Whose sins you forgive...John 20:22-23

[Sir_Knight]

A person can confess there but absolution can only be obtained IN PERSON from a Catholic priest.

 

[cabbage]

I have never known what to do with that verse. After having looked it up just now, it is interesting to note that 10 of the remaining 11 were present to receive this blessing. Thomas was not. I have no idea if this was to give the apostles the power to forgive, or the power to discern God’s forgiveness and pronounce it to others. But I am still not sure if there is a connection between this exchange and priests today. To me, if a priest abuses his position and refuses to forgive a sin that God has already forgiven (the repentance and penance are met, along with whatever other things might be required), then it does NOT mean that the sin is not forgiven, but rather that the priest has just committed a sin. confused

Another question: nonCatholics (such as myself) are not allowed the Sacrament of Reconciliation (is that what it is called?). So does that mean you believe that when we sin, we cannot be forgiven? Or is it that we would have to become Catholic for this to be the case? And if this is so, why would anyone want to put themselves in that position when they previously could go directly to God for forgiveness?

 

[mercygate]

Catholics believe that Jesus gave us the sacrament of Confession (aka Reconciliation or Penance) and that He gave it to us because He wanted us to come to Him in this way to receive His forgiveness.

People often speak of confessing to a priest with confessing “directly to God” as if they were two different things. They are not. God does not leave the room when we come to Confession. It is He who forgives our sins according to His plan, on His terms, in His Church, through His Sacrament at the hands of His priest.

Paul (2 Cor 5:18) speaks of being entrusted with “the ministry of reconciliation” and in 2 Cor 2:10 he refers to forgiving the incestuous man “in the person of Christ.”

When I was a Protestant, I came to see how Christ’s breathing on the Apostles on Easter night, conferring on them the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, established a living chain of grace that has been passed through the Catholic priesthood for 2000 years. Confession was one of the things that brought me into the Church.

 

[colliric]

cabbage:
Dear cabbage,
Catholics believe that God does not forgive sins like that at all if the person can recieve confession and refuses to go. Forgiveness is recieved only after Reconciliation so it really would not be a sin for a Priest to act in that manner if they think the person hasn’t confessed correctly.

The person may believe they were forgiven by God, but that may not be the case(It could be, but whos to say it is? we cannot know that at all in that situation) and they cannot truly be certain until confession occurs and the priest absolves the sins.

 

[holy_wood]

This is a really old thread.