Confession

[aeroengr]

Being new to the Catholic Church and coming from a Protestant Church, I’m a little confused about confession and have a few questions. In the Protestant Church, we’re taught that if you confess your sins to God, then you are forgiven, but from what I understand, the Catholic Church teaches that you should confess both to God and to a Priest. The Bishop at our Church explained this to me by saying that by confessing to God you make things right with God and by confessing to a Priest, you make things right with the Church. Is this a good explanation? Also, could someone explain mortal sin to me? My understanding is that you will go to Hell if you don’t confess a mortal sin before you die. Is this true? If you confess your mortal sin to God and ask his forgiveness, but do not confess to a Priest before you die, will you still go to Hell? I would appreciate if someone could explain this subject to me a little better and possibly give me a reference that I can read. Thanks.

 

[Fergal]

Being new to the Catholic Church and coming from a Protestant Church, I’m a little confused about confession and have a few questions. In the Protestant Church, we’re taught that if you confess your sins to God, then you are forgiven, but from what I understand, the Catholic Church teaches that you should confess both to God and to a Priest. The Bishop at our Church explained this to me by saying that by confessing to God you make things right with God and by confessing to a Priest, you make things right with the Church. Is this a good explanation?

***Of course we all confess to God when we sin and become aware of our wrongdoing. In fact I would say it is that it must be the first port of call in our desire for repentance. It is the main driving force in pointing us toward the confessional. As soon as we do that we are forgiven but not absolved as absolution is both a physical and a spiritual action.

Confession without sorrow is useless. Sorrow, whether perfect or imperfect, is the prerequisite to a restoration in Grace. It must be followed by a good confession.

The reason we confess to a Priest is that Christ gave the Apostles the power of absolution. Through them it is given to their successors the Bishops and in union with them it is given to those who share in their priestly ministry i.e. the priests. This power is reserved to the ordained Priesthood alone.

I always think of it by reflecting on the story of Peter and Christ walking on the water. As soon as Peter became aware of the dangers about him and lost confidence in Christ, so to speak, he started to sink. he immediately called out to Christ “Save me for I am going under!”

What Christ did next underlines the importance of the Sacraments. Jesus could have simply willed Peter to be back on the boat in an instant and out of danger. Jesus could have sent a legion of angels to lift Peter out of danger and back to the boat.

What did he do? He reached out and took hold of Peter. He issued Peter a gesture of personal contact.That gesture of personal contact with Christ, which the sacraments continue to offer us, continue to be a wonderful source of security and solace for all who seek a personal meeting with Christ through them.

We tend to forget this. Confession is the opportunity to whisper into the ear of Christ himself who is both Judge and Saviour an acknowledgement of all we have done wrong and a plea for Mercy. We hear him respond to us that we have been forgiven and restored in Grace. As humans we need the reassurance of hearing that all our sins are forgiven.***

Also, could someone explain mortal sin to me?

Mortal sin has three conditions: Grave matter, knowledge and free will. See the following link newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm#III

My understanding is that you will go to Hell if you don’t confess a mortal sin before you die. Is this true?

***It depends on many things most especially contrition the heart feels for the sins committed. If you die with knowledge of an unrepented mortal sin or sins and have no remorse or sorrow for them and no desire to confess them, then you have taken it upon yourself to die, separated from God because of the rejection of his Mercy. This separation is permanent and obviously continues after death in Hell.

If there is contrition for the mortal sins committed and a desire to repent of those sins in Confession at the next available opportunity and that desire is not realised due to sudden death the Mercy of God is applied and the soul will find itself in temporary separation from God until it is purified and ready for God’s presence. Of course there is perfect contrition and imperfect contrition which in itself will also plead our cause before the Almighty. Souls that die with perfect contrition are more likely to go to Heaven before those who demonstrate imperfect contrition.***

If you confess your mortal sin to God and ask his forgiveness, but do not confess to a Priest before you die, will you still go to Hell?

Again it depends. If you are purposefully concealing a sin or sins in the Confessional, hoping that God will forgive it anyway, you profane the Sacrament of Penance and receive an invalid absolution. You leave the Confessional worse off.
On the other hand if you have the desire for Confession and don’t make it there due to sudden death, then God will reward this desire and you will be ok.

Have a read of this also! jmjsite.com/page206.html

I would appreciate if someone could explain this subject to me a little better and possibly give me a reference that I can read. Thanks.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

In the Protestant Church, we’re taught that if you confess your sins to God, then you are forgiven, but from what I understand, the Catholic Church teaches that you should confess both to God and to a Priest.

One of the ways I think about confession is that we don’t confess our sins for God’s benefit, we confess them for our benefit.

There’s an old joke about a couple that’s been married for 50 years when the wife seeks a divorce. When she’s asked why she says it’s because her husband doesn’t love her. Why does she think that? Because he never says he loves her. His answer is that of course he loves her. He said it on his wedding day and he never took it back.

