Why do Catholics confess to Priests?

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Scripture shows that Jesus passed His “ministry of reconciliation” on to the
Apostles—the first Bishops of the Catholic Church—and that the Apostles
passed this ministry on to other Bishops and Priests. This is known as the
“Apostolic Lineage” and this is one reason we believe in the One, Holy,
Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

Only God can forgive our sins . . .

“Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (Lk 5:21)

Jesus is God and He Has the Power to Forgive Sins . . .

“The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth.” (Mk 2:10)

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29)

“God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel
repentance and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31)

Jesus gives “his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of

their sins” (Lk 1:77) so that we might be with Him in “Paradise”
(Lk 23:43)

Jesus died to offer the blood sacrifice

necessary for the forgiveness of our sins . . .

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22) . . .

“But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin”
(1 Jn 1:7).

“In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions,

in accord with the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7)

Jesus Empowered Peter, the first Pope,

and the other Apostles, to forgive sins . . .
“
I [Jesus] say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the

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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”
(Mt 16:17-19)

A single key or a pair of keys, usually

crisscrossed in the shape of an “X,”
occasionally one on top of the other, is the
most common symbol for the sacrament of
recon ciliation. The symbol originates with
Jesus’ words to Peter, “I will give you the
keys to the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew
16:19a), by which Jesus im-part-ed his
authority to the church, and his continuing
statement, “Whatever you bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew
16:19b), by which he established the
sacrament of reconciliation and gave the
church the authority to forgive sins (see also
John 20:23).

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than
these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ He said to
him, ‘Feed my lambs.’” (Jn 21:15)

“Amen, I say to you [Apostles], whatever you bind on earth shall be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”
(Mt 18:18)

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them [the Apostles] and said to
them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained’” (Jn 20:22-23)

“And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us [the Apostolic lineage] the ministry of reconciliation”
(2 Cor 5:18-19)

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 The Apostles Passed on the ministry of
reconciliation to other leaders of the Church . . .

“Whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Therefore, a

bishop must be irreproachable . . .” (1 Tim 3:1-7)

“So I [Peter] exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and
witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be
revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst . . . and when the chief
Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
(1 Pet 5:1-4)

“Appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.” (Tit 1:5)

“And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful
people who will have the ability to teach others as well.” (2 Tim 2:2)

As successors to the Apostles these Church leaders

have “all authority” over the “ministry of reconciliation” . . .

“exhort and correct with all authority.” (Tit 2:15)

It is not enough simply to confess our sins to God alone . . .

“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may
be healed.” (Jas 5:16)

And when we confess to a Priest, He prays for us and our intentions . . .

“The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful” (Jas 5:16)

In addition to confessing to a Priest,

we must do other things to be forgiven

We must forgive others . . .

“If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will
forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father
forgive your transgressions.” (Mt 6:14-15)

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When the master found the servant who failed to forgive others, he “handed
him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my
heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his
heart.” (Mt 18:34-35)

“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a
grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your
transgressions”(Mk 11:25)

“Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Lk 6:37)

“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents,
forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you
seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him” (Lk 17:3-4)

“Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them”
(Rom 12:24)

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to
drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do not
be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rom 12:20-21)

“Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a
multitude of sins.” (1 Pet 4:8)

We must believe in Jesus . . .

“If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins” (Jn 8:24)

“When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”
(Lk 5:20)

“To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43)

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 We must sincerely try to sin no more . . .

“Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you” (Jn 5:14)

“From now on do not sin any more”

(Jn 8:11)
“If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains sacrifice for sins” (Heb 10:26)

There is only one unforgivable sin . . .

“whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this
age or in the age to come” (Mt 12:31-32)

Finally, the Bible warns us that

if we don’t receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation . . .

“By your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for
yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God”
(Rom 2:5)

“Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God?”
(1 Cor 6:9)

“If we say, ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our
sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.” (1 Jn 1:8-10)

“Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an
idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God”
(Eph 5:5)

“For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but condemned
them” (2 Pet 2:4)

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The Five Steps to a Good Confession . . .

