Contraception: The Reason Catholics Have Abandoned Confession

I’m not about to become Catholic but I do agree that protestant pastors priests, deacons who are called to ministerial duties can have that same intercessory duty to pronounce sins “forgiven” (provided evidence of repententance and changed behavior) based on the same scriptures you cite. I think a person can pray to God and have his sins forgiven but more serious issues must be discussed with with ones clergy men.(”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”) I think just the benefits of having ones frailties discussed and the reasurance of hearing ones self as “forgiven” by a clergy person helps remove doubt and helps a person in his recociliation with God and his local body of worship. Of course the priest doesn’t”forgive sins” it is God that does that, but a priest or pastor can make the discernment of whether the petitioner has truly come to a place of repentance and “pronounce” the person forgiven or not.(like a physician dx’sing a patient cured or not...even Christ sent the lepers to the priests to be pronounced clean after he healed them)

I think it’s more than contraception. In my opinion it’s all about GRACE. The Church suffers from poor Catholic education. Most Catholics don’t understand that when you committ a mortal sin you should not receive Holy Communion until you have been to confession. The sin blocks grace to begin with, then when you keep receiving Communion, sometimes out of stubbornness to hang onto sinful behavior, that you commit another mortal sin of sacriledge. It becomes a vicous cycle and you can witness some people receiving Communion that know what they are receiving and some who walk up like they are at a party getting an hors doerve. This contributes to a lack of belief in the Real Prescence. Confession is good for the soul, a sacrament and a source of sanctifying grace. Why would a person not want to go to frequent confession? It helps keep me on the straight and narrow. Yes, I have gotten some bad advice in the confessional. So what? I just look for a good confessor. It’s part of my spiritual journey. I also use 4 different guides for making my examination of conscience. The more prep the better. I would never go to confession unprepared. You can’t confess your sins without knowing them first. The results have been I am leading a better life and growing in holiness. We will never be perfect but Jesus Himself asked us to try. As a last thought I also agree about confession times and wish that more parishes had confession right before Mass.

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