What are Protestant concerns with the sacrament of confession?

[LilyM]

The priest doesn’t just say ‘I forgive you’ either, he says ‘I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ -

just like at baptism he says ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. No confusion that it’s God acting through the priest who baptises or forgives.

And no, like a lot of things that are good for us, it’s not necessarily pleasant while you’re confessing. But it is necessary and helpful.

 

[awantz]

John 20:21-23 shows us we have the option to go to the priest, but it doesn’t say we have to go to the priest to confess our sins.

 

[awantz]

My husband (alifelong catholic) says it is a requirement to go to confession at least once a year.

 

[MariaG]

John 20:21-23 shows us we have the option to go to the priest, but it doesn’t say we have to go to the priest to confess our sins.

My husband (alifelong catholic) says it is a requirement to go to confession at least once a year.

Also in scripture, Jesus gave the apostles the right to bind and loose, to make and change the rules. This was given to them, previously this was held by the pharasees. Rememer in Scripture Jesus told the apostles to “do what they tell you to do for they sit in the seat of Moses”? This authority was given to Peter and the apostles when Christ gave him the keys. (keys = authority to serve in the masters place as steward)

The Church tells us that we must confess at least once a year with a priest.

 

[awantz]

I know the catholic church says it is a requirement. The Bible dosn’t say it is. FromTheCrossroa said it is not in post #238. Wheteher it is or isn’t is not the topic being discussed here. It is the concerns protestants have with the sacrament of confession and that is oviously one of them.

 

[JoeyWarren]

I know the catholic church says it is a requirement. The Bible dosn’t say it is. FromTheCrossroa said it is not in post #238. Wheteher it is or isn’t is not the topic being discussed here. It is the concerns protestants have with the sacrament of confession and that is oviously one of them.

What led to the enactment of the law of yearly confession was this. Peter of Blois, who wrote before 1200 states that in the beginning of the Church all who assisted at Mass communicated; that it was later on enacted that they should communicate every Sunday; later, at least three times a year, at Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas (Alzog, Church Hist. II, p. 504). The Council of Lateran, A. D. 1215, relaxed the former law relating to Holy Communion, limiting its obligatory reception 247 Penance and Extreme Unction. to once a year; and it added explicitly the obligation, which St. Paul had taught, and which had been insisted on all along, of cleansing the conscience from sin before partaking of the sacred Body and Blood of Christ (1. Cor. XI, 23). Thus it required Confession at least once a year.

You may be forgetting the bible as a whole in such cases that Christ gave the apostles the authority to bind and loose and then gave Peter the ultimate authority to bind and loose which would have trumping power over theirs.

If your a protestant, you believe that the 7 books we have are not inspired. They were in all bibles until 1829. Which Bible verse was discovered that said these were not inspired. You believe something that is not even in the bible. You believe that the Bible alone is the sole rule of faith even though that declaration is no where in the bible.

 

[MariaG]

I know the catholic church says it is a requirement. The Bible dosn’t say it is. FromTheCrossroa said it is not in post #238. Wheteher it is or isn’t is not the topic being discussed here. It is the concerns protestants have with the sacrament of confession and that is oviously one of them.

But the Bible does talk about authority and who whether or not one should follow those whom God has placed in authority over us. Which speaks directly to the concern of Protestants who say it is not “required” in scripture.

Since the Christ gave the keys to the “chair of Peter”, removed them from “the seat of Moses”, the Catholic Church has a right to require confession.

And that makes the requirement of confession completely biblical.

So why don’t you talk to your SIL about the authority of the Church and the rightfulness of them requiring confession now that this concern of yours should be placed to rest, since you already agree that John20:21-23 is confession?

God Bless,
Maria

 

[dessert]

Prayers and singing, followed by individual confessions with the priests.

You will participate in praying the Act of Contrition all together at some point during the service, and you will also hear an Examination of Conscience read out, along with encouragement to go to Confession to one of the available priests.

After the praying and singing is done, the priests will go to the Confessionals and start hearing Confessions. If there aren’t enough Confessionals for all the priests, some of them will set up with chairs and portable screens in various corners of the Church.

Thank you for this post. I wasn’t sure just what to expect but now I know that there will be several priests there. Return