Why do we Confess to a Priest?
by Mike Lambrecht
We’ve all heard the questions before—maybe we have even asked them ourselves, “Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest? Can’t I just pray to God and be forgiven?” In order to answer these questions properly, we must first examine our understanding of just what the purpose of the sacrament of Reconciliation is.
First of all, we know that baptism is the first means by which we receive forgiveness in our lives. It is the sacrament by which we become united with Christ and initiated into his Church. Saint Paul rightly refers to the Church as the body of Christ and reminds us that we are all united together as parts of Christ’s body.1 In this way, our sins are not merely personal but also communal in that they affect others around us. We also know that, “By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.”2 As such, there would be no need for reconciliation at all if we were able to live perfect lives after baptism.
Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that we are not perfect. Concupiscence leads each of us to commit sins. Since baptism may only be received once during a person’s life, what then are we to do? The Church teaches us that the act of receiving communion in a state of grace, (without being conscious of having committed any mortal sins), removes our venial sins.3 However, what happens when we have committed a mortal sin after baptism? Are we lost forever and destined for an eternity in Hell?
Thankfully, the answer is an emphatic “no” if we make use of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus Christ, in his wisdom, saw fit to entrust to his apostles a means by which we can be freed from the slavery of sin which naturally entails separation from God. Reconciliation, Confession, and Penance are all names used to describe this great gift that God has given to us.
The Catechism tells us that, “Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of
himself, ‘The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ and exercises this divine power: ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to
exercise in his name.”4 Jesus told his apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”5 This power to bind and loose sins was entrusted to the apostles by Jesus Christ himself and handed on from them through the apostolic succession of our bishops. It is in the sacrament of Holy Orders that this power is entrusted to our bishops and priests who act in the person of Christ while they are ministering this sacrament. We can be certain, because of Jesus’ authority, that it is God’s forgiveness that we receive when the priest or bishop tells us, “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”6
Therefore, the next time that we are hesitant to confess our sins to a priest in the sacrament of Reconciliation, it is important to remember that this is how Jesus entrusted his power to forgive sins to those of us on earth. Christ founded the Church, called his apostles, and gave them his authority so that we might have a way to once again be united with him when we have cut ourselves off from his grace—a way that the Church continues to exercise with great care even to this day—a way that we should be very grateful that we have the opportunity to receive.
1 See 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 & Ephesians 5:23.
2 CCC Paragraph #1263; Council of Florence (1439)
3 CCC paragraph #1393-1394
4 CCC paragraph #1441
5 John 21:23 (See also Matthew 18:18)
6 Ordo Paenitentiae #46