Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

www.catholic.com
Jimmy Akin explains the Biblical and historical basis for the Catholic practice of confessing sins to a priest.
Jimmy Akin is an internationally known author and speaker. As the senior apologist at Catholic Answers, he has more than twenty years of experiencing defending and explaining the Faith.
Jimmy is a convert to the Faith and has an extensive background in the Bible, theology, the Church Fathers, philosophy, canon law, and liturgy.
Jimmy is a weekly guest on the national radio program Catholic Answers Live, a regular contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a popular blogger and podcaster. His personal web site is JimmyAkin.com.

[@crowlikemadness]

Thank you for making this available for non-Catholics to get a better understanding of our church.

[@RicardoReyes]

love how, “ please call us back anytime” repeats until cut off.

[@CariBaez]

The priest doesn't forgives because he wants to; Jesus is forgiving you through the priest. This is why he absolves you of your sins. After one confesses their sins, the priest might give some advice to them and then give them a penance-an act of making amends, usually a few prayers offered to God. They then ask them to say the formal prayer the act of contrition. When that is done they then offer the prayer of absolution which formally forgives their sins ritualistically. Here are the words, some of the most beautiful in all of Catholic tradition: God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of your son, you have reconciled the world to yourself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the church, may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[@1234poppycat]

Excellent answers .... always worth visiting Catholic Answers.

[@beast5250]

Jimmy your voice is so soothing also good answer.

[@chatcatbartolome4056]

Thanks a lot..for sharing us the word of Our Loving God.

[@tau7260]

Jim Akin is by far the best. Thank you for your work from which I have derived so much understanding. And, I just ordered your new book and look forward to reading and using it.

[@lakers0224]

I am catholic and I have friends who ask where in the bible does it say that we should tell our sins to a Priest ?

[@belovedchild8055]

Nancy Wilkinson where in the Bible does it say that the Bible is our only Authority?

[@onvogmasaj]

beaaautiful ending

[@TheElizabethashby]

JESUS WANTS YOU TO TALK WITH HIM ALL THE TIME HE LOVES YOU SO TALK TO HIM

[@kamiingtv]

Hi im on my way to become Catholic i got baptise in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit in a pentecostal church . If i still didn recieve my confirmation can i go to confession to recieve absolution ? Thank you God Bless

[@janedarc1471]

I have only been baptized, not gone to church , only for special occasions , can I still confess even if I'm not confirmed? Tks

[@jl4e23]

You will need to do RCIA I believe.

[@yam6551]

Question: can jimmy call you back on another occasion?

[@amysands8925]

Confess your sins to a man that could have more sins than you. I think only god can forgive.

[@jl4e23]

He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. [22] When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. [23] Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. From John chapter 5.

[@kalmanbandy8402]

question? when you die does your soul go o heaven,and body stays in the ground. larry, confused.

[@michaelamanansala1114]

as much as I understand so far, body stays on the ground for almost all. only few are mentioned when it comes to b4ing taken both body and soul (I think it was Elijah but I'm not certain whether it was to heaven or to somewhere else as a case of deliverance)

[@grooveythoughts]

Body, Mind, and Soul. Our spirit called a soul lives on... some call it emotion. The soul has no physical body to control once dead. The temptations of the flesh/body are returned to ashes. The soul needs the body to mature, GOD doesn't need US to learn. In religion or the hate of religion people always miss that point. Why do you think SOULS only affect living physical bodies? A soul craves God, why?

[@carolosborne7644]

what does it mean to be born again. and if we aren't born again we do not go to heaven. I am baptized Catholic do I have to be baptized again and be born again to go to heaven????

[@jl4e23]

No.

