Catholics: What is the significance in praying to Mary and going to confession?

Question

When Christ said that the ONLY way to MY FATHER is through ME and when Christ died, the veil was rent in 2?...Not trying to start trouble, I am a Christian seekin understanding on your faith
Be Blessed

Answer 1

1. What is Confession?

Confession is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ in his love and mercy. It is here that we meet the loving Jesus who offers sinners forgiveness for offenses committed against God and neighbor. At the same time, Confession permits sinners to reconcile with the Church, which also is wounded by our sins.

The sacrament, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, is known by many names. Sometimes "it is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion" (1423). But it is also better known as "the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction" (1423).

For many of us it still continues to be known as "the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament" (1424). At the same time, the Catechism reminds us that "it is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent 'pardon and peace'" (1424). Finally, it is also called the sacrament of Reconciliation because it reconciles sinners to God and then to each other (1424). In this text, we will refer to the sacrament as the sacrament of Penance.

Through this sacrament, we meet Christ in his Church ready and eager to absolve and restore us to new life. The graces of Christ are conferred in the sacraments by means of visible signs - signs that are acts of worship, symbols of the grace given and recognizable gestures through which the Lord bestows his gifts. In the sacrament of Penance, the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of grace are the gifts received through the outward sign, i.e., the extension of hands and words of absolution pronounced by the priest.

2. What is sin?

Unfortunately, in society today, many people have lost the understanding of sin. Our Holy Father has stated that "it happens not infrequently in history, for more or less lengthy periods of time and under the influence of many different factors, that the moral conscience of many people becomes seriously clouded. . . . Too many signs indicate that such an eclipse exists in our time" Reconciliation and Penance, 18). In our day, many people have lost the sense of sin and feel that they can do whatever they wish without considering or fearing the consequences.

For such people, the term "sin" has no meaning. Yet we know that sin is a terrible evil which all of us must come to understand and with which all of us must struggle. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sin "is an offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God" (1849, 1853). In other words, sin is willfully rejecting good and choosing evil. In judging the degree of sin, it is customary to distinguish between mortal and venial sins. "Mortal sin," the Catechism teaches, "destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law . . . Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it" (1855). (Refer to the Glossary on Mortal and Venial Sin at the end of the booklet.)

3. Why is Confession necessary?

We need the sacrament of Penance because each of us, from time to time, sins. When we recognize that we have offended God who is all deserving of our love, we sense the need to make things right. Like the prodigal son in the Gospel, we long to know again the loving embrace of a forgiving father who patiently waits for each of us. Jesus himself has established this sure and certain way for us to access God's mercy and to know that our sins are forgiven. By virtue of his divine authority, Jesus gives this power of absolution to the apostolic ministry. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "in imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church" (1444).

We need to know that our sins are forgiven. There is something in our human nature that calls out for the assurance that our sins are actually forgiven. Confession is the visible manifestation of God's mercy that provides us, in human terms as well, the clear awareness that God has forgiven us.

4. What is the source of the forgiveness of our sins?

Jesus invites us to reconciliation with God. It is Christ, the Good Shepherd, who offers us forgiveness and the power to turn
away from sin. Writing to the Corinthians, Saint Paul reminds us that just as sin came into the world through Adam and Eve, so too grace and new creation come to us through Jesus Christ. Just as death came through a human being, so too the resurrection of the dead came through a human being. As in Adam all people die, so in Christ all shall be brought to life - a fullness of life, a new creation already beginning in us through grace (cf. 1 Cor 15).

This is the message we proclaim when we face the mystery of sin. Just as Adam brought sin, death, disharmony, confusion, disruption and struggle into our lives, Christ, the new Adam, gives us grace, redemption, new life and salvation. (Refer to the Glossary on Original Sin at the end of the booklet). It is in Jesus Christ that we find the beginnings of the new creation. He leads us back to the Father, overcomes the tragic alienation of sin and restores harmony. Jesus gives us newness of life in grace that begins to restore our relationship with God and that will lead to full communion with God in glory. Grace is the beginning of a new creation for all of those baptized into Christ. In short, Jesus' passion and death have rescued us and given us new life.

