why do catholics deem priests worthy and able to hear confessions and tell them to God?

Question

i dont agree with this concept, so i was hoping to hear some statements regarding this. i mean, aren't priests sinners too? who are they to intercede for us? doesn't this custom create a hierarchy of deity among people? do catholics even pray to God about their sins, or do they just tell them to the priests?

Answer 1

This sacrament is rooted in the mission God gave to Christ in his capacity as the Son of man on earth to go and forgive sins (cf. Matt. 9:6). Thus, the crowds who witnessed this new power "glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matt. 9:8; note the plural "men"). After his resurrection, Jesus passed on his mission to forgive sins to his ministers, telling them, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21–23).

Since it is not possible to confess all of our many daily faults, we know that sacramental reconciliation is required only for grave or mortal sins—but it is required, or Christ would not have commanded it.

Over time, the forms in which the sacrament has been administered have changed. In the early Church, publicly known sins (such as apostasy) were often confessed openly in church, though private confession to a priest was always an option for privately committed sins. Still, confession was not just something done in silence to God alone, but something done "in church," as the Didache (A.D. 70) indicates.

Penances also tended to be performed before rather than after absolution, and they were much more strict than those of today (ten years’ penance for abortion, for example, was common in the early Church).

But the basics of the sacrament have always been there, as the following quotations reveal. Of special significance is their recognition that confession and absolution must be received by a sinner before receiving Holy Communion, for "[w]hoever . . . eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:27).

The Didache

"Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

The Letter of Barnabas

"You shall judge righteously. You shall not make a schism, but you shall pacify those that contend by bringing them together. You shall confess your sins. You shall not go to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of light" (Letter of Barnabas 19 [A.D. 74]).

Peace and every blessing!

Answer 2

The Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Churches follow practices that originated in the early church. Early on when someone did something deemed a sin they confessed it to the whole congregation. Later the priest stood in for the congregation. Also Jesus gave power to his disciples to forgive sin. It says so in the bible. Yes we can and do go directly to God. I think the Orthodox have a beautiful way of doing it. The priest stands next to the penitent (who is keeling) and both are facing God together. It helps to talk to another person who can give not only absolution but advise and council. And for some very serious offenses it helps to hear from the representative of God that God does forgive you. When the priest gives absolution they say that they are doing it by the 'power vested in me', that means by the power given them by Jesus.

In my church (Anglican) at the very end of the confession, after the absolution, the priest says 'God has put away all your sins" the penitent says 'thanks be to God', and then at the very end the priest says "go and pray for me, a sinner". So you see the priest acknowledges that they too are human and also a sinner in the eyes of God.

Answer 3

we don't deem them worthy god does. the bible is a catholic book and from our interpretation of our book the practice is in accordance with scripture. the priest himself needs confession from another priest/bishop. the pope himself has to confess to another bishop and so you are wrong about a hieararchy of deity in the church. catholics also pray to god for their sins. for more details on confessions and its biblical basis/roots this website will help - www.scripturecatholic.com

www.catholiceducation.org- this site covers a wide range of catholic issues i think it would be of benefit for your question on confessions and others you may have. god bless.

Answer 4

a humble priest once answered my query...
"we can confess to god directly. but for some people, they need another human to assure them that god has forgiven them."

of course i think like u too, otherwise i would hv asked that question...

personally i think confession was "deviced" by the early church to "study" the subject (through their confession).
from the "knowledge" obtained, the church can draw up more effect programs to "control" the subject....

now catholics out there, don't start arguing that what one confesses to a priest is a private matter between u and the priest. can u be sure priest are not required by the church to submit an overall report on the statistics of different type of sins in his parish?

Answer 5

>>do catholics even pray to God about their sins<<

Of course we do! This prayer is part of the rite:

"O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all of my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen."

Answer 6

Its better than supermarket stories, plus its pyschiatry for folks who can't afford therapy. The Church does more wonders than a dollar tree

Answer 7

at one time,many years ago,priest would used powerful men to perform their deeds,by knowing their sins,they would blackmail them,by offering absolution for their sins.(man-made)not in the bible,if we confess our sins (too him God)he is faithful and just to forgive us from all unrighteousness.

Answer 8

Catholics confess their sins to priests because-- as it is clearly stated in Sacred Scripture--God in the Person of Jesus Christ authorized the priests of His Church to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins in His Name. To the Apostles, the first priests of His Church, Christ said: ``Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.... Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.'' (John 20:21-23). Then again: ``Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.'' (Matt. 18:18). In other words, Catholics confess their sins to priests because priests are God's duly authorized agents in the world, representing Him in all matters pertaining to the ways and means of attaining eternal salvation. When Catholics confess their sins to a priest they are, in reality, confessing their sins to God, for God hears their confessions and it is He who, in the final analysis, does the forgiving. If their confessions are not sincere, their sins are not forgiven.
Furthermore, Catholics do confess their sins directly to God as Protestants do: Catholics are taught to make an act of contrition at least every night before retiring, to ask God to forgive them their sins of that day. Catholics are also taught to say this same prayer of contrition if they should have the misfortune to commit a serious sin (called a ``mortal sin'' by Catholics).

Answer 9

I never could figure that out myself. It's a control issue!

Answer 10

They like to hear gossip.