Catholic Believers: Do you go to the priest and confess your sins?

Answer 1

Yes I do
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.


God Bless You

Answer 2

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school for the majority of my life. Confession was required but I only participated before the major sacraments. Meaning the last time I went to confession was when I was 12 before my Confirmation. Technically, you are supposed to go to confession before receiving the Eucharist (communion), so that you are accepting God with a pure heart, but I feel that my confessions should be directly to God, with no middle man involved.


BTW, priests confess to each other, which is why there has been such a debacle over the molestations. The molestations were covered up, but priests claim the same thing as "attorney-client privilege" or "doctor-patient confidentiality." Unless someone essentially confesses to murder, a priest is bound by confidentiality, otherwise, people would be afraid to go to confession in the first place.

Answer 3

Yes,you would think that this was a recent practise if you believe the Catholic haters but confession goes way back to the beginning of the church,the followers of Jesus began confessing their sins not long after Pentecost because Jesus wanted this done,He told His Apostles to forgive sin in His name,and so this is what Priests still do today,no-one is exempt from sinning and even Priests must confess to one another,the Pope has his own private confessor too.
Confession is a scarament that really does gladden the heart as at times you can actually feel the weight of sin being lifted from you,like some heavy weight on the shoulders,and you receive actual grace that strenghtens the soul,Yes I am thankful for confession.

Answer 4

if a normal person confesses to a priest, who does the priest confess to? What about the Pope?

Answer 5

Yes as Catholics, we do go to the priest to confess our sins.

Physically, confessions are like councelling session.
Spiritually, confessions are like exposing yourself, cleaning yourself inside out to God.

Answer 6

Yes. It is required of all Catholics that they receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year, preferably between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost Sunday.

Answer 7

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If YOU (Apostles and successors) forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If YOU (Apostles and successors) 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?
NOWHERE!!!

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.

James 5:16 - James clearly teaches us that we must “confess our sins to one another,” not just privately to God. James 5:16 must be read in the context of James 5:14-15, which is referring to the healing power (both physical and spiritual) of the priests of the Church. Hence, when James says “therefore” in verse 16, he must be referring to the men he was writing about in verses 14 and 15 – these men are the ordained priests of the Church, to whom we must confess our sins.

The Early Church’s Practice of Oral Confession:
Do not come to prayer with a guilty conscience." Epistle of Barnabas, 19:12 (A.D. 74).

“In church confess your sins, and do not come to your prayer with a guilt conscience. Such is the Way of Life...On the Lord's own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins, so that your sacrifice may be pure." Didache, 4:14,14:1 (c. A.D. 90).

"Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we should return to soberness[of conduct], and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise repentance towards God. It is well to reverence both God and the bishop." Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyraeans, 9 (c. A.D. 110).
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html
+t+

Answer 8

when I started we had to lie because we didn't know how to sin yet and then we got a bonus an honest confession of lying .
boy that was ironic too .
peace out beware of the pedo-priests

Answer 9

No but, I turn drunks on the sidewalk over onto their stomachs (so that they don't choke on vomit and die), If someone is hungry, and homeless I buy them a sandwich, I practice random acts of kindness to strangers. I don't go to church that much, I was sent to Catholic school (taught me how to act like a convict), and I try to do good things for my fellow human, isn't that what religion is supposed to teach us, no matter what sect it is ?

Answer 10

The priests need the help nowadays, lets be honest about this.