Do Catholics Teach That Priests Can Forgive Sins?

Answer 1

Yes, the priests can forgive sins. Not through any power of their own, but they can forgive sins in the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' apostles and followers forgave sins, performed healings and cast out demons in Jesus name in Jesus time---are you saying that this ability only was permitted while Jesus lived on earth?

Answer 2

Yes the catholic church teaches that a priest can forgive sin. the priest is a form of Christ to them and can absolve a person of sin. It is just another tradition of men. But the Bible doesn't teach this. If we look in Acts 19:16-21 we see people openly confessing sin, not to a priest but openly for all to hear. Also in James 5:16, James says we should confess our sins to one another not to some priest which is not a office in the early church. The offices of priest, pope and all the different positions were not found in the early church. some men in the early church were looking for preeminence over others, so they began to act and treat other people as if they were inferior to them. Paul delt with this in Romans 14:9-12 telling them no one was any better than another and that we should humble ourselves because we will have to give an account to God for what we do and say.

Hope this helps,

Chris_his_servant_7

Answer 3

Christ forgives the sins, through a priest. Please do not get the wrong idea about the Catholic Church. I suggest some research should be done about what the church teaches and why they teach it. Catholic practices are not unbiblical; visit www.catholic.com or buy the book "This Is Our Faith". Again, a lot of bad things are said about the church but it is best to know what one is talking about before critizing. Thank you and God Bless.

Answer 4

James 5:16: consequently confess your sins to at least one yet another and pray for another so that you'll properly be healed. The prayer of a righteous guy is valuable and valuable. The Catholic Church does no longer prepare that monks can forgive sins.for sure, a man or woman can confess those sins to Jesus without an middleman. yet acknowledging the sin is in difficulty-free words part of the equation. the different section is popping faraway from that habit. The sacrament of reconciliation (the church's formal call for confession) recognizes that between the excellent guns in the arsenal of the deceiver is the idea that our human being sins are unique to each and every persons. The act of confession can serve to inspire us in our faith walk and to carry us to blame in the destiny. it is this mixture of confession, an oral audible reminder of absolution and a plan for directing sparkling of a particular sinful habit in the destiny that elevates this pastime to a sacrament. i like the concept sacrament is a contraction of the word "sacred second" (between God and guy.)

Answer 5

Christ forgives sins. The Priests are the tools He uses to do so in the confessional.

Answer 6

Not really.

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.

With love in Christ.

Answer 7

Yes, Catholics do believe in the words of Jesus, "Whose sins you shall forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you shall retain are retained." That authority was given to the apostles and passed to their successors, the bishops and priests.

Answer 8

All the answers are in honest interpretation of Scripture:

Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins
John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.

Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?

Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.

Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.

Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").

2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.

2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.

1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.

Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.

Answer 9

Priests cannot forgive sins.

Answer 10

Wink is out to lunch and obviously doesn`t know anything about Catholicsm. Christ instituted the priesthood and he said to them what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. The sacrement of Holy Orders gives them the power to act as Christ in the forgiveness of sins.