1. Examination of conscience
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Firm purpose of amendment (Changing your ways)
4. The actual confession
a. Make the sign of the cross and say “In the name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit”
b. Say “Bless me Father for I have sinned”
c. Tell the Priest how long it has been since your last confession
d. State your sins. Use the Ten Commandments as a guide and state all
your mortal sins followed by your venial sins.
e. Pray the Act of Contrition
f. Receive your Penance from the Priest
5. Penance and reparation

"You shall confess your sins at least once a year." (CCC 2041)

"Reconciliation with the church is inseparable from reconciliation with

God” (CCC 1445)

After the resurrection, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Whose sins
you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained” (John
20:22-23). Priests alone carry out this apostolic role (Canon 965; CCC 1461
and 1462).

This is consistent with our Jewish heritage. When it came to atonement for
sins in the Jewish tradition, God instructed Moses to have the people bring a
holocaust to the temple, usually an unblemished bullock or lamb.

The sinner was to lay his hands on the head of the animal, symbolically
transferring his sins to the animal, and then to slaughter it, to have the
animal die in place of the sinner.

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The sinner then handed the animal to the priest who offered it on the altar
(Leviticus 1:1-5). The priest served as a go-between for the sinner to mediate
God’s pardon and peace.

The Catholic sacraments celebrate the most profound moments of our lives:
birth (baptism), the transition to adulthood (confirmation), lifetime
commitment (marriage and holy orders), and the end of life (anointing).

Two other sacraments strengthen us for the journey through life: Eucharist,
our spiritual sustenance; and penance, the forgiveness of sins.

We need to be fed at least weekly, and because we sin so often, we need to

be forgiven regularly. The sacraments are not self-administered. Rather, the
priest is the mediator, the linkage or conduit between God and the people, a
rich channel of God’s grace.

A personal encounter with Christ: The priest is not just “another human
being,” but one who acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. With
faith, we believe that when the penitent speaks to the priest, the penitent
speaks to Christ, and when the priest speaks, the priest speaks on behalf of
Christ. When the priest says, “I absolve you,” it is Christ who absolves
(Mark 2:10).

A community representative: Our sins offend not only God, but the
community as well. It is not only impractical to admit our sins to others, but
often also ill-advised, because of scandal or grave consequences. When we
admit our sins to a priest, we reconcile with the community, and the priest,
on behalf of those we have offended, says, “You are forgiven.”

The personal touch: When we confess our sins to a priest, we are able to
receive individualized counsel — advice that fits our unique circumstances
— and we can be given a penance that is “medicinal,” specifically tailored to
help us in the spiritual healing process (Canon 981).

The “seal of confession” is the assurance that every sin that is confessed to a
priest will be held in strict confidence and never shared with any person
under any circumstance. It is the solemn guarantee of complete and absolute
secrecy and confidentiality.

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Every person who confesses their sins to a priest can do so with complete
confidence that whatever is said will never be conveyed to anyone else, nor
will the information by used by the priest in any way. The entire content of
the confession is strictly between the person and God.

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Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1462 Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with
the Church. Since ancient times the bishop, visible head of a particular
Church, has thus rightfully been considered to be the one who
principally has the power and ministry of reconciliation: he is the
moderator of the penitential discipline. Priests, his collaborators,
exercise it to the extent that they have received the commission either
from their bishop (or religious superior) or the Pope, according to the
law of the Church.

1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the
Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he
remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. The
confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is
nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.

1496 The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:

- reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
- reconciliation with the Church;
- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.

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1435 Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of
reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice
and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal
correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual
direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake
of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is
the surest way of penance.

1447 Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has
exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably.
During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had
committed particularly grave sins after their Baptism (for example,
idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline,
according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins,
often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this "order of
penitents" (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only
rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the
seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic
tradition, took to continental Europe the "private" practice of penance,
which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential
works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the
sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest.
This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened
the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the
forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one
sacramental celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that
the Church has practiced down to our day.

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1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,
bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators,
continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue
of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

1468 "The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in

restoring us to God's grace and joining us with him in an intimate
friendship." Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of
this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with
contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation "is usually
followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual
consolation." Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings
about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and
blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is
friendship with God.

2490 The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot

be violated under any pretext. "The sacramental seal is inviolable;
therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by
word or in any other manner or for any reason."

2491 Professional secrets - for example, those of political office

holders, soldiers, physicians, and lawyers - or confidential information
given under the seal of secrecy must be kept, save in exceptional cases
where keeping the secret is bound to cause very grave harm to the one
who confided it, to the one who received it or to a third party, and where
the very grave harm can be avoided only by divulging the truth. Even if
not confided under the seal of secrecy, private information prejudicial to
another is not to be divulged without a grave and proportionate reason.

