Why does the priest say "I absolve you from your sins" in confession?

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coolcatholicguy

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This confuses me, isn’t it God that forgives sins?
 
coolcatholicguy said:
This confuses me, isn’t it God that forgives sins?
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My understanding is that the priest absolves sins on the basis of the authority delegated to him by Christ via the church. I could be wrong in this respect however.
 
coolcatholicguy said:
This confuses me, isn’t it God that forgives sins?
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Coolguy:

Remember what Christ gave to Peter in the garden. He made Peter (and his Apostolic successors) the keeper(s) of the “Keys to Heaven.” He told him that whoever he (they) bound on earth would be bound, and whoever he (they) loosed would be set loose, i.e., chosen, for entry into Heaven. A soul cannot get into Heaven unless it is unblemished. So, someone here has to be able to do that.

God bless,
jd
 
Yes, God forgives you of your sins, but he uses the priest to do this. The priest is speaking “in persona Christi”. God is saying “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of The Holy Spirit” but he is using the priest as a way for us to hear it. The same thing happens at mass, when the priest holds up the host and says “this is my body” that is Jesus Christ speaking, and every thing Jesus says is true, so when he says “this is my body”, that’s what it becomes. But jesus instituted the priesthood so that they could speak in his place.
 
coolcatholicguy said:
This confuses me, isn’t it God that forgives sins?
Click to expand...
It sure is! However, the priest acts in persona Christi. This means that Jesus showers His mercy upon you in the Sacrament of Confession through the priest. The priest is an instrument of Jesus’ mercy.

I hope this helps you! 🙂
 
Hi,

When Jesus forgave sins in the New Testament he always did it in a personal way. He wished for sins to be forgiven in a personal way. When he left he gave the Apostles and their successors the authority to forgive sins in His name. It is God who is working through the priest in a personal way that forgives your sins.

God bless.
 
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