Just one question for the Catholics

[Trizm]

Why do you have confessions to priests. I know that they are holy but doesnt the bible say that anyone can come and confess their sins to god. So what do you need a middle man to speak to god for you?

I dont know so someone please clear this up for me.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Because Jesus gave them the authority to grant absolution for our sins. We confess to God in the presence of the priest. The priest then grants absolution.

"'As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:21-23).

 

[bigsierra]

As a person who's sinned, you have two (or maybe more) options:

1. Repent to God and hope you were truely penatant: You have the comfort of knowing God will handle it appropriately.

2. Confessing your sin to someone God has given the authority to absolve them and tell you without reservation that they have been forgiven. They could retain the sins and not absolve but then you would be aware of it. I'm not sure what happens if they are retained. Someone else will have to answer that. There have been some priests that could tell that more needed to be confessed before finishing and actually knew exactly what the sin was.

John 20:
21 (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.
23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

 

[frettr00]

There have been some priests that could tell that more needed to be confessed before finishing and actually knew exactly what the sin was.

Wasn't Padre Pio one of them? I heard a story about a priest who would know if you're holding back sins and wouldn't give absolution until you say them.

 

[bigsierra]

Wasn't Padre Pio one of them? I heard a story about a priest who would know if you're holding back sins and wouldn't give absolution until you say them.

Yes, that's who I had in mind. Someone else will have to explain the charism(gift) though.

 

[marciadietrich]

Catholics also have a more physical or palpable view of the Body of Christ and union with Christ. Thus we believe that even private sins of individuals effect the entire body and Christ is the head of the Body (Paul says if we join our individual body with a prostitute - a private sin - we have joined Christ with a prostitute), so that serious sin not only seperates us from God but also the body of believers. In coming back from sin, we need to not only be made right with God but also integrated back into His Body ... the priest helps us do that.

So there are three aspects and names for "confession":

Confession: we confess our sins which the priest absolves with the authority given by Christ - God forgives the priest is a palpable part of the sacrament showing us that forgiveness. We say an act of contrition to say we're sorry for having hurt God by our sin and to ask for mercy and grace. So it isn't just going in with a laundry list with no feeling of sorrow, been many times I have cried even when I didn't expect to cry in confession.

Penance: Penance is not a punishment but more making things right. Often we are asked to say prayers, not just as some sort of rote torture but it helps us and helps others that we have hurt with our sin. Sometimes a penance might also include an action, if something was stolen the person might have to return or pay back an equal amount. It is making things right.

Reconciliation: In this process of confession and penance we are reconciled back into a state of grace and reunited as a member of Christ's body.

It isn't always easy going to confession. Still you get accountability that you will never get on your own. It helps to give a real concrete aspect to forgiveness and knowing that it effects others when we sin, and we need to look at others as we return from sin in healing the wounds we have caused.

Priests also go to confession, even the Pope goes to confession.

Marcia

 

[Atomagenesis]

This will tell you a lot.

http://www.catholic.com/library/Confession.asp

If you're looking for even more sciptural evidence here:

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html

Both are very good sites and I'm sure they will answer your question

Peace in Christ,

Malcolm

 

[Irenaeus]

Mark 2
7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?

Luke 5
20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

Matthew 9
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"
4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

 

[Carrye]

Yes, that's who I had in mind. Someone else will have to explain the charism(gift) though.

It's called reading hearts. I've heard it given other names too, though they escape me at the moment.

http://www.ewtn.com/padrepio/priest/Confessor.htm

 

[Benedicta00]

Why do you have confessions to priests. I know that they are holy but doesnt the bible say that anyone can come and confess their sins to god. So what do you need a middle man to speak to god for you?

I dont know so someone please clear this up for me.

The priest isn't a middleman. That is a common misconception. The priest acts in the person of Christ when he hears confession and offers Mass.

A priest has a share in the great commission given to the apostles to go baptize, teach, forgive sins and to offer Mass. They do what Christ did when He was with the apostles. Christ forgave sinners when they came in repentance, Christ offered the first Mass in the upper room the night he was betrayed After Christ rose from the dead He ordained His apostles in John's gospel and the apostles ordained bishops and bishops ordain priests. This is called the divine commission. So a priest when and only when he offers Mass and hears confession is acting in the person of Christ, not as a middleman. It is Christ we confess to, it is Christ who offers the sacrifice to the father as the high priest. The priest just stands in His person.

 

[Skripper]

The priest isn't a middleman. That is a common misconception. The priest acts in the person of Christ when he hears confession and offers Mass.

A priest has a share in the great commission given to the apostles to go baptize, teach, forgive sins and to offer Mass. They do what Christ did when He was with the apostles. Christ forgave sinners when they came in repentance, Christ offered the first Mass in the upper room the night he was betrayed After Christ rose from the dead He ordained His apostles in John's gospel and the apostles ordained bishops and bishops ordain priests. This is called the divine commission. So a priest when and only when he offers Mass and hears confession is acting in the person of Christ, not as a middleman. It is Christ we confess to, it is Christ who offers the sacrifice to the father as the high priest. The priest just stands in His person.

Very nicely put, Michelle.

 

[BornCath]

Why do you have confessions to priests. I know that they are holy but doesnt the bible say that anyone can come and confess their sins to god. So what do you need a middle man to speak to god for you?

I dont know so someone please clear this up for me.

Jesus Christ is God and in John 20:21-23 we read these remarkable words "As the Father has sent Me I also send you. When He said this He breathed on the Apostles; and He said to them: Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained'. Now Christ's mission was to destroy sin, and He gave that same mission to His Apostles. Knowing that their merely human power as men was quite insufficient, He gave them a special communication of the Holy Spirit for this special work. So Christ did confer a true power to the Apostles to forgive sin and it was obviously a power to be exercised. Since it is God who is offended by sins, God has the right to lay down the conditions of forgiveness. You cannot insist that God must forgive you on your own conditions. And Christ certainly did not give His Priests the power to forgive sin knowing that no one would have to seek forgiveness from Priests at all.