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1440 Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of
communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the
Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and
reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished
liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

1442 Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole
Church should be the
sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he
acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of
the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with
the "ministry of reconciliation." The apostle is sent out "on behalf of
Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and pleading: "Be
reconciled to God."

1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your
communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever
you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into
his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation
with God.

1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the
essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source
of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the
Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and
ministry of the Church:

God, the Father of mercies,

through the death and the resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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 1483 In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal
celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general
absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent
danger of death without sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear
each penitent's confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given
the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear
individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the
penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of
sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for
the absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of
individually confessing their grave sins in the time required. The
diocesan bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required
for general absolution exist. A large gathering of the faithful on the
occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of
grave necessity.

FIRST COMMANDMENT
"I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before Me."
(Ex 20:2,3)

Did I doubt or deny that God exists?

Did I refuse to believe what God as revealed to us?
Did I believe in fortune telling, horoscopes, dreams, the occult, good-luck
charms, tarot cards, palmistry, Ouija boards, seances, reincarnation?
Did I deny that I was Catholic?
Did I leave the Catholic Faith?
Did I give time to God each day in prayer?
Did I love God with my whole heart?
Did I despair of or presume on God's mercy?
Did I have false gods in my life that I gave greater attention to than God, like
money, profession, drugs, TV, fame, pleasure, property, etc.?

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 SECOND COMMANDMENT
"You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain." (Ex 20:7)

Did I blaspheme or insult God?

Did I take God's name carelessly or uselessly?
Did I curse, or break an oath or vow?
Did I get angry with God?

THIRD COMMANDMENT
"Remember that you keep holy the Sabbath Day." (Ex 20:8)

Did I miss Mass Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
Did I come to Mass on time? Leave early?
Did I do work on Sunday that was not necessary?
Did I set aside Sunday as a day of rest and a family day?
Did I show reverence in the presence of Jesus in the Most Blessed
Sacrament?

FOURTH COMMANDMENT
"Honor your father and your mother." (Ex 20:12)

Did I disobey or disrespect my parents or legitimate superiors?

Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?
Did I neglect to give good religious example to my family?
Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation
of my children?
Did I fail to educate myself on the true teachings of the Church?
Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
Did I cause anyone to leave the faith?
Did I cause tension and fights in my family?
Did I care for my aged and infirm relatives?
Did I give a full day's work for a full day's pay?
Did I give a fair wage to my employees?

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 FIFTH COMMANDMENT
"You shall not kill." (Ex 20:13)

Did I kill or physically injure anyone?

Did I have an abortion, or advise someone else to have an abortion? (One
who procures and abortion is automatically excommunicated, as is anyone
who is involved in an abortion, Canon 1398. The excommunication will be
lifted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.)
Did I use or cause my spouse to use birth control pills (whether or not
realizing that birth control pills do abort the fetus if and when conceived)?
Did I attempt suicide?
Did I take part in or approve of "mercy killing" (euthanasia)?
Did I get angry, impatient, envious, unkind, proud, revengeful, jealous,
hateful toward another, lazy?
Did I give bad example by drug abuse, drinking alcohol to excess, fighting,
quarreling?
Did I abuse my children?

SIXTH COMMANDMENT
"You shall not commit adultery." (Ex 20:14) "You shall not covet your
neighbor's wife." (Ex 20:17)
Note: In the area of deliberate sexual sins listed below, all are mortal sins if
there is sufficient reflection and full consent of the will. "No fornicators,
idolaters, or adulterers, no sodomites,... will inherit the kingdom of God." (1
Cor 6:9-10) "Anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed
adultery with her in his thoughts." (Mt 5:28)

Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts or desires?

Did I use impure or suggestive words? Tell impure stories? Listen to them?
Did I deliberately look at impure TV, videos, plays, pictures or movies? Or
deliberately read impure materials?
Did I commit impure acts by myself (masturbation)?
Did I commit impure acts with another - fornication (premarital sex),
adultery (sex with a married person)?
Did I practice artificial birth control (by pills, device, withdrawal)?
Did I marry or advise anyone to marry outside the Church?
Did I avoid the occasions of impurity?
Did I try to control my thoughts?

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Did I engage in homosexual activity?
Did I respect all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other
people as objects?
Did I or my spouse have sterilization done?
Did I abuse my marriage rights?