[@theophilus749]

Christ certainly gave authority to his first ministers to give absolution (or not) for people's sins when duly confessed but that wouldn't rule out Christ's continuing to do the job _as well_ - directly, without a priestly intermediary. Christ makes absolution through the priest _proper_ not _necessary_. But if Christ can continue to do the job directly anyway, why should he even have bothered to authorise his first ministers to give absolution in the first place? Couldn't he continue to to the job unaided? Of course he could, but it would be natural for new Christians to confess at first through an intermediary - just until they came sufficiently to know and trust Christ to confess to him directly and be forgiven directly. Even then, it may help some to confess through a priestly intermediary.

[@JDemen82]

You don't need to confess to a priest. God knows what you've done, what you feel guilt for and if you're really sorry and never going to do something like that again.

[@jl4e23]

John Chapter 5: He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. [22] When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. [23] Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

[@DD-ti2bx]

So if I'm in trouble or need help for God (Jesus) I gotta call a priest or just drop to my knees and call on Jesus for myself

[@MsJohnnythunder]

And if I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, but don't confess to a priest, do I still get to enter Heaven? Did Jesus lie when He said that those who believe in Him have eternal life? I believe he took my punishement and that in God's eyes I am holy and forgiven. Where is the need for the priest then? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is my intercessor before our Father. Moreover, if this power was given to believers, then do I get to forgive other people's sins as well? And if not, why not?

[@inveighprofligate9484]

Question: "What does the Bible say about confession of sin to a priest?" Answer: The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. First, the New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. First Peter 2:5-9 describes believers as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “a kingdom of priests.” In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The New Testament teaches that there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3), deacons (1 Timothy 3), bishops (Titus 1:6-9), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) - but not priests. When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him. James 5:16 speaks of confessing our trespasses “to one another,” but this is not the same as confessing sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Priests / church leaders are nowhere mentioned in the context of James 5:16. Further, James 5:16 does not link forgiveness of sins with the confession of sins “to one another.” The Roman Catholic Church bases their practice of confession to a priest primarily on Catholic tradition. Catholics do point to John 20:23, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” From this verse, Catholics claim that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins and that authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, i.e., the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. There are several problems with this interpretation. (1) John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin. (2) John 20:23 nowhere promises or even hints that apostolic authority of any kind would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. (3) The apostles never once in the New Testament acted as if they had the authority to forgive a person’s sin. Similarly, Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these Scriptures. The ability to forgive sins is God’s and His alone (Isaiah 43:25). The better understanding ofJohn 20:23 is that the apostles were given the responsibility of declaring with utmost certainty the terms on which God would forgive sins. As the church was being founded, the apostles declared that those who believed the gospel were forgiven (Acts 16:31) and those who did not obey the gospel faced judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). As the apostles proclaimed salvation in Christ (Acts 10:43) and exercised church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:4-5), they were wielding the authority Christ had given them. Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

[@jl4e23]

John 5: 21He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. [22] When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. [23] Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. There ya go.

[@mikulzki]

Only God can forgive sins...the sacrament of confession is a tool used by the catholic leaders especially in its early years for her exploits.

[@CariBaez]

michael pinaroc The priest doesn't forgives because he wants to; Jesus is forgiving you through the priest. This is why he absolves you of your sins. After one confesses their sins, the priest might give some advice to them and then give them a penance-an act of making amends, usually a few prayers offered to God. They then ask them to say the formal prayer the act of contrition. When that is done they then offer the prayer of absolution which formally forgives their sins ritualistically. Here are the words, some of the most beautiful in all of Catholic tradition: God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of your son, you have reconciled the world to yourself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the church, may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[@nicholasclarke8182]

BS!!!

[@TheElizabethashby]

you should only confess your sins to GOD through JESUS = not a man that can blackmail you = only GOD CAN FORGIVE YOUR SINS MAN CANNOT = POPE IS A MAN LIKE JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER MEN UNDER UNDER HIM = TRUST NO MAN BUT GOD JESUS READ YOUR BIBLE PRAY BEFORE YOU READ HIS WORDS STUDY EVERY DAY rcc do not do that that is why they know not the true word of GOD JESUS AMEN