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21ReasonsToGoToConfession&WhyCatholicsConfessSinsToPriests

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Youarehere:Home/CatholicChurch/21ReasonsToGoToConfession&WhyCatholics
ConfessSinsToPriests

21ReasonsToGoTo
Confession&WhyCatholics
ConfessSinsToPriests
MARCH24,2015BYMARCEL

http://www.aggiecatholicblog.org/2015/03/21reasonstogotoconfessionwhycatholicsconfesssinstopriests/

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21ReasonsToGoToConfession&WhyCatholicsConfessSinsToPriests

Thereareseveralquestionsweneedtosortthroughbeforewegettothereasonweallneed
Confession.
IstheSacramentofReconciliation(Confession)necessarytohaveyoursinsforgivenorcan
yougostraighttoGod?
WhydoweneedthisSacrament?
Wherediditcomefrom?
Whatdoessindo?
Wehavetolaysomegroundworkbeforegivingadequateanswers.
WhatSinDoes
Sincausesathreefolddamageinrelationships:
1.WithGod
2.WithOthers
3.WithOurselves
MostpeopleeasilyseethatsincandamagetherelationshipbetweenusandGod.Thisiswhyall
Christiansseekforgivenessofsinsinsomeway.But,thisisnttheonlydamagedone.St.Paultells
us,inseveralofhisletters,weareallunitedtoGodinonebodyofChristtheChurch.One
exampleofthisteaching:

We,thoughmany,areonebodyinChristandindividuallypartsofoneanother.
Romans12:5

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So,whenwesinwecandamageothers.AsPaulsaysinhislongteachingontheBodyofChristin
1Corinthians:

Ifonepartsuffers,allthepartssufferwithitifonepartishonored,allthepartsshare
itsjoy.1Cor12:26

Thus,wenotonlydamagetherelationshipwithGod,butalsowithothermembersoftheChurch.
TheCatechismteaches:

1440SinisbeforeallelseanoffenseagainstGod,aruptureofcommunionwithhim.
AtthesametimeitdamagescommunionwiththeChurch.Forthisreasonconversion
entailsbothGodsforgivenessandreconciliationwiththeChurch.

Thethirddamagecausedistoourselves.Wearecreatedforgoodnessandholiness.Whenwe
sin,inasense,webecomelessofwhowewerecreatedtobe.Thisdamageneedstoberepaired
also.Thishealingonlyhappenswhensinisforgiven.
WhoForgivesSin?
OnlyGodhastheauthoritytoforgivesins.Yet,thisauthorityismediatedthroughothers.TheJews
questionedwhyChristwasforgivingsins,becausetheydidnotrealizeHewasGod.Wemustnot
forgetthatJesuswasalsoaman.Hepassesonthisauthoritytoforgivesinstohisapostles.
AftertheResurrection,Jesusappearedtohisdiscipleswhoweregatheredintheupperroom,
scaredoutoftheirmindsandconfused.ChristcomesandbreathestheHolySpiritonthemand
thencommissionsthemtoforgivesins.ThisisonlythesecondtimeGodbreathesonhumans.The
firstiswhenHebreatheslifeintoAdam.BreathisasymboloftheHolySpirit.

Ontheeveningofthatfirstdayoftheweek,whenthedoorswerelocked,wherethe
discipleswere,forfearoftheJews,Jesuscameandstoodintheirmidstandsaidto
them,Peacebewithyou.Whenhehadsaidthis,heshowedthemhishandsandhis
side.ThedisciplesrejoicedwhentheysawtheLord.(Jesus)saidtothemagain,
Peacebewithyou.AstheFatherhassentme,soIsendyou.Andwhenhehadsaid
this,hebreathedonthemandsaidtothem,ReceivetheholySpirit.Whosesinsyou
forgiveareforgiventhem,andwhosesinsyouretainareretained.John201923

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TheapostlesaresentastheFatherhassentJesuswiththeauthoritytoforgivesins.But,how
couldtheyknowwhichsinstoforgiveandwhichtoretain,ifthesinswerenotconfessed?Thisis
whythebookofJamessaysthis:

