" and exercises this divine power: "Your sins are forgiven."[40] Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.[41]

1442 Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with the "ministry of reconciliation."[42] The apostle is sent out "on behalf of Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and pleading: "Be reconciled to God."[43]

Footnotes:
39 - cf. Mark 2:7
40 - Mark 2:5,10; Lk 7:48
41 - Cf. John 20:21-23
42 - 2 Corinthians 5:18
43 - 2 Corinthians 5:20

What happens during confession?

You tell the priest about your sins. He will give you advice on dealing with the sins, pray with you, and then give you some penance (usually prayers). Usually you go out into the church then and say the prayers while thinking about the sin and asking for God's forgiveness.

-Chris

 

[kern]

It's also worth noting that it's not the act of going to the priest that causes your sins to be forgiven. You must make an act of "perfect contrition", which (as I understand it) means that foremost you are sorry for sinning against God. (i.e. "imperfect contrition" is being sorry for committing adultery because your wife left you, "perfect contrition" is being sorry for committing adultery because you went against God's word.)

-Chris

 

[nyj]

Originally posted by kern
It's also worth noting that it's not the act of going to the priest that causes your sins to be forgiven. You must make an act of "perfect contrition", which (as I understand it) means that foremost you are sorry for sinning against God. (i.e. "imperfect contrition" is being sorry for committing adultery because your wife left you, "perfect contrition" is being sorry for committing adultery because you went against God's word.)

 

Actually, most confessions are considered "imperfect" and are acceptable to God.  The Catholic Church actually states that if someone confesses perfectly, than the Sacrament of Confession is not immediately required (CCC 1452) though should still be sought out.

 

 

 

[kern]

Originally posted by nyj
 

Actually, most confessions are considered "imperfect" and are acceptable to God.  The Catholic Church actually states that if someone confesses perfectly, than the Sacrament of Confession is not immediately required (CCC 1452) though should still be sought out.

 

 

OK, I was never quite sure of the details of perfect and imperfect contrition; the Catechism seemed to say something different than what a guy who had recently finished RCIA told me (he said what you just said). I guess I was misinterpreting the Catechism.

-Chris

 

[seebs]

Of course, certainty that your contrition was perfect is almost certainly pride - which is its own separate sin.

 

[damaris13]

What would be considered a mortal sin?  What if you commit one and do not realize you have committed a mortal sin (or would that never happen?)  Are these mortal sins those mentioned in the Bible, or what is there source?

Thank you so much for your answers so far.  I believe they have helped me to understand a little more!

thank you!  sMiles!  Jesus loves you!

damaris

 

[ZooMom]

1452. "When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called 'perfect' (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits VENIAL sins; it also obtains forgiveness of MORTAL sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.[Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1677.]"

Here's the paragraph that nyj was referencing, just in case you wanted to read it and didn't know how to look it up.


And here's a few paragraphs on the nature of mortal vs. venial sin.

1855. "MORTAL sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.
VENIAL sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it. "


1856. "MORTAL sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity - necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation:
When the will sets itself upon something that is of its nature incompatible with the charity that orients man toward his ultimate end, then the sin is MORTAL by its very object . . . whether it contradicts the love of God, such as blasphemy or perjury, or the love of neighbor, such as homicide or adultery.... But when the sinner's will is set upon something that of its nature involves a disorder, but is not opposed to the love of God and neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter and the like, such sins are VENIAL.[St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II, 88, 2, corp. art.] "


1863. "VENIAL sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented VENIAL sin disposes us little by little to commit MORTAL sin. However VENIAL sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly reparable. 'VENIAL sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.'[John Paul II, RP 17 # 9.]
While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call 'light': if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession.[St. Augustine, In ep. Jo. 1, 6: PL 35, 1982.]"

HTH.

 

[VOW]

To Damaris:

I'll leave the "mortal sin" definition to NYJ or Wolseley. They can express it better than I.

One thing I'd like to mention about confession is that the PRIEST does not forgive your sins. God does. God is merely using the priest as an agent, a human set of ears. When you tell your sins to the priest, he is not judging you. He can't. He is like a welcome mat, bringing you back to God. He listens to your sins, he asks you questions about the occasions of sin, the circumstances of your sin. He hears what you have to say, and he is guided by the Holy Spirit to understand if you are heartfelt in remorse and truly desire to reconcile to God. If you are just there to kid yourself, and you think you can do another snowball job on God, forget it. Confession isn't a "Get out of jail free" card where you get your sins washed away and then you walk out of the Church and continue breaking all the commandments. Another name for Confession is RECONCILIATION. We are acknowledging that through our own actions, we have separated ourselves from God, and we truly desire to turn back towards Him again.

The priest counsels you....tells you ways you can avoid the occasions of sin, makes suggestions on how you can improve your walk with God. Some of these suggestions take the form of penance, a little exercise you do following Confession, to make you focus on God in your life. Then, the priest will forgive you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Some people will say, "But that is trivializing what Jesus did on the Cross!" No, it doesn't do that. The forgiveness you receive is the SAME forgiveness you have always had available from the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. However, YOUR actions have turned you away from the Cross. Reconciliation brings the Cross back into your focus.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[ZooMom]

Oh, and degree of sin can be found in 1John 5:16-17.

 

[damaris13]

Thank you! Vow, that really makes sense. But would a Christian friend work as well if they remain unbiased and unjudgmental? Although a friend can't necessary promise to do this as a priest should be able to, right?

Let me see if I understand mortal and venial sins (help me if I don't! I'm trying!). A mortal sin has the potential to destroy ANY good work you may do, now or in the future, unless you honestly confess of your sin. A venial sin only blocks temporarily from continuing to do good, and you may continue to do good works despite having fully confessed of these sins. Am I anywhere close?

Thank you! Smiles!
Jesus loves you!

damaris

 

[kern]

Originally posted by damaris13
Thank you! Vow, that really makes sense. But would a Christian friend work as well if they remain unbiased and unjudgmental?

A friend could do everything except the actual absolution. We believe that Jesus gave priests the ability to forgive sins in his name (when he told the apostles they could forgive sins).

Let me see if I understand mortal and venial sins (help me if I don't! I'm trying!).

It's a tough topic, so don't feel bad if you're confused. Basically, a mortal sin represents a turning away from God with full knowledge of what you are doing.

-Chris

 

[VOW]

To Damaris:

When Jesus renamed Simon to Peter, and said, "Upon this rock I will build my Church," He also told Peter, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." (Matthew 16: 19)

Also, after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Disciples, breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20: 23)

The Catholic Church teaches that this ability is passed down from the Disciples through the Apostolic Succession to the priests today.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

If I recall correctly, mortal sin has three requirements:

1) It must be grave
2) One must know that it is a sin
3) One must commit it out of one's own free will