Why do we need to confess our sins to a priest?

[po18guy]

You can confess to God directly. It is strongly urged at the moment you are aware of sin. However, how do you know that your sins are forgiven? We are intended to hear that absolution, just as Jesus spoke to sinners when He walked among us. You and I are no different.

As you progress in your spirituality, confession becomes something which you look forward to, as it leads you toward spiritual perfection (“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”) Very few us us reach that perfection, but we are called to strive toward it. Knowing that sin damages our relationship both with God and with others here on earth, it becomes a priority to have those sins destroyed.

In Catholicism, there is a sin called “presumption” in which we simply presume God’s forgiveness. Since the Lord is not physically present, He has seen to it that representatives are here to hear sins, provide spiritual direction if appropriate and assign a penance.

As to the priests, they do penance for our sins! That is how they live out their lives in the person of Christ. A great book for you might be Catholicism for Dummies. Written by two very well educated priests, it is effectively a catechism and is easily read and digested. Highly recommended.

 

[Anna4]

Hahah great book recommendation. I will look into it. I actually learned quite a lot from LLCs for dummies so I know these series are good.

I was going to say that I know my sins will be forgiven when I truly change my heart because God supposedly forgives all sins. Part of penance is always revisiting and checking in with myself on how my heart is doing and if I need help, pray to the Holy Spirit.

I’m new to the faith, maybe 5 months in. But I have definitely gone to confession and it felt nice but I guess I didn’t connect to the priest. He didn’t seem very loving.

 

[OddBird]

As for penance I realize many people go off scot free.

And that’s not a bad thing. It often happens to me too, with the same confessor as in my last post.

Light penances teach me that God is merciful, infinitely more than I can imagine. They also teach me that, while I can damage people and relationships when I sin, I cannot on my own repair what I have broken. God’s grace is what fundamentally heals it, the most I can do is doing my best to cooperate.

He didn’t seem very loving.

Although it’s nice when you feel the priest empathizes with you, it isn’t what matters.

 

[po18guy]

In confession, he is a judge of sorts. He has to hear your case, decide if what you are confessing is sin at all, and if it is, how serious it is. He may then conclude that there is some level of guilt - but agrees to do penance right along with you and offer those sins up to God so that He may destroy them.

But, here’s the clincher: He then performs a juridical act with the authority given the priests by the Apostles, and them by Christ. It is “trickle down” authority, but none of that authority is lost in the trickling down. “I absolve you of your sin” is part of his pronouncement.

Do not think of a man, a priest, a judge, whatever sitting opposite you. Think of Christ, as it is Christ speaking with you. Remember that Christ was rather stern when He needed to be. We don’t like that, but God has our eternal comfort in mind, and not our comfort here on earth.

Yet, there is great comfort to be had, knowing that you exit the confessional like a newborn baby. Do sins come again? Of course! Sometimes before you even leave the building. But, we shower when we are dirty and our souls also need a spiritual cleaning on a regular basis.

Oh, and if the assigned penance seems trifling or far less than what your sins deserve, that is tangible evidence of God’s mercy.

 

[DiscourseKing]

I heard once in a homily, that was posted on the Sensus Fidelium, that pride is the root of all sin and hence, to truly be penitent, we must tackle the most rooted sin (pride) by confessing to another person. In admitting our faults to a man who represents God’s Church on earth, we shed our pride.

You should confess anything that you know qualifies as a sin, no matter how grave. You really must include mortal sins, but I also confess venial sins even though it’s not technically necessary.

 

[Anna4]

Thank you so much for your responses. I never understood Catholicism growing up (I just bought the book you recommended) so I became secular, and now I’m just understanding the importance.

The penance I got was trifling, and I didn’t want to do it at first, because I believed no one can tell me what will absolve my sins (understanding now my sins were already absolved but this was physical therapy), but decided to do it because it would probably bring me spiritual growth. I felt good about it. It involves praying for the sins of the world, which was beautiful. I didn’t realize the priest also did things on his side to help me as well.

I’m looking for a church I can call my home. I’ve visited many. I’m looking for a priest I can connect with and trust. A real spiritual father. After that, and understanding confession better now, I think I will enjoy it

 

[Anna4]

Yes, I confessed everything, but I need to make a running list next time because I’m sure I forgot somethings

 

[Gorgias]

what makes a priest better than me

Priests aren’t “better” than you, just like you’re not “better” than me.

