Question for Catholics Regarding Confessionals.

[Mankin]

Hello. I have some questions about confessionals and "shirking"(I believe that's what it's called) in the Catholic Church. Most of the viewpoints I've received have been from anti Catholic Protestants, so I wanted to get the Catholic explanation of their own belief.

Here's my questions.
No 1: Do Catholics believe by praying that someone can gain forgiveness for their sins without going to confessional?
No 2: Do Catholics believe that intercessory prayer is the only way to receive forgivness?
No 3: Do Catholics believe that confessionals have a large edifying purpose?

Basically I'm inquiring into the ins and outs of this practice.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Eucharisted]

Cool signature.

No 1: Do Catholics believe by praying that someone can gain forgiveness for their sins without going to confessional?
No 2: Do Catholics believe that intercessory prayer is the only way to receive forgivness?
No 3: Do Catholics believe that confessionals have a large edifying purpose?

1. Not for Catholics; we have Confession.
2. Not for Catholics; we have Confession.
3. Yes, in that they are where Confession takes place. But Confession can be anywhere, just like Mass can be celebrated anywhere, since all the Earth belongs to God.

Recommended Reading:
Catechism Answers to Common Questions

 

[Winter]

No 1: Do Catholics believe by praying that someone can gain forgiveness for their sins without going to confessional?

Yes.

However, for Catholics regular Confession is important so that we can receive the Body of Christ (Lord Supper, Holy Communion).

No 2: Do Catholics believe that intercessory prayer is the only way to receive forgivness?

No. Not at all.

No 3: Do Catholics believe that confessionals have a large edifying purpose?

Yes.

 

[Dark_Lite]

Regarding number 1: For Catholics, the norm is Confession. However, we do not place God's mercy in a box. If the norm is not available, I don't think anyone would deny that it's impossible for someone not to be forgiven by praying directly to God. Actually, I take that back. There are probably some who think that, but I don't think that they're right.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Only God forgives sin


1441 Only God forgives sins. 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.

What is called confession is actually the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As the Catechism says, only God forgives sins.However, when we sin we sin against the body of Christ which is the Church. Being such, we need to be reconciled back with the Church, and it is through this sacrament that the priest has the authority given by Christ, to absolve sin and bring the person back into communion with the Church. Also from the Catechism;

1444 In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ's solemn words to Simon Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."45 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head."

1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.

The confessional, is where a person receives grace from the sacrament, and spiritual counseling that will help to avoid sin.

Jim

 

[AMDG]

Also from the Catechism; The confessional, is where a person receives grace from the sacrament, and spiritual counseling that will help to avoid sin.

Just recently I really became aware that the grace itself helps one to avoid sin. It strengthen's one and so also works to help to avoid sin.

 

[Eucharisted]

Just recently I really became aware that the grace itself helps one to avoid sin. It strengthen's one and so also works to help to avoid sin.

Which in term helps you realize the full meaning of the Immaculate Conception ("full of grace")

 

[Mankin]

So in other words, Confessionals serve the double purpose of both obtaining forgiveness from God and reconciling onself to the church.

 

[Eucharisted]

So in other words, Confessionals serve the double purpose of both obtaining forgiveness from God and reconciling onself to the church.

Yes, for the same reason the chalice serves the purpose of transforming the wine into the Blood of Jesus Christ.

 

[helenofbritain]

Yes, for the same reason the chalice serves the purpose of transforming the wine into the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Say WHAT??? Chalices don't do ANYTHING, except hold wine, and then the Precious Blood.

God, working through the priest in persona christi, does the miraculous transubstantiating.

 

[helenofbritain]

So in other words, Confessionals serve the double purpose of both obtaining forgiveness from God and reconciling onself to the church.

Confessionals don't do anything. They are a room.

The Sacrament of Penance - or Sacrament of Reconciliation - commonly called Confession does.

 

[Joshua G.]

Regarding number 1: For Catholics, the norm is Confession. However, we do not place God's mercy in a box. If the norm is not available, I don't think anyone would deny that it's impossible for someone not to be forgiven by praying directly to God. Actually, I take that back. There are probably some who think that, but I don't think that they're right.

.

 

[tadoflamb]

Just recently I really became aware that the grace itself helps one to avoid sin. It strengthen's one and so also works to help to avoid sin.

I'm not sure how it works, but I have to agree that Sacramental Confession goes a long ways in helping me avoid sin and evens lift the tendency towards temptation.

It's really astounding.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

No 1: Do Catholics believe by praying that someone can gain forgiveness for their sins without going to confessional?

it depends... for Catholics, the ordinary way to be forgiven of mortal sin is through Confession. If a Catholic is repentant and means to go to Confession, but dies beforehand, they can still be forgiven. Also, if there's no opportunity for Confession but the person has perfect contrition, (which is rare) they can be forgiven to..
for non Catholics, they don't have access to Confession and many have 'invinsible ignorance' so I tend to believe that God forgives them through prayer, but it's all up to Him.

If a person has lived a sinful life without faith and is dying and repents of their sins and asks for mercy, yes we believe they can be forgiven

No 2: Do Catholics believe that intercessory prayer is the only way to receive forgivness?

I'm not sure what you mean by this... we don't ask the Saints to intercede for our forgiveness

No 3: Do Catholics believe that confessionals have a large edifying purpose?

we believe they have more than this.. in Confession, we encounter God and He gives us His grace; our souls become washed in Christ's Blood and become clean

we believe it's God who forgives, but the priest gives absolution (in persona Christi) because Christ gave this power to the Apostles (and they passed it down)

hope that helps..
here are some articles:
The Forgiveness of Sins
Confession

God bless

 

[Rhamiel]

the Sacrements are, in part, a Mystery, it is the Grace of God, the Lord of Hosts, the Most High, His Grace coming down and changing the things of this world, Christ who is the Lamb of God, the Sacrifice and the High Priest, takes away the sin that we have grafted onto our hearts and replaces it with Himself, with His Spirit

 

[plmarquette]

1 John 1.8 faithful to forgive us; James 5.16 confess your faults, one to another

allegory....confessional, altar call, public pennance, remorse, metanoia, revival