Why must Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

[gigi_mvn]

I order for sins to be forgiven, one must come to terms and realization that he/she has sinned. To be consciously and wholeheartedly aware. Very important. There is no better assuring way to demonstrate this than to confess to a Priest. Also, a Priest has metaphorically a louder voice when communicating with God.

Would like to add a metaphoric scenario.

Your soul is on trial, the judge is God, your soul is the defendant, and the priest is your attorney. Personally, I would very much like to have a priest to represent my soul’s interest.

“He who represents himself has a fool for a client” Quote from Abraham Lincoln.

There is also a Jewish law from Torah where a man is not allowed to testify for himself in court, needs a representative… attorney.

I hope this helps. This is how I rationalize confessing to a priest for myself.

 

[bmonk]

Could you confess your sins to others but not necessarily a priest? Like family or friends? Or does it have to be a priest?

Again, that distinction of mortal and venial sin applies.

Mortal sin–or even sins with serious matter–are serious offenses to God, and so God should be involved in resolving them. Hence the need for the priest: the priest is the one designated by the community (church) to “take the place of Christ,” and so in the presence of the priest we have the involvement of the community and of God–all the injured parties have a representative.

A venial sin, on the other hand, can be resolved and forgiven with less stringent means. In this case, confessing and asking forgiveness from someone who is injured by the sin will be enough–or various other means for receiving forgiveness, such as receiving communion (taking part in the sacrament of Jesus’ death, which was suffered for the forgiveness of sin), the Act of Reconciliation at various sacraments, prayer asking God for mercy and forgiveness.

Still, even when we can be forgiven sins in other ways, the Sacrament of Reconciliation has certain advantages, not least an assurance of forgiveness, the benefit of council, the focus of the penitent in deliberate self-consideration of his or her sinfulness, in asking mercy, and doing penances that are not self-chosen, but are given by another.

 

[pablope]

Could you confess your sins to others but not necessarily a priest? Like family or friends? Or does it have to be a priest?

Sins also hurt the Church, not just Christ, as St. Paul writes in 1Cor 12:4 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

So while you may reconcile or be forgiven individually, you still need to be forgiven by the Body of Christ…in this case, the priest, who acts in persona Christi…and announces absolution, both of Christ and the Church.

 

[MacQ]

Could you confess your sins to others but not necessarily a priest? Like family or friends? Or does it have to be a priest?

You’re really going to do that?
Maybe if you’re confessing things like peeing in the pool…
For more serious matters, you might want to be continent (lest you hurt someone, or lest they hurt you with it later).
Point is, sure, it’s ok to admit to others you’ve done wrong, but you should really think over the consequences.
And go to confession with a priest.

 

[MacQ]

Would like to add a metaphoric scenario.

Your soul is on trial, the judge is God, your soul is the defendant, and the priest is your attorney. Personally, I would very much like to have a priest to represent my soul’s interest.

“He who represents himself has a fool for a client” Quote from Abraham Lincoln.

There is also a Jewish law from Torah where a man is not allowed to testify for himself in court, needs a representative… attorney.

I hope this helps. This is how I rationalize confessing to a priest for myself.

Wise thoughts I say…

 

[mdcpensive1]

Because Christ set it up that way. In the Old Testament, people confessed directly to God. Then, even with John the Baptist, the disciples, we began to see people confessing to each other. Christ once raised from the dead, breathed on the apostles and said to receive the Holy Spirit, that those whose sins they forgave would be forgiven.

Now, why would he have given them this gift if it were later to be rendered, unnecessary?

It seemed Christ had intended all along that we go through his Church for the sacraments rather than trying to “go it alone” without the Church and her representatives.

On the day of atonement they gave a sin offering to the priest who took it into the inner part of the temple (not the holy of holies). That was a priest giving the offering for their sins that they wanted God to forgive. The high priest during this time made three offerings for sins. One for the state of Israel, one for the people and one for himself.

 

[seaton2005]

I find not such a requirement in the Bible. As such, I find that a man may confess and be absolved of his sins by speaking directly with God.

I believe this is an institutional (Catholic Church) interpretation that you must confess to a priest. For me, I no longer (about 10 years now) use a priest for confession. I establish my confession directly with God. Only He knows what’s in my heart.

 

[mdcpensive1]

I believe this is an institutional (Catholic Church) interpretation that you must confess to a priest. For me, I no longer (about 10 years now) use a priest for confession. I establish my confession directly with God. Only He knows what’s in my heart.

It is not a requirement to always go to a priest. In fact, we have the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass each time where we ask to be pardoned. But for an offense that is breaking the friendship of God completely (mortal sin) it is highly advised and most necessary to confess to a priest who has been granted the power to forgive sins in the name of Jesus. We are lucky to have such a sacrament that does not always require a complete contrition for forgiveness of sins. However, if you think you can have complete contrition all the time you ask God to forgive you, you are very special.

