Confession

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Hello,

I had a question on the Sacrament of Confession, to understand the Sacrament of Confession better? A Better understanding on how the priest is not just a man there just listening to your sins but taking the place of Christ and how he can give absolution? Also I have doubts probably from my protestant background. I am not sure if there is a prayer to help with understanding forgiveness as I know I have been through Confession but I in my heart still feel somehow that God cant forgive me and having doubts about being forgiven is a sin too. And I am truly sorry about my sins when I confess but have also feelings that as sorry as I am in my heart that its still not sorry enough for God to forgive. Not sure if it’s the devil putting these feelings in my heart but is there prayer focus or passage of scripture to help with this?

Thank you all for your answers, I truly appreciate it.

Thank You,

God Bless you all !
 
Actually in the Eastern Catholic Churches the understanding is a little different than what you’ve explained from a Latin perspective. We stand before the Icon of Christ and confess to Christ with the priest as the witness.
 
creed227 said:
Hello,

I had a question on the Sacrament of Confession, to understand the Sacrament of Confession better? A Better understanding on how the priest is not just a man there just listening to your sins but taking the place of Christ and how he can give absolution? Also I have doubts probably from my protestant background. I am not sure if there is a prayer to help with understanding forgiveness as I know I have been through Confession but I in my heart still feel somehow that God cant forgive me and having doubts about being forgiven is a sin too. And I am truly sorry about my sins when I confess but have also feelings that as sorry as I am in my heart that its still not sorry enough for God to forgive. Not sure if it’s the devil putting these feelings in my heart but is there prayer focus or passage of scripture to help with this?

Thank you all for your answers, I truly appreciate it.

Thank You,

God Bless you all !
Click to expand...
Read St. Johns Gospel…Ch. 20 Vs. 22+23
 
creed227 said:
Hello,

I had a question on the Sacrament of Confession, to understand the Sacrament of Confession better? A Better understanding on how the priest is not just a man there just listening to your sins but taking the place of Christ and how he can give absolution? Also I have doubts probably from my protestant background. I am not sure if there is a prayer to help with understanding forgiveness as I know I have been through Confession but I in my heart still feel somehow that God cant forgive me and having doubts about being forgiven is a sin too. And I am truly sorry about my sins when I confess but have also feelings that as sorry as I am in my heart that its still not sorry enough for God to forgive. Not sure if it’s the devil putting these feelings in my heart but is there prayer focus or passage of scripture to help with this?

Thank you all for your answers, I truly appreciate it.

Thank You,

God Bless you all !
Click to expand...
CCEO Canon 718

In the sacrament of penance, the Christian faithful who committed sins after baptism, internally led by the Holy Spirit, turn back to God, moved by the pain of sin, intent on entering a new life through the ministry of the priest, having themselves made a confession and accepted an appropriate penance, obtain forgiveness from God and at the same time are reconciled with the Church which they injured by sinning; by this sacrament they are brought to a greater fostering of the Christian life and are thus disposed for receiving the Divine Eucharist.

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Absolution:
In the sacrament of penance, the act by which a qualified priest, having the necessary jurisdiction, remits the guilt and penalty due to sin. The new formula of absolution, since the Second Vatican Council, is: “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” To which the penitent answers, “Amen.” In this formula essential words are: “I absolve you.” For centuries, the Church used the deprecatory form of absolution, e.g., “May God absolve you from your sins.” This was really declarative in meaning, as is clear from the fact that in the whole of tradition the priest who absolved was looked upon as a judge who actually absolved, even though he used the subjunctive mood to express his affirmative judgment. (Etym. Latin absolvere, to free from; to absolve, acquit.)
 
1.) The priest is acting “in persona Christi” the same way he does during the Mass. Essentially what this means is that they act “in the person of Christ,” aka, that Christ gives them the same power in these areas that He Himself has. The Biblical basis can be found in John 20:22, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” A priest can only forgive sins because he’s doing so under Christ’s authority.

2.) God can forgive you. Believe me, if He can forgive me, He can forgive you. : ) The Holy Sacrifice of the Cross paid the debt on any sin; if it couldn’t, there would have been no point to Christ’s death and resurrection.

3.) However, don’t feel bad about having doubts, either; doubt is a normal emotion, especially if you grew up with a non-Catholic background. Everyone doubts from time to time; the important thing is not the depth of one’s emotion, but the effort of one’s will.

4.) There’s a psalm that I think fits rather well to this theme, Psalm 51. You could try meditating on that if you wish, or pray an act of contrition each night. Also, talk to your confessor (priest) about these things; they’re usually wiser on these matters than we nice folks on the internet. : )

Pax et bonum!
 
the priest is Christ’s represenitive he has been given the power to forgive sin jesus himself gave that to peter the first pope
 
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