5. How is the Church able to forgive sins?

The Church professes belief in "the forgiveness of sins" and is fully aware that only God forgives sins. It also believes that
Jesus, through his death, washed away all sin and, after his resurrection, gave to his Church the power and authority to apply to us the redemption he won on the cross, namely God's forgiveness of our sins.

As the Catechism points out, our faith in the forgiveness of sins is tied to faith in the Holy Spirit and the Church: "It was when he gave the Holy Spirit to his apostles that the risen Christ conferred on them his own divine power to forgive sins: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained'" (976; cf. John 20:22-23).

We bring our failings to the Church, then, because Jesus imparted to his apostles, their successors, and through them to all ordained priests, his own power to forgive sins, to restore and reconcile the sinner with God and also the Church. This power to forgive sins is often referred to as the "power of the keys", the power entrusted to the Church when Jesus told St. Peter, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt 16:19). This power is manifested and operative in the sacrament of Penance.

6. Why do we continue to need forgiveness if we are already saved?

The new life received in Christ does not abolish the weakness of human nature or our inclination to sin. "If we say, 'We are
without sin,'" Saint John wrote, "we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). There are a great many kinds of sins, some mortal, others venial. But all sin has a detrimental effect. It impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the prevalence of the good. "Sin creates a proclivity to sin," the Catechism reminds us. "It engenders vice by repetition of the same acts" (1865).

As a result, even though we are baptized into new life, we must continue to return to the sacrament of Penance to cleanse ourselves of sin and receive God's mercy. We are always in need of God's forgiveness through the sacrament of Penance if we are to grow in a life of grace.

7. Why do I need to go to a priest for confession?

It is most unfortunate that many people have adopted a mindset that they do not need to go to Confession. Many say "I just tell my sins to God and he forgives me." There is on the part of such persons a failure to recognize that the sacrament of Penance is not an invention of the Church. Rather, the sacrament of Penance is Christ's gift to the Church to ensure the forgiveness he so generously extends will be made available to every member of the Church. Once again, we cite the words of our Holy Father in highlighting the connection between Christ, his Church and the sacrament of Penance:

"From the revelation of the value of this ministry and power to forgive sins, conferred by Christ on the Apostles and their successors, there developed in the church an awareness of the sign of forgiveness, conferred through the Sacrament of Penance. It is the certainty that the Lord Jesus himself instituted and entrusted to the Church - as a gift of his goodness and loving kindness to be offered to all-a special Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism" (Reconciliation and Penance, 3).

8. What is the role of the priest in forgiving sins?

In establishing his Church, Christ passed on to her the power to forgive sins. Just as he forgave sins, so would those chosen by him to be his apostles have the extraordinary power to forgive sins. In the priesthood today, the visible external sign of Christ's mercy and forgiveness is exercised in confession. Just as the whole Church makes visible in our world the presence of Christ, so the priest makes visible the forgiveness and mercy of Jesus in the sacrament of confession. The priest who by ordination is configured to Christ absolves sinners, not in his own name and power, but in the name and person of Jesus.

9. What do I need to do to be forgiven?

What leads us to the sacrament of Penance is a sense of sorrow for what we have done. The motivation may be out of love of God or even fear of the consequences of having offended God. Whatever the motive, contrition is the beginning of forgiveness of sin. The sinner must come to God by way of repentance. There can be no forgiveness of sin if we do not have sorrow at least to the extent that we regret it, resolve not to repeat it and intend to turn back to God. While we cannot be certain that we will not sin again, our present resolve must be honest and realistic. We must want to change, to be faithful to the Lord, and intend to take steps to make faithfulness possible. Christ's forgiveness always calls for such a commitment: "Go, and do not sin again" (John 8:11).


10. What happens in Confession?

In the sacrament of Penance, the contrite sinner comes before Christ in the person of the priest who hears the sins, imposes a penance and absolves the sinner in the name and by the power of Christ.