Like that woman, we need to hear the words. It’s not enough to “know” that God forgives our sins. We’re human and we need to experience his love and forgiveness in a tangible way. When the priest says the words of absolution, we hear them and we know with certainty that we’ve received forgiveness. We don’t have to guess at it.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Fergal:

I always think of it by reflecting on the story of Peter and Christ walking on the water. As soon as Peter became aware of the dangers about him and lost confidence in Christ, so to speak, he started to sink. he immediately called out to Christ “Save me for I am going under!”

What Christ did next underlines the importance of the Sacraments. Jesus could have simply willed Peter to be back on the boat in an instant and out of danger. Jesus could have sent a legion of angels to lift Peter out of danger and back to the boat.

What did he do? He reached out and took hold of Peter. He issued Peter a gesture of personal contact.That gesture of personal contact with Christ, which the sacraments continue to offer us, continue to be a wonderful source of security and solace for all who seek a personal meeting with Christ through them.

:yeah_me:

Wow, Fergal. I’ve never heard anyone make that specific connection before regarding the sacraments, it is really quite insightful and very illuminating.

Thank you for sharing that.
VC

 

[tqualey]

Hi, Fergal,

I am one of those ‘Cradle Catholics’… and I had never heard that comparison of Confession to Peter and Christ being on the water. It was very touching - and certanly gave me a new insight.

This certainly is a treasure of a list! Thanks for shring…

God bless

 

[PJM]

Being new to the Catholic Church and coming from a Protestant Church, I’m a little confused about confession and have a few questions. In the Protestant Church, we’re taught that if you confess your sins to God, then you are forgiven, but from what I understand, the Catholic Church teaches that you should confess both to God and to a Priest. The Bishop at our Church explained this to me by saying that by confessing to God you make things right with God and by confessing to a Priest, you make things right with the Church. Is this a good explanation? Also, could someone explain mortal sin to me? My understanding is that you will go to Hell if you don’t confess a mortal sin before you die. Is this true? If you confess your mortal sin to God and ask his forgiveness, but do not confess to a Priest before you die, will you still go to Hell? I would appreciate if someone could explain this subject to me a little better and possibly give me a reference that I can read. Thanks.

REPLY:

I’ll try to be brief, but if you desire more informion.

The bases for Catholic Confession, which is but One of the Seven Sacraments Instituted by Jesus Christ Himself, is found in Mt. 16:18 and John 20:23.

Mt. 16:"13* Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 14* And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16* Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17* And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18* And I tell you, you are Peter, * and on this rock * I will build my church, and the powers of death * shall not prevail against it. 19 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."*

Jonh 20:" 19* On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”(Picture) 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21* Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22* And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.** 23* If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” **

So now you see the reason for our Sacrament of Confession with evidence of iniation by Jesus Himself. We are simply obeying Jesus!

Why did Jesus Command this?

For our spiritual and pyysical health.

Did Jesus HAVE to do it this way? No

So why did He?

I like to call this the Sacrament (gift) of KNOWN FORGIVENESS

That’s the key. When we Confess our sins and we are ALL sinners, and the priest who is acting on behalf of God Himself, and it IS GOD who forgives you, the priest is just uttering the words: “I absolve you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, go and sin nomore.” We know, we know absolutely that GOD has forgiven is our sins. We then make an act of “Contrition” telling God we are honestly sorry for our sins, and do the “Pennance” the priest gives us and we get a brand new start. What an Awesome God we have

There are two “kinds” of sin, less serious and more serious.

Less serious sins, called “venial sins” should be Confessed as a pious practice but are not required to be Confessed.

Mortal sins, the more serious ones, MUST be Confessed, specifying the sin, and the quanity of times committed. These sins are so serious that until we Confess them and are Forgiven, we Breach our relationship with God and God’s Church. Thus we are not able to participate in the other Sacraments, most notabbly the Holy Eucharist (Jesus Himself) until we make ammends.

Your understanding of the effects of "unConfessed Mortal Sin, is correct. They will cause us to go to hell. Why? because it our choice, nit God’s where we spend Eternity

For an action to be a Mortal sin, three things are necessary:

**Serious matter: **examples Adultry, Abortion, Missing Holy Sunday Mass without good reason and many more.

You MUST KNOW before you did the act that it was a Mortal Sin. (knowledge of what your about to do).

And you MUST FREELY (without force) desire to do it anyway. If for some reason you wanted to “do it” but some force prevented you, it’s still a Mortal sin.

Talk to your Pastor or priest, they will gently awswer all of your questions, if you wish to go that route?

There are many things I have not covered in detail, so please ask any specific questions you have.

Welcome home! God bless you!

PJM m.c