Confession?

[graciesings]

I understand that Catholics believe one should confess sins to a priest. My question is, am I forgiven if I sit in my bedroom and silently confess my sins to God? Or do I need to have a priest forgive my sins? And why do priests have the authority to forgive sins?
Thanks in advance,
Confused Lutheran teenager

 

[YADA]

I understand that Catholics believe one should confess sins to a priest. My question is, am I forgiven if I sit in my bedroom and silently confess my sins to God? Or do I need to have a priest forgive my sins? And why do priests have the authority to forgive sins?
Thanks in advance,
Confused Lutheran teenager

Confession is a gift of Jesus to His people … Confession to His ministers is a blessing to us - so that we may have assurance of His love and our reconciliation to Him. But it also recognizes that our sin separates us not just from our God but from our faith, from our community, from those whom we are called to unity with. Sin does not unite us - but is disruptive … we need to reconcile to God and each other … we do this in the method Christ established … Yes - you can have perfect contrition and ask Christ’s forgiveness and obtain it … but there is a reason that Jesus established reconciliation in the way he did …

Jesus founded a Church and established the temporal earthly leadership in Peter … to whom Jesus gave a set of keys with the authority to Open and Shut the doors of both Heaven and Earth … later Jesus bestowed upon all the Apostles a similar power regarding the binding and loosing of sins … the authority to forgive sins … Who sins you forgive are forgiven - Whose sins you bind are bound … In Heaven and on Earth

The Bishops are the successors of the Apostles and priests are given their authority from those Bishops … We are an Apostolic Church. The Apostles held an office …Offices - continue through time - when an office holder leaves a position - the position is filled … thus those offices continue through the ages to this - our time … after Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide one of Peter’s first actions as the leader of Church - was to gather the apostles to choose a successor to Judas’s office … and so it has continued to this day …

Please note - you can read the Gospel of John - but also read Isaiah about the Davidic Kingdom [long after King David and even Solomon] and the King’s Prime Minister - who held an office. Isaiah writes about this Prime Minister possessing the "keys to the Kingdom … who acts with the authority of the King - who opens the door no one else can close and who closes the door no one else can open … and whom the people call Father [Abba - papa, daddy, from which the term pope comes] …The Prime Minister does not usurp the King’s power - the King always has ultimate authority and the ‘master’ key… the King grants authority to the Prime Minister - but does not relinquish his own power.

Also - the Priest acts in 'persona Christi" … If you desired - you could fool the priest man [as you can fool yourself - alone in your room] about whether you are truly sorrowful for your sins but you cannot fool Christ … in actuality - it is Christ who forgives your sins - through the priest …

 

[MaryT777]

Yada, well stated post.

 

[Pedro_1987]

A reason I’ve heard for the necessity of confession is human nature. It is easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re sorry when you’re not when you’re by yourself praying. I know personally I’m a lot more motivated to avoid sin when I know I have to hold myself accountable before my preist before I can receive Eucharist. God is real, but He is invisible. It’s easy to forget He’s there when you don’t have someone tangible, like a preist.

 

[vsedriver]

I understand that Catholics believe one should confess sins to a priest. My question is, am I forgiven if I sit in my bedroom and silently confess my sins to God? Or do I need to have a priest forgive my sins? And why do priests have the authority to forgive sins?
Thanks in advance,
Confused Lutheran teenager

which is easier to do… confess silently alone in a room, or face a living breathing soul and say out loud what you have done? Although in both situations you can be equally contrite, the extra effort it takes to go to Confession does visibly show God our sincere contrition.

Confession is also about healing. The grace you receive as you resolve to sin no more can be extremely powerful in helping you to avoid future sin. It can heal a troubled heart.

Also there is the added advantage of having a spiritual director give you real direction and help.

 

[andy92]

I understand that Catholics believe one should confess sins to a priest. My question is, am I forgiven if I sit in my bedroom and silently confess my sins to God? Or do I need to have a priest forgive my sins? And why do priests have the authority to forgive sins?
Thanks in advance,
Confused Lutheran teenager

You are always **forgiven ** the instance you are truly contrite with Our Lord. If that comes from confession in your bedroom then ok, you are **forgiven **of the mortal sin.

**Absolution **comes from the Sacrament of Confession which includes the Act of Contrition.

One could enter heaven if he is baptized and contrite thou Purgatory would be a necessity for one not absolved.

I struggled with this concept also, but this is what I was taught and it makes sense to me

 

[HolyRosaryChild]

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Why not pray The Holy Rosary to Jesus and Our Lady Mary Mother of Jesus for forgiveness and visit your Local Priest, Minister, Deacon or Christian Clergy Leader before or after visiting Church praying for forgiveness?

 

[ahs]

…And why do priests have the authority to forgive sins?
Thanks in advance,
Confused Lutheran teenager

Just to address this part more specifically, the authority to forgive sins is seen most clearly in John 20:22-23, and you will also see the topic in Mt 9:2-8, 2Cor 5:17-20, James 5:13-16, Mt 18:18, 1Jn 5:16. You can see where/how the authority gets handed down in verses such as 1Tim 4:14, 1Tim 5:22, Acts 14:23, 2Tim 2:2, Titus 1:5, Acts 6:5-6, etc…