God does know what is in your heart but that is not the substance of forgiveness. He knows every human heart but not all are forgiven. There have been saints that have been granted the gift of knowing hearts and they have had lines for confession that have lasted hours. It is a gift of the Spirit. But it is not a condition for forgiveness, it is up to us to ask for forgiveness and be genuine about it.

 

[angel_g]

During my Catholic school education, I was taught that Catholics must attend confession at least once per year. Personally, I feel somewhat guilty if I don’t attend a reconciliation service at least once per year. It seems that I can’t keep going to communion if I fail to go to a reconciliation service. I notice there a fewer young persons attending this service; and it appears that the older generation still attend the reconciliation services.

Our yearly reconciliation services serves three catholic churches in my area; but the attendance seems to be very low. I sense that a lot people are confessing directly to God these days.

We were taught it was a sin to not confess your sins annually to a priest. I know in the bible, it reads somewhere, that we all must confess our sins; but unclear if it is considered a sin, if you don’t confess directly to a priest.

It all boils down to ones personal relationship with God. I will continue to attend reconciliation services, because I feel renewed when I do so.

angel g

 

[MacQ]

I believe this is an institutional (Catholic Church) interpretation that you must confess to a priest. For me, I no longer (about 10 years now) use a priest for confession. I establish my confession directly with God. Only He knows what’s in my heart.

Do you attend Mass every week?

 

[Gorgias]

I believe this is an institutional (Catholic Church) interpretation that you must confess to a priest.

This seems to be a stumbling block for you. Why is it, I wonder, that you see it as a problem that the Church – whom Christ instituted and whom the Holy Spirit breathed into life – does what it was intended to do (that is, lead people to God through the sacraments)…?

For me, I no longer (about 10 years now) use a priest for confession. I establish my confession directly with God.

Hmm… do you use a priest for the Eucharist? After all, Jesus also established that sacrament to happen through the agency of a priest, too. Is there a problem going to a priest for the Eucharist?

 

[seaton2005]

Do you attend Mass every week?

Yes.

 

[po18guy]

You have no idea if you have been absolved of your sins or not. That is why Jesus told each and every sinner that their sins were forgiven. A spiritually very dangerous religious practice that you have created for yourself. I would ask Father about confession as soon as possible. You might read James 5 and 2 Corinthians 2 for starters. Confession is in there.

 

[jigarspaceo]

Amen and there is way more then pieces of scripture, Then the 4 they read over and over and over again! And why do Catholics still have Christ on the cross? It was not complete till he rose from the dead!

 

[zz912]

Amen and there is way more then pieces of scripture, Then the 4 they read over and over and over again! And why do Catholics still have Christ on the cross? It was not complete till he rose from the dead!

1 Cor 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Gal 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!

You can’t ignore or forget to teach about the Cross, the Last Supper, or the Resurrection. You can’t have one without the other two. They are intimately and completely linked together. If you only focus on one, you lose the whole meaning.

 

[bmonk]

. . .
And why do Catholics still have Christ on the cross? It was not complete till he rose from the dead!

True–we do celebrate Easter and the Resurrection for fifty days, and on every Sunday of every week.

However, it does help to remember not to go too quickly to the resurrection, but to also remain with the Suffering Christ by which our salvation was won.

 

[bmonk]

Amen and there is way more then pieces of scripture, Then the 4 they read over and over and over again!

Yes, there are many more–we get a section from the Bible every day in the Lectionary of the Mass. Two years of daily readings, plus three years of readings for the Sundays and feasts. The Mass itself is steeped in the Scriptures. But these are sections that are most descriptive of why we believe in Confession to a priest.

 

[po18guy]

Amen and there is way more then pieces of scripture, Then the 4 they read over and over and over again! And why do Catholics still have Christ on the cross? It was not complete till he rose from the dead!

I’m confused. your religious identification very clearly says “Catholic” Yet, you seem to be spouting the typical worn out anti-Catholic pseudo-arguments.

Do you believe that lying and deception are a sin?

 

[po18guy]

1 Cor 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Gal 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!

You can’t ignore or forget to teach about the Cross, the Last Supper, or the Resurrection. You can’t have one without the other two. They are intimately and completely linked together. If you only focus on one, you lose the whole meaning.

Bingo! But, for dedicated “Romans roaders”, none of this is from the Letter to the Romans. Thus, it seems to be of inferior quality - almost apocryphal. Sad.

 

[po18guy]

1 Cor 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Gal 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!

You can’t ignore or forget to teach about the Cross, the Last Supper, or the Resurrection. You can’t have one without the other two. They are intimately and completely linked together. If you only focus on one, you lose the whole meaning.

Bingo! But, for dedicated “Romans roaders”, none of this is from the Letter to the Romans. Thus, it seems to be of inferior quality - almost apocryphal. Sad.