confessyoursinstooneanotherandprayforoneanother,thatyoumaybehealed.
James5:16

Inthiscontextofthisverse,apersonistoldtosummonthepresbytersofthechurch(James
5:14).PresbyteristheGreekwordforpriest(orelder).
Therefore,basedontheBiblicalevidence,weseeforgivenessofsinsisexplicitlytiedto
confessiontoapriest,whohastheauthoritytoforgivesins,whichisgivenbyChrist.Christthus
healstherelationshipthroughthepriestandwearereconciledtobothGodandHisChurchandin
doingthis,wearehealed,thusbecomingwhowetrulyoughttobe.Therefore,thishealsthethree
folddamagedoneinourrelationships.
CanYouGoStraightToGod?
Yesandno.Wearetold,asweseeclearlyinScriptureabove,thatwearetoconfessoursinsto
oneanother.Thus,theordinarywaywehaveourgravesinsforgivenisthroughtheSacramentof
Confession.Thus,thisisthewaythatChristhasestablishedastheordinarywaytoforgivegrave
(i.e.mortal)sins.But,thereareextremecircumstanceswhereGodmayforgivegravesinsoutside
ofConfessionifthepersonhasperfectcontrition(sorrow)fortheirsins,buttheseare
extraordinary.
Also,weareonlyrequiredtogotoConfessiononceayearduringtheEasterseason,andonlyif
wehavecommittedamortalsin.Thus,allvenialsinscanbeforgivenbygoingstraighttoGod,
thoughtheycanalsobeforgiveninConfession,andthisisrecommendedwheneverpossible.
CanOnlyCatholicsHaveSinForgiven?
Thesimpleanswerisno.Whileconfessionistheordinarywaytohaveyoursinsforgiven,itisnot
theonlyway.TheCatechismsays:

WhenitarisesfromalovebywhichGodislovedaboveallelse,contritioniscalled
perfect(contritionofcharity).Suchcontritionremitsvenialsinsitalsoobtains
forgivenessofmortalsinsifitincludesthefirmresolutiontohaverecourseto

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sacramentalconfessionassoonaspossible(CCC1452).

IfsomeoneisnotCatholic(thustheydonothaverecoursetotheSacrament),thentheycanbe
forgiven,withperfectcontritionandconfessionoftheirsinstoGod.IfanonCatholicisindangerof
death,theycanreceivetheSacramentiftheyareabaptizedChristian.

Ifthereisadangerofdeathorif,inthejudgmentofthediocesanBishoporofthe
EpiscopalConference,thereissomeothergraveandpressingneed,catholicministers
maylawfullyadministerthesesamesacramentstootherChristiansnotinfull
communionwiththecatholicChurch,whocannotapproachaministeroftheirown
communityandwhospontaneouslyaskforthem,providedthattheydemonstratethe
catholicfaithinrespectofthesesacramentsandareproperlydisposed.(Codeof
CanonLaw,canon844.4)

So,WhyGotoConfessionIfyouCanbeForgivenWithoutIt?
Manyreasons,infact,Icameupwithatleast21ofthem:
21ReasonsToGoToConfession!
1.GodcommandedweconfessoursinstooneanotherintheBible.(James5:16)
2.Itistheordinarywaytohaveoursinsforgiven.
3.WereceivegracetoresistsinthroughtheSacrament,aswellasforgiveness.
4.Welearnhumilitybyhavingtoconfesstoanotherperson.
5.Thereisbuiltinaccountability.
6.OurrelationshipwiththerestoftheChurchishealed.
7.Wereceivecounselfromthepriest.
8.Wecanbecomfortedhearingthewordsofabsolution.
9.Allaresinsarewipedaway.
10.Helpsgiveyouthestrengthtoforgiveothers.
11.Itdoesntcostanything.
12.Wemaynotbepositivethatwehaveperfectcontritionwithoutit.
13.Helpsusgodeepwithinandthinkabouthowwecanimprove.
14.Itfeelsgoodemotionally.
15.Whenwerealize(again)wearesinners,itiseasiertobepatientwithothers.
16.Alwaysconfidentialwhatissaidintheconfessionalstaysintheconfessional.
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17.Nomoreguilt.
18.WearebetterpreparedtoreceivetheEucharist.
19.Forgivenessisanecessarypartofgrowinginholiness.
20.Ourconsciencescanbebetterformed.
21.Ifwehavemortallysinned,thenConfessionbringsusbackintothefamilyofGodThe
Churchaswellasrestoressanctifyinggraceinoursouls!
RelatedLinks:
**IsConfessionToaCatholicPriestNecessaryorCanYouGoStraightToGod?
**BeingContrite
**WhatHappensIfIDieWithMortalSinWithout1stGoingToConfession?
**CanaNonCatholicGoToConfession?
**ConfessionFromThePriestsPerspective
RelatedVideos:

How do I go to Confession?

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Why do I have to confess to a priest? (#AskFrBarron)

Sacraments 101: Penance (why we confess)

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Confessing Sins to a Priest - A Biblical Defense

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