How does confession work? Is it only for Catholics?

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Ogie_Reeves

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I grew up Protestant and I’ve heard different comments about Catholic practices by other Protestants. I’m no longer Protestant and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now, but my curiosity over confession is growing. By confession, are your sins forgiven? I really don’t understand.
 
I’m starting to get it now. I suppose a Latter-day Saint (like myself) wouldn’t be able to do it unless I became Catholic.
 
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Or an already baptized candidate who will receive Confirmation and First Communion very shortly.

Confession, or the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is about healing the wounds caused by sin between an already baptized Christian and Christ and his Body, the Church. It’s about restoring the unity and the grace lost through serious sin after baptism.
 
Do you believe that God is doing His work through the priest for him to forgive sins? I’m not sure that I understand.
 
From my recollection, God only breathed twice, once to create mankind and the other time to give the apostles the Spirit needed to forgive sins.

In the old days, the Jews would have to do animal sacrifices to remind themselves of the cost of sin, the animal sacrifice was but a shadow of the true sacrifice (Christ’s death on the cross). Animals cost different monies, a dove would be fairly cheap, lambs and goats would be common, oxen and bulls would be really big and expensive. So, can you imagine, all the Jews showing up for the animal sacrifice, all of them holding pigeons! Pigeons are cheap, plentiful, and a sacrifice of two birds wouldn’t be that bad.

But, imagine, not everyone was holding a pigeon for the sacrifice? How did they determine which animal was qualified for the sacrifice? The Jews had to profess their sins, shouting to all within earshot, their sins, the priest would then assign a severity for the confessed sins and then the sinners would be assigned a dove, lamb, bull or otherwise.

Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating of the tree of knowledge. When God came walking in the garden, what was the first thing Adam and Eve did? They hid, from the shame of the knowledge of what they’ve done. They, as humans, are very much like me as a human, when I’ve done something very wrong against someone, that one person is the very last one that I want to say anything to.

For you, as a Mormon, do not have a chance for Confession as it is a Sacrament. A Sacrament is an outward sign, using materials and form and matter, for an inner disposition of graces of God.

You may ask for forgiveness of sins with repentance in your heart, God will forgive all that ask for it. Though, you will only have your own confidence that your sins are forgiven, as a Catholic, in the sacrament of reconciliation, have moral certainty that the confessed sins are absolutely forgiven, completely.
 
I should add that this isn’t because God’s power or the merit of Christ’s sacrifice is limited. It’s infinite. The sacrament is for man’s sake, because we continue to sin and fall short of our baptismal promises, and we need that communal experience and healing experience on our end, that is, we as social and bodily beings do better when we have that experience. The forgiveness is all from Christ’s merit.
 
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Yes. Christ acts through the priest, not because of the priest’s own merit or worthiness, which the priest doesn’t have, but because Chridy chooses to act this way, as a guarantee for the faithful.
 
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Christ established the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) when he told the Apostles:

“Whatever sins you forgive will be forgiven, and whatever sins you retain will be retained.”

The current priests in the world, the current bishops, cardinals and pope, all have an Apostolic succession that everyone one of them can trace back to Christ through one of the 12 Apostles giving them the power to absolve sins that derive from that Bible verse.

If you die with an unconfessed mortal sin - without having been absolved - you cannot go to Heaven. That has been Church teaching from Christ.

God bless you in your journey to the Faith!
 
Wesrock said:
Or an already baptized candidate who will receive Confirmation and First Communion very shortly.
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Is that true? Canon Law, for example, refers only to the Christian faithful a la

Can. 988 §1. A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience.

(Or is Christifideles, the Latin rendered as Christian faithful, code for a member or candidate of the Catholic Church?)

The Catechism similarly refers primarily to the penitent or less-so to a member of the Christian faithful in its relevant sections, I think?

In any case, if a formal non-Catholic Christian were to attempt confession, I think it would be best to let the confessor know this status at the outset.
 
Unfortunately the answer is yes only Catholics can approach the sacrament of Reconciliation. And if you wanted to become Catholic, you would have to be baptized again, I believe, as the RCC does not recognize LSD baptism as valid, due to not following the proper Trinitarian formula.
 
When I was in school and we had Confession, non-Catholics were invited to go to Confession if they wanted to just talk to the priest, but they weren’t given absolution.
As others have mentioned, Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins. We are also told in the Bible to confess our sins to one another. It really is a gift to be able to talk to someone about our struggles and hear from Jesus through the priest that those sins “are forgiven”. It’s therapeutic, healing and helps us to be more accountable.
 
First let me say, confession/reconciliation is the most beautiful part of the Catholic Church. The reason Jesus came was to extend God’s mercy to all who would have it. Having said that, there is nothing magic about it. When we go before the priest, who acts in the person of Christ, admit our failings, and sincerely repent and try to do better, then they are gone. Period. End of story. If our repentance isn’t sincere, well then, we take our chances on eternity, but really it’s a very simple straightforward process. Jesus didn’t come to kick us and tell us we’re no good. He came to offer forgiveness and salvation.
 
That painting is by Tommy Canning. It’s part of his Divine Mercy series
 
CoeurRempli said:
When I was in school and we had Confession, non-Catholics were invited to go to Confession if they wanted to just talk to the priest, but they weren’t given absolution.
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Same here. We talked with Father about our sins. He counseled us, suggested some prayers that might help and gave us blessings. No absolution.
 
Ogie_Reeves said:
I grew up Protestant and I’ve heard different comments about Catholic practices by other Protestants. I’m no longer Protestant and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now, but my curiosity over confession is growing. By confession, are your sins forgiven? I really don’t understand.
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I’ve posted this before, but since you said you’re LDS, you should really appreciate this, since this is by Studio C (a comedy group consisting of BYU grads):

 
I watched that video this morning. I had a good laugh seeing it.
 
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