Do catholics believe we need a priest to be forgiven?

Question

According to Catholic belief, is it necessary to confess our sins to a priest, or are we able to ask God directly for forgiveness?

Answer 1

All Bible believing theologians agree that the Bible teaches we need a priest to be our mediator to God.

Under the Old Covenant, that was a priest in a temple made by human hands.

The New Covenant also has a priest: Jesus Christ, the great high priest who offered himself as a sacrifice.

Jesus is in a temple not made by human hands.

You MUST have a mediator to bring you to God. Furthermore, there is NO man who is worthy to be a priest aside from Jesus. this is a crucial point made in the book of 2 timothy and elsewhere. And, there is no temple aside from the Temple Jesus occupies.

See the book of Hebrews. It explains this in intricate detail.

Answer 2

Yes we need the One Priest Jesus and every ordained priest is a minister( in the ministerial priesthood) of the one priesthood as we baptized all are on a more basic level of the baptismal priesthood

Only mortal sins need to be confessed
Confession is going directly to God in Christ

See Jn 20:22-23 where Jesus gives the Church the authority to absolve sins
and James 5:13-16 where we are told to confess to one another and the presbyter( long for priest) gives forgiveness

Answer 3

I tell what I know for certain.

1) To maintain your standing as an obedient Catholic, you must go to a priest for confession at least once a year. I believe this is optional only if no priest is available (for the entire year).

2) As many previous answerers have suggested, it is *not* necessary to go to a priest to receive forgiveness, but the RCC *does* teach that priests have been given the authority to forgive sins

Joh 20:22-23, New American Standard Bible (the most literal)
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

The RC claims that, by "apostolic succession" (passing of the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands in an unbroken chain from the apostles to the present day), their priests retain this authority originally granted to the apostles by Jesus himself.

3) As a previous answerer correctly stated, the bible *does* instruct Christians to confess their sins to other Christians - and isn't it handy that RC priests take a vow to not repeat what is heard in the confessional?

Conclusion: RCC teaches that it *is* necessary to confess to a priest, but does *not* teach that this is the *only* way to have your sins forgiven.

Jim, former RC, still a Christian

Answer 4

When Catholics go into confession the priest plays the role of God. The priest is not forgiving the sins of the sinner, God is. Most people want to take the easy way out and confess their sins at home, but God wants you to come to his home (Church) and talk to him where he is physically present (In the Eucharist). Allow me to give you an example of what confession does...A Child breaks a window, the father forgives him, but the window is still broken. We are asking for God's forgiveness and then he forgives us and gives us ways to "repair the window" and clear our soul of what has been done.

Answer 5

It is known that it was necessary to offer up a goat. The word "scape-goat" comes from the middle-eastern tradition of the priest using the goat as sacrifice for our sins. The "goat" took on our sins, and our sins died with the goat.

However, when we examine Mark 2:6. And there were some of the scribes sitting there and thinking in their hearts:
2:7. Why doth this man speak thus? He blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only?
2:8. Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts?
2:9. Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed and walk

Matthew continues this same event with the words: "9:8. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men."

And more strongly, (to John the Baptist) Matt 3:5. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan:
3:6. And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Although it may not say so in the bible, John the Baptist was the son of a priest, and therefore by birthright and by choice, an ordained priest.

Answer 6

It is always possible to ask God for forgiveness directly, but it is very advantageous to do so through the sacrament of reconciliation, for a number of very good reasons.

First and foremost, Jesus specifically empowered the apostles and their successors to forgive sins in his name, and by his authority.

When sins are absolved in this way, there is no doubt about the fact that they have been truly forgiven, and totally blotted out.

By comparison, those who choose to apologize to God directly will not know whether he has truly accepted their apology until Judgment Day.

The sacrament of reconciliation also applies the grace and merits of Jesus and the saints to make up for what may be lacking in the penitent.

If contrition is not perfect, or if repentance is less than complete, the sacrament makes up for any reasonable deficiency, so long as the penitent makes a good faith effort.

Those who choose to apologize to God directly have no such assurance.

Those who make use of the sacament of reconciliation have access to a professionally trained spiritual director ... the priest ... who holds the equivalent of a doctor of theology degree ... with a "major" in effectively dealing with sin.

One who chooses to "go it alone" may never get it quite right, and so may have serious and unexpected spiritual liabilities to overcome, at judgment.

In short, the sacrament of reconciliation, complete with it's certain absolution for sins, is a gift from God ... a gift that is especially appreciated by those who might be in immediate danger of death.

Answer 7

of course you can ask G*d directly for forgiveness. The priest is just there as a person to help in the confession process. He suggests things that you do to repent for your sins and to sin no more. Besides, it is quite helpful to bear your heart to someone, to let your most secret secrets be told to someone

Answer 8

Some do ,some don't.Catholic doctrine[and dogma]states categorically that one must confess to a priest to be absolved of sin.Then they have the "home version" of novenas to "saints" and the "Hail Mary" deal.But explain these doctrines to a catholic[was one half my life,now Christian]and you get blank stares.The "Church" and the pontificate maximus is far more important to them than the worship and Gospel of Jesus Christ.They make up beliefs as they go.Point out wrong doctrine and they'll say they don't follow that particular one.Truly bizarre.Got several in my family.Been praying for years,but the wall is solid.

Answer 9

Yes, the Priest has the power to forgive our sins. And before we can receive Communion we need to confess what ever sins we have committed.

Answer 10

No.

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.

Jesus said, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Luke 20:22-23)

Oral confessing of sins is recommended over and over in both the Old and New Testaments:
+ James 5:16
+ Acts 19:18
+ Matthew 3:5-6
+ Mark 1:5
+ 1 Timothy 6:12
+ 1 John 1:9
+ Numbers 5:6-7
+ Nehemiah 9:2
+ Sirach 4:26

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with a priest ordained in the name of Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm

With love in Christ.