On the other hand, I can’t step in and be your children’s Mom. Not because you’re “better”, but because that’s a role that you have, and I do not.

what makes a priest better than me to have a faster line to God than me?

It’s not a “faster line” to God – it’s his role as an ordained priest. That is what gives him the ability, granted by the Church, to absolve sins. After all, that’s what Christ promised the first priests of the Church (the apostles) – when they forgive sins, He forgives them. (It’s that “Christ forgives them” part that really matters.)

Also, it’s the thought that although I may not know my soul completely as Paul says, I think I know it better than someone else.

The priest doesn’t have to know the state of your soul. He just knows that he has the authority (granted by the Church) to do what the Church does – absolve so that Christ’s promise would be fulfilled.

I used to be in the new age. They taught that we give away our power when we confess to a priest when we can talk to God directly.

What “power” do you have that you give away?

As for penance I realize many people go off scot free.

They really don’t. The “temporal punishment due to sin” is what it is. If you do your penance on earth, great. If not… then that’s what ‘purgation’ is for.

But I have definitely gone to confession and it felt nice but I guess I didn’t connect to the priest. He didn’t seem very loving.

In a real sense, it’s not about “feeling loved by the priest.” It’s about “knowing without a doubt that you’re forgiven by Jesus.”

 

[lexscripta]

Isn’t Jesus “authorized” to hear our confession?

 

[Mark121359]

I used to be in the new age. They taught that we give away our power when we confess to a priest when we can talk to God directly.

Therein lies a huge part of the problem. This is largely the reason why you’re having great difficulty grasping the good advice from fellow CAFers.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

But Jesus never excluded God from forgiveness

As the Catechisms states in bold letters, “Only God Forgives Sins.”

 

[JimR-OCDS]

In the New Testament , a presbyter (Greek πρεσβύτερος: “elder”) is a leader of a local Christian congregation. The word derives from the Greek presbyteros, which means elder or senior. … In modern Catholic and Orthodox usage, presbyter is distinct from bishop and synonymous with priest.

Presbyters were the priests of the early Church. They celebrated the Holy Eucharists. Baptised, and preached the Gospel. They were the servants of the Bishops

 

[sudy]

1 John 5:16 It’s these sins, the mortal ones, that we need to confess.

We can seek forgiveness by praying about venial sins.

 

[Gorgias]

Isn’t Jesus “authorized” to hear our confession?

Sure! And when you do, have you ever heard a voice out of the ether proclaim “your sins are forgiven!”

And if not… then do you know that you’re truly repentant and forgiven, or are you OK with “well… maybe I am…?”…?

We can seek forgiveness by praying about venial sins.

And we receive forgiveness for venial sins by praying at Mass, and by receiving the Eucharist worthily…!

 

[webmasterpdx]

First of all, I’d say that confession was made for man, not man for confession…it amazes me that people spend $200 a pop to see a counselor, and won’t go to confession. Note that I’m not saying don’t go to a counselor, but that confession can often provide a similar comfort without the cost and within your faith. As for your questions about mortal sin, etc…have you looked in the catechism?

 

[ConcernedConvert]

There is a practical reason for confessing to a priest as well. When we constantly bring our confessions to god alone, without a priest, we tend to shape god and his responses to our conscience, our feelings or our thoughts. Over time we tend to justify what we are doing in our minds and inevitably end up taking things less seriously or changing our thoughts on what are and what are not sins.

 

[sudy]

And we receive forgiveness for venial sins by praying at Mass, and by receiving the Eucharist worthily…!

I was really trying to distinguish between sin that can and can’t just be prayed about. I completely agree with you.

Edited to correct

 

[webmasterpdx]

Good point! I was also thinking that if we only confess our sins to God, we don’t implement the penance, which makes us realize that while our sins are forgiven, we still have to do temporal punishment or purification of ourselves through penance…and we either do that in this life, or in Purgatory.

 

[Anna4]

Yikes. What a reply! I think I’m doing great in my progress to understand and am grateful for the kinder replies I received.

 

[Evan]

The church was given authority to retain and forgive sin. If you confess directly to God in your heart, how do you know if the sin was retained or forgiven? With a priest, you know