Why must Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

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PRmerger;11769193]I am not sure if you have forgotten that you are on a Catholic forum, in dialogue with Catholics.
As such, you ought to know that Catholics do not distill our beliefs from a book, no matter how holy.
Thus, we do not ever need to say that all of our beliefs can be found in the pages of the Bible.
In fact, to do so would be self-refuting, for the Bible never says that this is a belief that must be found.
It is a man-made tradition to demand that all of our beliefs must be found in the Bible
Now, just so that I am understanding this correctly, are you saying that not all of Catholic Doctrine is based on the Word of God and cannot therefore be called, Bible Doctrine? :confused:
 
Thank you PR, I will.

Oh, just for the benefit of the uninitiated, would you please explain what EENS means, and what it entails. Otherwise they may be forced to stab at a guess, e.g. Every Evening Near Sunset.🙂

Protector.
Have you forgotten that in the post of YOURS to which PR replied above, you YOURSELF used the term 'extra ecclesiam nulla salis? (EENS)

Once a term has been used in speech/writing, an abbreviation of the term can be used subsequently, as PR did.

YOU used the term, PR used the abbreviation. Surely since you raised the issue (with term) in your original post, your notation of PR’s remark to clear up the ‘confusion’ would make quite clear what ‘EENS’ was, would it not?
 
Now, just so that I am understanding this correctly, are you saying that not all of Catholic Doctrine is based on the Word of God and cannot therefore be called, Bible Doctrine? :confused:
All of Catholic doctrine is based not ONLY on the written word of God, but ALSO on the revealed truth from God (through both Sacred Tradition and the Magsterium, which Scripture told us that the Holy Spirit would 'lead us to).

Any Catholic doctrine not found explicitly or implicitly in the written word (which itself never claims to be the complete and only repository of all Christian teaching alone) will never contradict the written word.

Can you show us any Catholic doctrine (not ‘discipline’) which directly contradicts (in context) the written word of God?
 
PRmerger;11769216] I noticed, Protestor, that in all of the verses you provided, NOT A SINGLE VERSE uses the word “directly”.
What are these verses to which I have adder the word, “directly” ?
If you press “Control +S” and search for the word “directly”, the ONLY place it comes up is where you have added it.
Thank you for that PR. I don’t think that even “Windows for Dummies” has that one!
This is an egregious error you are making, adding something to Scripture which is not there.
I have NOT added anything to Scripture PR. What I said was,
…the Holy Scriptures tell us that we may confess our sins directly to God.
This is quite plain if you read the Lord’s Prayer - Jesus is telling the disciples how to pray, He says, “Our Father who art in Heaven…,forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us…”. Is that not confessing our sins directly to God.
That we must confess our sins can indeed be found in the Scriptures. On that we are agreed.
That it can be done without a priest…well, that is something you have ADDED to Scripture
Even “Blind Freddy” could see that your statement is untrue!

Protector.
 
Now, just so that I am understanding this correctly, are you saying that not all of Catholic Doctrine is based on the Word of God and cannot therefore be called, Bible Doctrine? :confused:
First of all the Word of God is Jesus Christ, not merely the bible (John 1:1-4, John 1:14). Jesus Christ is living and cannot be contained between the covers of a man-made book, no matter how inspired its words may be. Rather, let’s reverse this and say that the bible came from, and is part of Catholic doctrine. Nowhere is it written that the bible is God’s only method of revelation to man, or that all of God’s revelation is contained in the bible. Quite the opposite is the case. The first council in Acts 15 gives evidence that doctrine is not derived from scripture, but rather, doctrine produces scripture. Yet, doctrine cannot be restricted to what is contained in the scriptures, because questions arise, as in Acts 15, that were not answered by scripture. The existing scriptures gave Paul no clue as to how to answer the question on circumcision. Church authority determined the doctrine, and was later reduced to writing, which was later also determined to be scripture. Church authority is the key.
 
This is quite plain if you read the Lord’s Prayer - Jesus is telling the disciples how to pray, He says, “Our Father who art in Heaven…,forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us…”. Is that not confessing our sins directly to God.
Jesus taught the Lord’s prayer before He gave the Apostles power to forgive sin or hold it bound. However, that has not negated, in any way, the power of the Lord’s prayer. Other scriptures teach of the normal requirement of confessing to someone with authority over sin (2 Corinthians, the Epistle of James, etc.). Public confession was an OT practice (Nehemiah 9:2-3).

The thread title is misleading. Catholics may confess directly to God, in a state of perfect contrition. However, confessing to a Priest or Bishop with God-given authority over sin is the normative means of reconciliation. In the normative means, we hear the words of absolution, just as Christ spoke, out loud, to sinners ears (Mark2:5, Luke 5:20, 7:48). Have you ever heard those words?

Just as confession to a Priest the normative means of justification, so also is water baptism the normative means of initial justification. The repentant thief on the cross was justified without water. But, that was the exception and not the norm.
 
Originally Posted by Protector:
PR, … just for the benefit of the uninitiated, would you please explain what EENS means, and what it entails.
Tantum ergo;11771117] Have you forgotten that in the post of YOURS to which PR replied above, you YOURSELF used the term 'extra ecclesiam nulla salis? (EENS)
No! I have not forgotten, but then my request was not for my benefit,

Before I joined the Forum I had no idea what ‘extra ecclesiam nulla salis’ meant. So, being of average intelligence myself I have no doubt millions of other people, similarly endowed would have no idea either. So it was, as I said, for their benefit. Furthermore, I think that you will agree, that …“This saying is hard, and who can hear it?” John 6:60

However, it is significant in light of the recent "heart-to-heart chat from Pope Francis (via video link possibly) to a meeting of Ministers of Religion of many denominations,
in as much as people must be fully informed what it will mean if they accept the Pope’s invitation to embrace their long lost brother (Joseph) in Egypt, (I think that that was the analogy the Pope was using)
YOU used the term, PR used the abbreviation. Surely since you raised the issue (with term) in your original post, your notation of PR’s remark to clear up the ‘confusion’ would make quite clear what ‘EENS’ was, would it not?
Fair comment Tantum ergo, but as I said my request was for the benefit of others who might not have read the original post.

