Valid/Invalid Confession

[Frankk]

The Catechism covers confession to a priest (#1443-45 et al.) but in giving authority to forgive sins to priests did Jesus ‘give away’ this authority.

In other words is a confession directly addressed to God without the intermediary of a priest valid?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

God can do whatever He wants. He is not bound by the sacraments He has instituted, but ordinarily He expects us to use them. He certainly *can *forgive without confession to a priest (and may do so if, for example, we have perfect contrition at the moment of death), but the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the ordinary means by which we receive forgiveness. When we confess to a priest, we are assured of forgiveness. When we confess directly to God, we may or may not be forgiven; there is no certainty, as we are circumventing the ordinary channel He has provided us.

 

[awalt]

PhilotheaZ’s response was a great one, but I feel compelled to add my .02 since there are many times people are asking these kinds of questions about the sacrament, and maybe more that are unsure about it will read this thread.

I suspect those that ask these kinds of questions are unsure about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and are likely not experienced in receiving it.

So I want to ask those that wonder, please try it! It is named “Reconciliation” for a reason, and it gives us the chance to receive the greatest feeling of all, to be reconciled to our Lord and creator! Think of how you feel when you have had a “tiff” with a loved one. Which feels better, to actually reconcile with them personally, or to hear through someone else that they forgive you! IMHO there is no comparison!

So I hope in trying the sacrament you find the exhilaration of being forgiven by the priest in persona Christi, that you never feel when you just pray to God on your own and hope that he heard you, and forgives you, without ever knowing for sure.

 

[Frankk]

Philothea, awalt,

Many thanks for your thoughtful replies. I was aware of what Msgr James Songy had once written (once pastor in Louisiana) where he stated that anyone can confess to God and be confident that God would not withhold His love or forgiveness from us. However, he did go on to say that ‘we are perhaps cutting ourselves off from other sacramental opportunities…’ but he didn’t go on to explain what these were.

I suspect it might be on awalt’s line of participating in our Catholic community’s official forgiveness of others and the ‘uplifting’ feeling that this would give…

 

[baltobetsy]

I have been taught (sorry, I cannot remember a source you could consult) and more importantly, have seen in my own life, that one receives a special sacramental grace to avoid specifically the sins one confesses in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I have struggled with things on my own, then finally dropped them at the feet of Jesus in confession, and received real help and healing. And I mean help in real life, not simply good advice from the priest.

Perhaps this is the kind of thing your priest referred to.

Betsy

 

[Sir_Knight]

in giving authority to forgive sins to priests did Jesus ‘give away’ this authority.

Of course. The bible even tells us so … as the Father has sent me, so I now send you …

 

[LilyM]

I have been taught (sorry, I cannot remember a source you could consult) and more importantly, have seen in my own life, that one receives a special sacramental grace to avoid specifically the sins one confesses in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I have struggled with things on my own, then finally dropped them at the feet of Jesus in confession, and received real help and healing. And I mean help in real life, not simply good advice from the priest.

Perhaps this is the kind of thing your priest referred to.

Betsy

More than that - of course confession also opens up to us the graces available through the other Sacraments the church offers - most importantly the Eucharist.

There is amazing power in the combination of frequent (even weekly) confession and frequent communion (provided one is not in the state of mortal sin, though). Especially when one has sins of any particular nature that tend to keep recurring - I personally am astounded by the progress I’ve made in regard to some of my ‘pet peeve’ sins since adopting these two practices.