The sinner comes before the merciful judgment of God and approaches the Lord in sorrow, admitting guilt before his representative. It is in the person of Christ that the priest hears the confession of guilt. The words spoken in Confession are guarded by the most solemn obligation of complete confidentiality. In fact, Church law prescribes a serious penalty for any confessor who directly violates the "seal of Confession."

It is in the name of Christ that the priest pronounces the Savior's mercy: "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The Catechism reminds us that "absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused" (1459). Thus, the priest imposes a penance on the penitent, which can take the form of "prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear" (1460).

11. How do I prepare for Confession?

Confession is not difficult, but it does require preparation. We should begin with prayer, placing ourselves in the presence of God, our loving Father. We should harbor in our hearts a sense of sorrow for all we have done. The motivation for our sorrow may be out of love of God or even fear of the consequences of having offended God. Whatever the motive, contrition is the beginning of forgiveness of sin. We need to have sorrow at least to the extent that we regret it, resolve not to repeat it
and intend to turn back to God.

With this disposition of heart, we should review our lives since our last confession, searching our thoughts, words and actions to discover those that did not conform to God's love, to his law or to the laws of the Church. This is what is known as an "Examination of Conscience." (Refer to Appendix at the end of the booklet.)

12. How do I go to Confession?

The following may be helpful in preparing for confession. Above all, do not be afraid. If you are hesitant about what to do, ask the priest for help:

Greeting:
The priest welcomes the penitent warmly and greets him or her with kindness.
Sign of the Cross:
Then the penitent makes the Sign of the Cross, which the priest may also make.
Invitation to Trust in God:
The priest invites the penitent to have trust in God using one of the formulas in the ritual or similar words. If the penitent is unknown to the priest, it is proper for the penitent to indicate his or her state in life (married, single, or clergy), the time of his or her last confession and anything else that may help the confessor in exercising his ministry.
Reading of the Word of God:
Confession of Sins and Acceptance of Satisfaction:
The penitent confesses his or her sins and accepts the prayers or deeds that the priest proposes as a penance.
Prayer of the Penitent and Absolution:
The priest asks the penitent to express sorrow by praying one of the prayers found in the ritual or in his or her own words. The priest then prays the Prayer of Absolution, to which the penitent responds: "Amen."
Proclamation of Praise and Dismissal:
The priest continues: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good." The penitent responds: "His mercy endures for ever." The priest then dismisses the penitent, using one of the formulas found in the ritual.

NOTE: This is taken from the ritual for Roman Catholics. Eastern Churches utilize a different formula.

13. Why do I receive a penance?

To complete the process, a penance is imposed. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all disorders caused by sin. While we are not capable of truly satisfying God for the evil we have done and its consequences, we must make satisfaction for our sin through some action or prayer that will express our desire to make amends and to repair something of the disorder, damage or harm which our sinful actions have brought into the world. The penance imposed takes into account the penitent's personal situation and serves to support his or her spiritual good. It corresponds as much as possible to the gravity of the sins confessed. It may be a prayer, an offering, works of mercy, sacrifices or service to another. But this penance is in a real way our share in the Cross and helps us to be more closely joined to Christ.

In the Introduction to the Rite of Penance, we are reminded that true conversion is completed by acts of penance or satisfaction for the sins committed, by amendment of conduct, and also by the reparation of injury. The kind and extent of the satisfaction should be suited to the personal condition of each penitent. In this way the penitent is helped to be healed of the evil which caused him to sin. Therefore, it is necessary that the act of penance really be a remedy for sin and a help to renewal of life.

14. How often should I go to Confession?

Individual and integral confession remains the only ordinary way for us to reconcile ourselves with God and the Church. A
Catholic who has committed mortal (grave) sin is obliged to seek God's forgiveness in this sacrament as soon as possible.
In ordinary circumstances, a Catholic who has committed mortal sin should not receive Holy Communion before receiving sacramental absolution. Not only does God forgive our sins, but we also receive the power of God's grace to struggle against sin and to be strengthened in our commitment to God and the Church. So powerful is the grace of this sacrament that the Introduction to the Rite of Penance reminds us that frequent and careful celebration of this sacrament is also very useful as a remedy for venial sins. This is not a mere ritual repetition or psychological exercise, but a serious striving to perfect the grace of baptism so that, as we bear in our body the death of Jesus Christ, his life may be seen in us ever more clearly.

