Confession

See also

Pope John Paul II re Confession  

 BASIC R.C. BELIEF

The naming of one's sins and their frequency to a priest in a Confession Box or Room of Reconciliation for the purpose of receiving absolution.

From THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN, Francis Connell, C.SS.R., Imp. Francis Spellman. p. 12. "In early days public confession of public sins before the congregation was not unusual; but since the sixth century private, or auricular confession has been the rule."

From GOD'S WAY OF FORGIVING SINS, J.E. Doherty, C.SS.R. Imprimatur: Archbishop Ritter, p. 28. "The Catholic who deliberately conceals a serious sin in confession is not profiting in the least from his reception of the sacrament; in fact, he is adding a new sin to those which have gone before."

From CONFESSION MADE EASY, B. Larkin, O.P. Imprimatur: Daniel, Episcopus Corcagiensis. "For those who have fallen into mortal sin, apart from an urgent case when a priest can not be had, Confession is absolutely essential for salvation." Scriptural proof cited: Acts 19:18. "The Evil One (Satan): `There is nothing in the Church that does us so much harm, and keeps so many souls out of our power, as frequent Confession and Communion.' One of the greatest misfortunes that can befall a Catholic is to make a bad Confession. Such persons are always hanging over hell.

POST VATICAN II

From THE CODE OF CANON LAW: A TEXT AND COMMENTARY promulgated by the authority of Pope John Paul II, 1983.

Canon 960. "Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary way by which the faithful person who is aware of serious sin is reconciled with God and with the Church;"

Canon 978 (Section 1): "In hearing confessions the priest is to remember that he acts as a judge as well as a healer..."

From A GIFT TO THE HOLY FATHER ON HIS VISIT TO CALIFORNIA, SEPTEMBER 1987 - A GOOD CONFESSION. With ecclesiastical approval. "`It was with great joy that I received the news that the Irish Bishops have asked all the faithful to go to Confession as part of a great spiritual preparation for my visit to Ireland.' Pope John Paul II, Ireland. September 29. 1979."

From THIS ROCK, January 1991 THE FATHERS KNOW BEST. CONFESSING TO A PRIEST (Ten quotations are given, from the Didache, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Basil, John Chrysostom and Ambrose. The first of these to mention confession to a priest is Cyprian, the "Church Father" who first called a Eucharistic minister a sacrificing priest [hierus]. All five of the earlier quotes mention confession, but this is public confession, not private confession to a priest.)

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, (#1459), "Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for his sin: he must `make satisfaction for' or `expiate' his sins. This satisfaction is also called 'penance.'"

CATHOLIC JOURNALS

Our Sunday Visitor, 6/9/96, page 17 reports the tape recording of a prisoner's confession. Conan Hale, who was being held on burglary and theft charges relating to the murders of three teenagers asked a local priest to hear his confession. The county's district attorney, Doug Harcleroad, ordered the confession to be taped by the Sheriff's office. The next day, a search warrant was issued, allowing investigators to listen to the recording.

The DA apologized, admitting he was wrong to authorize the taping, even though his actions were legal. He stated, "There are some things which are legal and ethical but are simply not right. I have concluded that tape recording confidential clergy-penitent communication falls within the zone of societally unacceptable conduct."

According to the confessor, the tape presents a "grave threat to the practice of our religion." He said the Church will go to court if necessary to make certain that the tape is never played again and the transcript destroyed.

He noted that any Catholic who knowingly listens to and then discloses what was said during a sacramental confession is in danger of mortal sin.

CHRISTIAN COMMENT

The Bible clearly teaches the complete, infinite removal of sin (Psalm 103:12) which is effected by the cleansing of the blood of Christ (I Jn 1:7). This removal of sin is referred to in Hebrews 10:18 as the reason why there is no longer an offering for sin.

THE CONFESSIONAL

by Samuel Vila

Confession of sin is, according to beliefs of most pious Christian authors, the first of the believer's duties; the external sign of repentance and the secret of pardon, but, to whom should the confession be made?

ROMAN CATHOLICISM TEACHES

That it is the obligation of each faithful believer to go to confess his sins, at least once a year, to as priest, who as minister of God has power to grant absolution.

THE HOLY GOSPEL TEACHES

"But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee." (Mt 6:6)

David exclaims, "I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord: and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found." (Psalm 32:5,6)

In the Acts and Apostolic Letters we do not have a single case where auricular confession is recommended, nor do we find that they confessed to any person. To a certain man who committed the sin of offering money for a spiritual privilege, the Apostle St. Peter said to him, "pray to God, if perhaps this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee." (Acts 8:22) He did not say to him: go at once and confess your sin to this or the other Apostle, but "pray to God."

What then, did Jesus wish to imply when He said to His disciples: "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained?" (John 20:23) Evidently it refers to the great responsibility that weighs upon the disciples as messengers of the glorious Gospel which offers pardon for sins to those who accept it.

The minister of the Gospel, and especially he who declares him self to missionary work, as the Apostles had to (John 20:21), certainly has the privilege of offering the pardon of sins, or of withholding this pardon, according to his diligence in making known the Good News of salvation. If the disciple of Christ, on entering into contact with sinners in need of salvation, speaks to them of everything except the glorious possibility and security which God offers them of forgiveness of sins if they repent and accept Christ as Saviour, does he not by his carelessness or negligence, hold them bound in their sins from which they may be remitted? (by which the possibility if remittance of sins is opened to them) Does he not give them pardon through his message?

This interpretation of the above text will appear rather forced to Roman Catholics accustomed to interpret it in the sense of auricular confession; but this is not so in the least when we bear in mind the hyperbolic mode of expression used by the Jesus. We have an example of this in Leviticus 13. To explain that the Hebrew priest pronounced the leper to be clean, the original text, in the Septuagint version, and in some Roman Catholic translations, says that he "cleanses him" or "contaminates him." It is clear that the priest could not "cleanse" any man from his leprosy, neither free him from the legal contamination that such a disease implied; he was merely the appointed agent to declare that the man was clean. In the same way, the Apostles were unable to remit men's sins either, but to declare that it is God who does so.

From S.C.T.F.R. prayer letter. Box 357, Greer, SC 29652