[RnMomof7]

That's absulutely true...and it was His Son who said "whose sins that you shall forgive, they are forgiven.....etc..

That was an ecclesiastical gift to the new Testament church for the purpose of excommunication ..

There is NO RECORD that the apostles "heard confessions" or that they believed they had the authority to do so

Rome had no practice of oral confession to a priest for forgiveness until 1215

Notice that Jesus told the apostles to ask forgiveness from God ...not each other. "There is one mediator between God and men "...and that is Christ jesus

[terycarl]

There is NO RECORD that the apostles "heard confessions" or that they believed they had the authority to do so Rome had no practice of oral confession to a priest for forgiveness until 1215

see how well those private confessionals work...NO RECORD and the seal of Confession was practiced then too AMAZING!!