What happens at confession?

[RomanRyan1088]

Are youor sins washed away and God won’t judge you on those?

 

[chimakuni]

When you tell the priest your sins in the sacrament of confession and are truly repentent the priest acting in Persona Christi absolves you.

That means the sins are forgiven. We will not be judged on these sins, for God has forgiven us them, but we may have restitution to do in the form of penance here on earth, or in purgatory later on.

It is important to do the penance the priest gives to you so that the sacrament is completed.

For more information, you may wish to consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church or go to your priest to talk to him, outside of the confessional, about this most wonderful sacrament.

 

[threej_lc]

When we sin, we offend both God, and his body on earth, the church. We are forgiven as soon as we truly repent. As with any time we are repentant for offending someone, we would go to that person and say what we did, and say we are sorry. Thus we owe this to both God, and his church. Confessions allows the penitent to do this in one fell swoop, and this act fulfills the sinner’s repentance. Furthermore, in our human, doubtful nature, through it God allows us to be assured of our forgiveness and reconciliation without any doubt, and even goes so far as to give extra grace to not commit the sin again.

 

[baltobetsy]

RomanRyan1088:

Are your sins washed away and God won’t judge you on those?

Yes, between you and God, it is as if the sin had never happened. Once scarlet, you are now as white as snow. This is in contrast to the belief of Lutherans, for example, who believe that the sins are covered over, but are still there. Your sins are gone, baby, gone!

Yes, you are still obligated to clean up the human mess the sins have created, but true repentance and absolution make your soul as clean as a newborn, newly-baptized baby’s.

Betsy