SEVENTH & TENTH COMMANDMENTS

"You shall not steal." (Ex 20:15) "You shall not covet your neighbor's
goods." (Ex 20:17)

Did I steal, cheat, help or encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods?
Have I made restitution for stolen goods?
Did I fulfill my contracts; give or accept bribes; pay my bills; rashly gamble
or speculate; deprive my family of the necessities of life?
Did I waste time at work, school or at home?
Did I envy other people's families or possessions?
Did I make material possessions the purpose of my life?

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Ex 20:16)

Did I lie?
Did I deliberately deceive others, or injure others by lies?
Did I commit perjury?
Did I gossip or reveal others' faults or sins?
Did I fail to keep secret what should be confidential?

OTHER SINS

Did I fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?

Did I eat meat on the Fridays of Lent or Ash Wednesday?
Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during Eastertime?
Did I go to Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin? Without fasting (water
and medicine permitted) for one hour from food and drink?
Did I make a bad confession?
Did I fail to contribute to the support of the Church?

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 HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION
PRIMER FOR CHILDREN
(and adults as well)

How to Go to Confession:

After you enter the

confessional, kneel down, make
the Sign of the Cross and say:

“Bless me, Father, for I have

sinned. My last confession
was_______(days, weeks or
months ago).”

Tell the priest your sins and

how many times you have
committed them. Ask the priest
if you have any questions.
When you have finished, say:

“I am sorry for these and all the

sins of my past life, especially
(then mention a sin you are
sorry for that you have already confessed).”

The priest will talk to you and give you a penance

(some prayers) and will tell you to say the Act of
Contrition.

Then say the Act of Contrition (see below) while the

priest recites prayers in Latin that forgives your sins.
When the priest has finished, return to your place and
say your penance.

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ACT OF CONTRITION: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having
offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven
and the pains of Hell, 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 confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.
Amen

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE FOR CHILDREN

Did I think I was better than others?

Did I say my prayers without paying attention to them?
Did I purposely not say my morning or night prayers?
Have I rejected any Church teaching or denied that I was a Catholic?
Have I used the words "God" or "Jesus" in anger or irreverently?
Have I used foul or ugly language?

Have I wished evil on another?

Did I miss Mass on Sundays or Holy Days on purpose?
Did I misbehave, play or talk in church?
Did I treat holy things without respect?
Do I arrive at church late or leave early?
Do I try to be reverent and pay attention during Mass?
Do I avoid unnecessary work on Sunday?
Did I disobey my parents, teachers or those in authority?
Did I talk back to them or was I disrespectful to them?
Did I fight or argue with my brothers, sisters or others?

Am I a tattletale or bully?
Do I give a good example, especially to younger siblings?
Did I get angry?
Did I call anyone names?
Did I make fun of others?

Do I respect and obey my parents?

Have I dishonored or mistreated them by word or deed?
Am I willing to help around the house or must I be nagged a hundred times?

Do I respect others in authority: priests, nuns, police, old people, baby-

sitters?

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Was I lazy?
Did I eat or drink too much?
Was I mean to animals?

Do I beat up others or hurt their bodies?

Do I say cruel things, or make fun of others to hurt their feelings?
Do I say mean things about others behind their backs?
Have I stopped speaking to anyone?
Do I encourage others to do bad things?
Do I try to love all people?
Did I give bad example?
Did I look at impure pictures?
Did I watch bad TV, movies, DVD’s or videos?
Did I see bad things on the Internet?
Did I dress improperly?
Did I steal anything? Explain what it was.
Did I purposely break something?

Have I taken things that were not mine from a store or another person?
Have I destroyed or misused another person's property for fun?
Do I return things that I borrow? In good condition?
Did I tell any lies?

Do I tell lies to make myself look good?

Do I tell lies to protect myself from punishment?
Do I tell lies that make another person look bad or get them in trouble?
Did I cheat?
Did I want what others have?
Am I jealous or envious of the things or abilities that others have?
Am I thankful to God and my parents for what they have given me?
Do I share the things I have with my family, friends and poor people?
Did I eat meat on Friday on purpose?
Did I not go to confession at least once a year?
Did I make a bad confession by purposely leaving out a mortal sin?
Did I not receive Holy Communion during the Easter time?
(Easter time lasts from Ash Wednesday until Trinity Sunday.)

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