Part 3 of 10: Sacrament of Penance, Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest? [Catholic Caucus]

CatholicSpirit.com ^ | 26 March 2009 | Father Michael Van Sloun

[Salvation]

Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?

By Father Michael Van Sloun - For The Catholic Spirit   

Thursday, 26 March 2009

The following is the third in a 10-part series on reconciliation

Penance

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Father Michael Van Sloun

Of all the objections to the sacrament of reconciliation, the one most often voiced, particularly by Protestants, and sometimes by Catholics is:  “I don’t need to go to confession to a priest! The priest is just another human being! All that I need to do is to confess my sins directly to God, and that is enough!”

This objection is flawed on a number of counts:

• Jesus com­mis­sion­ed forgiveness through his apostles. Jesus ask­ed believers to ap­proach God for forgive­ness through the apostles who were com­missioned to act as his agents.

Jesus told Peter, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

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.

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.

• Catholic sacraments are mediated. The 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).

Father Michael Van Sloun is pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka.

[srweaver]

Thanks.

The Religion Moderator explained it well in post 20, as he/she also clarified what a caucus (for Free Republic purposes) is.

If I go to the “forum,” it includes “religion” posts — so I have to exclude myself if it is a “caucus” discussion with which I don’t self identify.

[Judith Anne]

I have yet to see another religion’s caucus threads trashed this way. And I note it rarely if ever happens on your daily threads. On those threads, everyone seems to know what the caucus designation means.

I hope all the Catholic posters take a good look at this thread, and see what rudeness supposedly good FReepers are capable of doing.

Perhaps a note in the first post, from you, of what the caucus designation means, would help remind them. A little one-liner reminder of the rules, you know.

[Salvation]

I made one with big red letters and used it on the Happy Birthday to the Pope thread.

I figure these people made their beds (Or didn’t make them -— LOL!); sometimes others (as well as us) needs to see the mess they made.

[Salvation]

You’re welcome to ask questions on open threads any time.

Or send me a FReepmail.