How do u ask the priest for forgiveness while he is a humen being? And who forgives the priest?
2006-08-26 14:34:16 · 18 answers · asked by Nightingale 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The priest is a representative for the community that you have effected by your sin. He reassures you of God's forgiveness and recommends a way that you might rehabilitate yourself either through making right what you wronged or doing something good to make up for your wrongdoing.
Also, it keeps us from becoming lone ranger Christan's who are accountable to no one and are often doomed to repeat their mistakes over and over because they have not brought their sins into the light of Christ(We walk in the light as he is in the light)
FYI Ms.Dominican. The Bible says in Matthew 5: 23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[d]
2006-08-26 14:37:39 · answer #1 · answered by Makemeaspark 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
Catholics don't ask the priest for forgiveness - they ask GOD for forgiveness. The sacrament of Reconciliation is designed to allow a person to voice his or her sins (which I'd be willing to bet psycologists would say is a healthy thing) and hear a human voice say that he or she is forgiven. But the forgiveness comes from God.
Who forgives the priests? God. Who hears the confessions of priests? Other priests.
2006-08-28 01:15:59 · answer #2 · answered by Church Music Girl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The priest is the messenger. God allowed them to be priests so they can cleanse the souls of others and forgive them of their wrong doings. A priest is given the authority to give penance to others because he is the one who acts through God like the Apostles. Now, I'm not really sure how a priest receives penance, but I think they should receive penance from other priests, so that the other priests treat him as anyone else.
2006-08-26 21:43:45 · answer #3 · answered by Lily 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The priest acts "in persona christi" (In the Person of Christ). In doing so, he is given the power to forgive sins.
John 20:21-23: As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Recieve the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained."
priests confess to other priests.
2006-08-27 15:14:53 · answer #4 · answered by me 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is God Who Forgives our sins. The priest only acts as mediator between us & God.
And yes, this is Scriptural. The Gospel according to St. John, chapter 20, verse 23: "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; & if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
The priest confesses his sins to other priests(such as a spiritual director, etc).
2006-08-26 23:27:24 · answer #5 · answered by clusium1971 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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 with a priest ordained in the name Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.
A priest, bishop, or pope goes to any other priest or bishop for the sacrament of Reconciliation.
With love in Christ.
2006-08-26 22:54:56 · answer #6 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Priest is there Representing Christ.
Go to this website if you really want to know what Catholics Believe.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm
Go to the Section on Sacraments and you can also see where these are validated in the Holy Bible.
Do not persist in your unbelief, but Believe.
God's Blessings, ;-)
2006-08-26 21:46:50 · answer #7 · answered by CHS 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We don't ask the priest for forgiveness. We ask God. The priest is just there for the ritual. It makes it easier for us to talk to someone about our sins and things we did wrong.
2006-08-28 03:57:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Priests confess their sins to other priests. I was raised a Catholic and believed that hogwash, that I had to go to confession, tell my sins to the priest, say 10 Hail Marys and my sins would be forgiven. Geesh! God is the only One who can forgive our sins. We don't need an intermediary.
2006-08-26 22:34:47 · answer #9 · answered by celticwoman777 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
LET'S PUT TO REST THESE PROTESTANT PROTESTS FOR THE BIBLICAL IGNORANCE THEY ARE!!!
You say only God or Jesus can forgive sins and not Catholic priests. Catholic priests claim apostolic succession by conveyance of the authority of the apostles hand down from bishop to priest for 2000 years. If this is true, then they indeed can forgive sins according to the scriptures.
Here Jesus confers full authority in heaven and earth on Peter, who was to be the first bishop of Rome .
Matthew 16:1 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 11 Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood 12 has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Jesus confers on the Apostles the authority to remit sins.
John 20:19 In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were [gathered together] with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" 20 Having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 After saying this, He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain [the sins of] any, they are retained."
The Apostles call other apostles.
Acts 1: 20"For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms,
" 'May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,'[d] and,
" 'May another take his place of leadership.'[e] 21Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." 23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
So we see:
1. The argument that no men can forgive sins is false from scripture.
2. The argument that those with apostolic authority cannot forgive sins is false from scripture as is any argument that they did not have full authority to bind and loose on heaven and earth.
3. The argument that apostolic authority was only vested in the 12 is false from scripture.
Therefor, you protestants may only attempt to argue that apostolic authority was broken at some point in the past and God's entire purpose in apostolic authority was set at naught, but you have no real basis for that claim. If the priest retains apostolic authority he certainly can remit sins according to scripture and your pastor has no such authority.
We can certainly argue the scripture is nonsense, but I don't think you're going to go there, are you?
2006-08-26 22:06:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