Conclusion: Our Continuing Conversion

As we complete these thoughts on the sacrament of Penance, we might well reflect that the deepest spiritual joy each of us can sense is the freedom from whatever would separate us from God, a loving and merciful Father who receives each of us with all the forgiveness and love lavished on the prodigal son. Renewed, refreshed and reconciled in this sacrament once more, we who have sinned become a "new creation." Once more we are made new. It is this newness of spirit and soul that we hope all of us experience time and again in the sacrament of Penance.


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Do Catholics Adore Mary?


Though English words like 'worship' and 'adoration' are occasionally used to signify only veneration, honor or affection, they are generally understood to refer to that highest type of worship reserved for God alone. In this sense, Catholics do NOT adore or worship Mary, or any other created person or thing.


The Ecumenical Council held at Nicaea in 787 considered the issue of veneration which is not directed to the Divine persons in relation to sacred images. At this Council, the Church taught that the special type of worship called adoration may only be offered to God: Latria from the Greek term for enslavement. However, the Church also acknowledged that certain persons, though only creatures of God, are entitled to honor or veneration of a qualitatively lesser degree than the absolute allegiance owed to God. The Conciliar Fathers termed this lesser devotion: Dulia. Such veneration was proper for Mary and the Saints. In view of Mary's important role in salvation history as Mother of Jesus, the Church recognized that Mary warranted a special degree of honor among the Saints. For this class of devotion, St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) suggested the term hyperdulia.


No, Catholics do not worship Mary, if by worshiping is meant adoring. She is not God for us, has never been and will never be. Addressing prayer to Mary is like asking a dear and close friend for help. Do we make a God of our friend when asking him to keep us in his prayers? Do we divinize him/her when asking for his prayerful support in sickness and the trials of life? Believers on earth and in heaven constitute a living community which the major Christian denominations recognize as the communion of saints. The saints in heaven are not dead. Their Christian example of virtuous living and their closeness to God make of them powerful allies for us struggling mortals. They do not take God's place; they are an expression of his grace.

Likewise, there is nothing in Mary that would not have been in God and come from him. She is a pure product of God; this is the essential meaning of Mary's sinlessness. Never forget: if God wanted the exclusively direct relation between him and you and me he would never send Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, never allow scripture to be the foundation of our faith, never encourage his Son to found the Church or institute the sacraments. Christianity is the religion of mediation, essential and foundational in Christ; participative and subordinate in his Church and in varying degrees in the believers.

Answer 2

I am a Catholic and I shall endeavor to explain both as best I can.
First of all, when we pray to Mary so that she may intercede to her Son for us. The reason for this is: Jesus will not refuse His mother anything. She who gave Him human flesh will be refused nothing. Some people may think that Catholics worship Mary, but this is not true. We give her the homage, veneration, and reverence due her as the Mother of God. You have to remember that in order for her bear the Son of God she had to be free from sin. As an example, it would be impossible to make a perfect vessel from a cracked mold. It is really impossible not to give some sort of honor to Mother of God.
Now to the subject of Confession. The Sacrament of Confession is where a Catholic can go and tell his sins on private to a priest. Jesus acts through the priest during this sacrament. The priest usually give some sort of council or advice to the person on how to avoid or overcome sin. He also give the person some kind of penance to perform, i.e. a Rosary, The Lord's Prayer. The priest then absolves the person of all their sins. Now, one thing to remember is that the priest is bound by the seal of confession. He may never reveal what he heard in the Confessional. One example would be if a man confessed to a priest that he had killed that priest's mother. Afterwards, if the two met again, the priest could not show in anyway that he remembered what the man had confessed. The priest must be as nice to the murder as he ordinarily would have.

I hope this answers your questions and those of many others.

