When did confession become available?

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Lily1227

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How did the sacrament of penance begin/when did it become available to the new Catholics of that time?
(I mean the actual, physical process, not the biblical evidence of authority)

I imagine it would’ve taken some time to teach and establish. So what happened to the many souls of those who died in a state of mortal sin before they were taught to confess or before it was actually available? What of all that time between when the disciples received this authority and when it actually became common knowledge and practice. Were there any other ways to obtain forgiveness and enter into heaven after the death and resurrection of our Lord?
 
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My understanding (someone please correct me if this is incorrect) is that early Christians would publicly confess their sins to the community.
 
Your question presupposes that confession was something novel established by Jesus or His Apostles.
But if you read the Bible, the Old Testament in particular you will find that the Israelis had codified a set of sacrifices that were based on the severity of the sin.
They would go to the Temple priest and would need to declare their sin and the priest would assign the penance. (The animal that needed to be sacrificed)
And as the sacrifice was a public affair, guess what anyone present pretty much knew the severity of the sin. Confessions have been around longer than many people believe.
 
ColorMomma said:
My understanding (someone please correct me if this is incorrect) is that early Christians would publicly confess their sins to the community.
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Three kinds of penance are to be distinguished canonical, prescribed by councils or bishops in the form of “canons” for graver offences. This might be either private, i.e., performed secretly or public i.e., performed in the presence of bishop, clergy and people. When accompanied by certain rites as prescribed in the Canons, it was solemn penance. The public penance was not necessarily canonical; it might be undertaken by the penitent of his own accord. Solemn penance, the most severe of all, was inflicted for the worst offences only, notably for adultery, murder, and idolatry, the “capital sins”.
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Hanna, E. (1911). The Sacrament of Penance. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm
 
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”I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
  • Matthew 16:19
”Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
  • Luke 6:36
 
Lily1227 said:
Were there any other ways to obtain forgiveness and enter into heaven after the death and resurrection of our Lord?
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Yes, by manifesting love of God or perfect contrition (contrition motivated by love of God).
… love covers all offenses. (Proverbs 10:12)

… love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
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