Protector.
 
Protector. Using the Our Father prayer as evidence for confessing your sins directly to God is irrelevant.

Aside from the fact that your theory ignores “binding” (not just loosing); I have already said Catholics have no problem going (in Christ) directly to God. We call that an “examination of conscience.” We already do this.

But then we obey Jesus and go to the Priest.

They went directly to God in the Old Testament too (think King David repenting). But then they obeyed and went to the Priest.

You assert Confession is an optional item.

I am asking for evidence of such an assertion. So far I have seen none.
 
Confession for a lot of folks seems optional.

I think the original teaching for a lot of people was not focused on the grace received, but rather on the cleanse.

The cleansing is an immediate outcome.

The grace is a gift with a future outcome, be it strength to stay away from sin later, or other blessings.

Who doesn’t want grace?
 
Not so Gorgias. The Scriptures on which I rely to support my statement, “the Holy Scriptures tell us that we may confess our sins directly to God, in the name of Jesus Christ…” are the Lord’s Prayer, and 1 John 1:9.
Fair enough. Yet, neither of these identify the means by which sins are forgiven. In the Lord’s Prayer, we beg forgiveness that is identical to the way we forgive others. In 1 John 1:9, we are informed that our forgiveness proceeds via our acknowledgement of the fact that we are sinful. Neither says how forgiveness happens… except in John 20:23, in which Jesus directly tells us that forgiveness happens through the absolution of one to whom He has given the right to forgive sins.
Further I stated in another post that my statement was in agreement with the CCC
To be fair, you only said this after we pointed out that your Scriptural basis for your claim was deficient. Nevertheless, let’s address your assertion vis-a-vis the CCC:
In as much as the paragraph (2664) does not state the form, or the subject matter of the prayers to God, and does not specifically exclude prayers of Confession, it is reasonable to conclude that my statement above is in total agreement with that section of The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Umm… pardon? Because this specific paragraph – which is the ‘thesis statement’ about prayer, as it were, in the very beginning of the section on prayer – doesn’t specifically mention confession, therefore your assertions hold? I have to admit, that’s probably one of the worst-thought-out arguments that I’ve ever heard! But, since you want to find a place in the ‘Prayer’ section of the catechism that deals with forgiveness of sins, I point you to paragraph 2839 (which, as it turns out, is discussing precisely your previous point – the Lord’s Prayer!): “Our petition begins with a ‘confession’ of our wretchedness and his mercy. Our hope is firm because, in his Son, ‘we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.’ We find the efficacious and undoubted sign of his forgiveness in the sacraments of his Church.”

So, there you have it: your assertion that a detailed exegesis on confession in #2664 implies that your case holds is simply indefensible; moreover, when the CCC does discuss the relationship between prayer and forgiveness, it does so in the context of sacramental forgiveness. Therefore, your case simply doesn’t hold water. 🤷

With respect to James 5, you’re still getting it backwards, and using that misinterpretation to fuel your assertion that the prayers of the faithful bring forgiveness of sins! It’s not that the forgiveness of sins proceeds from the prayer of the faithful – James is very clear that it is the prayer of the elders of the Church that brings deliverance and forgiveness (5:15)! The discussion of what the prayer of the faithful does (5:16) mentions only healing, not forgiveness!
The full passage puts it in context:
Yes, it does! The prayers of the presbyterate are what bring forgiveness; the prayers of the faithful, on the other hand, bring healing! Thanks for helping us make that clear! 😉
 
So are you saying that Jesus found the Catholic Faith to be first and the only fait. All other faiths are divided from Catholics therefore, are not recognized by God?
That’s exactly what I’m saying, and it is provable.
#2 ]
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waivering View Post
So are you saying that Jesus found the Catholic Faith to be first and the only fait. All other faiths are divided from Catholics therefore, are not recognized by God?
That’s exactly what I’m saying, and it is provable.
#2 ]
Steve: That’s overstepping it a bit, I reckon.
The Church does not teach that other faiths are not recognized by God.
:eek:
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waivering View Post
So are you saying that Jesus found the Catholic Faith to be first and the only fait. All other faiths are divided from Catholics therefore, are not recognized by God?

Steve: That’s overstepping it a bit, I reckon.
The Church does not teach that other faiths are not recognized by God.
:eek:
Quite right. All who confess Christ as part of an eternal and triune God, and are validly baptized are members of the One Church - just in an imperfect communion.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waivering View Post
So are you saying that Jesus found the Catholic Faith to be first and the only fait. All other faiths are divided from Catholics therefore, are not recognized by God?

Steve: That’s overstepping it a bit, I reckon.
The Church does not teach that other faiths are not recognized by God.
:eek:
I meant to cross out that part before sending -] therefore are not recognized by God /-]:rolleyes:
 
Quite right. All who confess Christ as part of an eternal and triune God, and are validly baptized are members of the One Church - just in an imperfect communion.
members and imperfect communion, is a confusing statement.
 
What! You are so wrong.
If you are talking about a phrase I forgot to delete before posting, I already addressed that #190

I also draw your attention to the text I highlighted. #187 THAT’s what I was responding to. NOT the entire text. That’s the purpose of highlighting a certain text.
 
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