Answer 3

I don't pretend to be an expert, but I am a Catholic. We pray to Mary for the same reason we pray to any saint; to put in a good word to God for us. We go to confession to have our sins officially absolved; if you had a heart attack and died as you were exiting the confessional, you would be 100% certain of getting into Heaven because you were 100% sin free. I think the tearing of the veil was part of the symbolism (like the pitch-black stormy sky at noon) that showed what a big deal God was making of Jesus's death. I think Jesus said that the only way to the Father is through Him to tell us that if we don't believe in Him, we can't get to Heaven.

That's what I know. Take it with a grain of salt.

Answer 4

Good question.

First, we do not pray to Mary per se. It's more accurate to say that we ask her to pray for us. There's a difference.

The Hail Mary concludes with a request that she "pray for us sinners." We never ask God to pray for us because, well, He's God. He's the one that we pray to.

It's true that the only way to the Father is through Christ. Catholics do not believe that Mary is the way to Jesus or to the Father, even though we are often accused of believing that.

As for going to confession, this is in perfect line with Scripture. Jesus specifically gives His apostles the power to forgive -- or hold bound -- sins, in His name.

Elsewhere in the New Testament, we see God's forgiveness being carried out by apostles acting in His name (2 Cor 5:18-20; James 5:14-16; Acts 19:18-20; and elsewhere).

For the apostles to carry out Christ's commission to forgive sins in His name, they obviously need to be told by the penitent what those sins are. Otherwise, they wouldn't know which sins to forgive, or which sins to hold bound.

No need to worry about "starting trouble;" I appreciate the fact that you're sincerely trying to get to the bottom of what we Catholics really do and believe. Far too often, some non-Catholics form misconceptions in their heads without bothering to hear "the other side of the story."

Answer 5

I am a Christian who used to be Catholic. Their purpose of praying to Mary is the thought that Mary, being the mother of Jesus, or as they call it, Mother of God, has more leverage in asking anything of God. They feel Mary is more approachable. Same thing with confession, the priest is more approachable than your going to God yourself. They believe the Priest has the power to forgive you.

These are two of the main reasons why I could not follow the Catholic faith, even before I became a Christian, I never agreed with these two practices, or praying to the Saints.

I don't understand of millions of Catholics do not understand that they are breaking at least two commandments here. Thou shalt not have any other God before me (praying to Mary, thinking she is devine or a Deity) and Thou shalt not worship any graven image (statues of not only Jesus, but they have statues of many Saints, and of course Mary.) I remember even a Catholic wedding I attended were they knelt before the statue of Mary and prayed. How can you not see that is wrong according to GODS WORD?

It seems like the new Pope is trying to bring JESUS back into the main light (where he should be) again. AMEN for that!

Answer 6

It's not idol worship. A statue of Mary represents her being - you are not worshipping the stone the statue is carved from! Mary is the mother of God aka she gave birth to Jesus on Earth and was born with no original sin. Mary is not God, but she was just a very holy and important person. You would pray to her just as you would pray to any other saint. Like how people pray to St. Anthony when they lose things because he is supposed to help you find what you lost? Confession, I don't really get that myself, I haven't gone in 4.5 years. I guess it does make you feel better becuase you get things off your chest. I guess the belief is that God grants the priest the power to forgive a person? Back in the Middle Ages, the crooked Catholic church used to charge people to have their sins forgiven!

Answer 7

+ Praying to Mary and the Saints +

Catholics and many other Christians believe in the Communion of Saints where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints. You, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.

+ Reconciliation (Confession) +

The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin." When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven.

Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.

With love in Christ.

Answer 8

Praying to Mother Mary is for intercession, in lay man's terms more like a "follow-up prayer", reverence. Confession is like channel to absolve sins, the priests are Christ's "representatives".

Answer 9

I was a Catholic for ten years. There is no significance. It is Idolatory and Scripture says that there will be no idolators in Heaven. When it comes to confession, it is unbiblical. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that u need a priest to forgive your sins, but to confess to the Lord and all of lifes troubles will illude u.

Answer 10

Catholics believe that God gave Mary power to hear and answer prayer because she was the mother of Jesus. Going to confession is supposed to cleanse the soul.

Answer 11

I am not a Catholic but praying to Mary is wrong Jesus said that only God can forgive sins and the way to God is only through Jesus not through Mary or through any earthly preist or father.