Why confess?

Question

Why catholics confess their sins to their priests? Why cant they ask pardon directly?

To relieve yourself of guilt talk to someone, why confess to a priest

Answer 1

In John 20:23 Jesus gives the church the authority to judge sin.The catholic church has been deceived into believing that this authority is given to the priest.If that were the case though Jesus would not have told them to take an offensive member before the church in Matthew 18:15-18.This was done only to prove what was and who was Right or Wrong.It was not so sin could be forgiven.When Jesus spoke to the apostles He was speaking to His church.If the priest were to be given the authority to forgive sin the scriptures in Matthew 18 would not needed to have been spoken.The priest could excommunicate whosoever he chose to. I can't imagine going to the doctor and having a nurses aid diagnose my illness when I could talk to The Specialist.I do go to my pastor or certain members to share when having struggles.We pray together and seek the Lord to find the help needed.I don't know what I would do if they told me to go say 10 hail Mary's and light a candle.Looks as if anyone could see that that isn't right.

Answer 2

Forgiveness comes from God.
Absolution comes from the community.

Paul taught that one must confess his sins not only to God but to the community, because sin offends God and injures the community. By confessing to the community as well, the penitent must face the harm he has caused all creation, not just the offense to God, and, the community is now aware of a weakness and can help support and pray for the penitent to find the strength to overcome.

As communities grew larger, it became infeasible for people to confess all the time to the whole community. As such, the leader became the representative of the community (NOT of God, who needs no stand-in).

Answer 3

John 20:21-23 states "(Jesus) said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when He said this, He breathed on them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Jesus gives the disciples the authority to forgive, and not to forgive. This means a priest must hear the sins in order to know whether to forgive them or hold them bound. We do confess to God directly in our own prayers, but we also confess through the ministery of the priest because that is what God requires, as taught in Scripture. If you will read 2 Cor 5:17-20 you will see that St. Paul explains how the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ's work of reconciliation. This means that they share in the ministry of Christ and forgive sins in His name. James 5:13-16 tells us that the sins of the sick are forgiven in this sacrament of annointing. He specifies that the presbyters (priests) must be called. They obviously had a power the ordinary Christians didn't have, the power to forgive sins. So we go back to what Jesus said "As the Father sent Me so I send you". The Apostles are to continue the mission of Christ. The mission to forgive sins. Jesus knows our human nature and provides sacramental confession to give us several important gifts: humility, the certainty of forgiveness, spiritual direction and help to overcome self-deception and rationalization in matters of sin.

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 4

Confession is not merely asking fer pardon.....the actual motive of confession is to releive ur heart off d guilt or pain dat is pricking u fer committin a sin......it makes u feel a little light.....sharing always reduces d burden!!!

Answer 5

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 6

Because they say the Church's authority is more important than the Bible and God.
The Bible talks about the papacy's system:
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thess. 2:4
Only God can forgive sins:
Acts 5:31 - Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Answer 7

No reason really...you could go directly.

(I'm not catholic though)
~ Eric Putkonen