Why go to confession to a priest

[jpdc]

a non catholic asked me why go to a priest to confession when you can go directly to jesus himself. what do i say to him why catholics need or go to confession to a priest to have their sins forgiven instead of directly going to jesus.

 

[NotWorthy]

Ask you friend why Jesus gave this authority to the Apostles if it is so unnecessary (John 20:20-22). Then ask, if the 1st century Church could go to a man to have his sins forgiven by God, then why did this “need” end.

Doesn’t Matthew tells us, after the healing of the paralytic, that the people praise God, “For giving this authority (to forgive sins) to men”. (paraphrasing)

 

[Harmony1988]

Firstly Confession in Catholicism is known as the ‘Sacrament of Reconciliation’ it was instituted by the Church, because they have the power to do so.

Their power comes from discipleship, who were all celibate men and with one special one having more power than the rest.

That is Peter.

‘Thou art peter, and upon this rock I will build my church’

Peter is referred to as the rock, because that’s what his name meant in aramaic, when Jesus gave him the name Peter.

He gave him the power to bind and loose on earth, the successors of Peter instituted the sacrament of reconciliation based on

James 5:16 “Confess your offenses to one another”

Scripture allows it. Why not directly confess it to jesus? you can confess your lesser grave sins to Jesus, but for grave sins, you have to do the sacrament of reconciliation which was instituted and IN LINE with “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven”

The Church has the power to make such a sacrament, because it was given the power to do so.

Hence the only way to be absolved of grave sins is through that.

Luke 10:16 - Whoever listens to you, listens to me.

Who is ‘you’? The disciples with special authority from jesus, no one else, who else has that kind of authority now? The Pope and the cardinals !!

Confession is biblical.

 

[NotWorthy]

Harmony, I’d hesitate to say the only way to be forgiven of grave sins is confession, for all things are possible with God. But I would say “the only way to know that your grave sins are forgiven are through confession”. Of course, this assumes that one has been baptized.

 

[Harmony1988]

Harmony, I’d hesitate to say the only way to be forgiven of grave sins is confession, for all things are possible with God. But I would say “the only way to know that your grave sins are forgiven are through confession”. Of course, this assumes that one has been baptized.

Good point. That’s true. Need to be more careful when posting stuff on such an issue.

 

[davidv]

Firstly Confession in Catholicism is known as the ‘Sacrament of Reconciliation’ it was instituted by the Church, because they have the power to do so.

A small correction: The sacraments are not instuted by the Church.
From the CCC article 1131

The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.

 

[mercygate]

Firstly Confession in Catholicism is known as the ‘Sacrament of Reconciliation’ it was instituted by the Church, because they have the power to do so.

Confession, as a sacrament, was instituted by Christ himself.

Their power comes from discipleship, who were all celibate men and with one special one having more power than the rest.

That is Peter.

‘Thou art peter, and upon this rock I will build my church’

Peter was certainly not celibate. Nor were most of the Apostles. When defending the faith, we need to get the facts straight.

Peter is referred to as the rock, because that’s what his name meant in aramaic, when Jesus gave him the name Peter.

He gave him the power to bind and loose on earth, the successors of Peter instituted the sacrament of reconciliation based on

James 5:16 “Confess your offenses to one another”

Scripture allows it. Why not directly confess it to jesus? you can confess your lesser grave sins to Jesus, but for grave sins, you have to do the sacrament of reconciliation which was instituted and IN LINE with “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven”

Lesser grave sins?

The Church has the power to make such a sacrament, because it was given the power to do so.

The Church does not “make” sacraments; Jesus made the sacraments. The Church has the authority to determine the discipline by which the sacramental powers are exercised.

Hence the only way to be absolved of grave sins is through that.

Luke 10:16 - Whoever listens to you, listens to me.

Who is ‘you’? The disciples with special authority from jesus, no one else, who else has that kind of authority now? The Pope and the cardinals !!

The Pope and the bishops in communion with him. Actually, any validly ordained bishop retains his sacramental powers, even if he becomes a schismatic or heretic. Ordination is irrevocable. The “license” to practice may be revoked by the Church, but the ability to practice remains.

Confession is biblical.

Yup.

 

[Scottgun]

Because confession to a priest is good news. Wonderful news in fact.

See, when we get into the confess-to-Jesus thing we, with our tangled minds turn it into less about Our Lord and more into an existential (and frankly narcissistic) head-trip. So, we are always going to be wondering if we were truly sorry, confessed adequetly, or even pretending sins are not sins. in short, always second-guessing ourselves, or worse, deluding ouselves.

Our Lord in His infinite mercy, spares us all that by giving us something outside ourselves in a Sacrament. He grants the apostles the authority to forgive sins in His name and promises to abide by it. In a crude manner of speaking, He sets up a lower court and promises He won’t overturn any of its rulings. We have something tangible to go by. Or as I like to say, Our Lord isn’t just tell, He’s show and tell.

 

[jmcrae]

a non catholic asked me why go to a priest to confession when you can go directly to jesus himself. what do i say to him why catholics need or go to confession to a priest to have their sins forgiven instead of directly going to jesus.

Because that’s how Jesus wants us to do it.