CONFESSION Q&A | KAIROS GLOBAL | JUNE 2021

Author: George K Paul

Intro: George Paul compiles answers to a list of questions on the sacrament of confession.

1. Do I have to go to confession?

Sin is a failure to love God and to love others, which causes real damage in all our relationships. There are sins totally incompatible with love for God and others (mortal sins, in which genuine love is ‘dead’), and ones in which love is less grievously wounded (venial or ‘easily forgiven’). The Church says that all grave or mortal sins must be confessed as soon as possible (CIC 988, CCC 1457). Venial sins can be forgiven through repentance, prayer, and reception of the Eucharist.

2. Isn't it enough to confess directly to God? Why do we have to confess our sins to a priest?

Because that is the way Jesus has set it up. On Easter Sunday evening, he told his apostles that just as God the Father had sent him — and God the Father sent him to save us from our sins — so he was sending them. He breathed on them the power of the Holy Spirit, giving them God’s power to forgive sins, as God alone is able to forgive. He told them that whatever sins they forgive are forgiven and whatever sins they retain are retained (John 20:21-23; Mark 2:7). Jesus thus established the essential structure of the sacrament of confession. Just as he uses priests to give us his Body and Blood at Mass, so he uses them to give us his mercy in the sacrament of confession. 

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, our faith in the forgiveness of sins is tied to faith in the Holy Spirit and the Church: ‘It was when he gave the Holy Spirit to his apostles that the risen Christ conferred on them his own divine power to forgive sins’ (no. 976). We bring our failings to the Church, then, because Jesus imparted to his apostles their successors, and through them to all ordained priests, his own power to forgive sins, to restore and reconcile the sinner with God and also the Church. And it's not the priest who forgives sins. The priest forgives sins in Christ's name, in persona Christi (CCC 1441).

3. Is confession biblical?

The sacrament of confession is firmly rooted in Scripture. John 20:21-23 reads (Jesus) said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’ Just how Jesus revealed that he has authority to forgive sins in the Gospel of Mark (Ch2: 5-10), he now gives that authority to the apostles. By bestowing the Holy Spirit upon them with his breath, the apostles have now become instruments of God’s forgiveness.

In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus speaks about the power to bind and loose, that is specifically reserved to the Church, through the Petrine Office. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the powers of death[c] shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Jesus Christ, who alone has the power to open and shut heaven to men, clearly communicated this authority to the apostles and their successors. This is what forgiveness of sins is all about: to reconcile men and women with their heavenly Father.

2Corinthians 5:18-21 and James 5:14-17 give us clear references to the ministry of reconciliation that was active in first century Christianity.

4. What is the purpose of penance in confession?

When we are truly sorry for our sins, we regret having ever done them. That leads naturally to our trying to remedy the damage caused by sin and to having a firm purpose of amendment to avoid such sins in the future. The priest normally assigns us a penance (for example, prayer, fasting or other types of self-denial, sacrifices, almsgiving, spiritual or corporal works of mercy, or service of neighbour) as medicine to begin to repair the damage caused by sin and to destroy the roots of our sinful tendencies  (CCC 1460).

5. How often do I need to confess?

The Church recommends that Catholics receive the sacrament of penance frequently. Strictly speaking, after they’ve reached the age of reason, Catholics are obliged to confess their serious sins at least once a year (CIC 989), but the minimum should not be made a maximum. Catholics should come to confession as soon as possible after they’ve committed a mortal sin. If they’re seeking to grow in holiness, the regular practice of confession at least once a month is commended.

6. What if I feel nervous about going to the sacrament?

Remember, first, that in the sacrament you are fundamentally talking to God through the priest. God loves you, wishes to forgive you, and desires to embrace you with the joy with which the prodigal son was embraced. (Luke 15:11-32). Moreover, know that you will not say anything that the priest has not heard before. Do not be afraid. If you are nervous, please just tell the priest that you’re nervous and he will help you.

7. I've been confessing the same sins for years. Is confession effective in overcoming habitual sin?

Confessing the same sins over and over can be humiliating, but that is exactly why it is good for us, as it points to the need for humility and reliance on God. We don’t become saints through sheer willpower, but by the grace of God. At the same time, firmly resist the temptation to see the sacrament of confession as a license to cheat on God. Ask God for the grace to strengthen your purpose of amendment and practice the virtues that are opposed to your vices. It took time for us to fall into the habit of particular sins and it will take time to overcome them.  Continue going to confession and receiving the Eucharist and in time, you will find that you are able to overcome the habitual patterns of sin.

8. If I forget to confess a mortal sin, is my confession still valid and my sins forgiven?

Yes. If one through bad memory or nervousness forgets to confess a mortal sin, the person’s confession is valid and all his or her sins will be forgiven. The person should, however, mention that forgotten sin in the next confession to receive advice and a proper penance.  

9. I don’t know the Act of Contrition by heart. Can I make a valid confession?

It is not necessary to say the Act of Contrition during confession in order to be validly absolved of your sins. It is good if you have memorised one of the many beautiful Acts of Contrition, which sum up all the sentiments and resolutions a Catholic should have in coming to confession. But if you do not know an Act of Contrition by memory, you can always express your sorrow and firm purpose of amendment in your own words, ask the priest to help you, or pray, ‘Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner who loves you!’  

10. I’m embarrassed the priest will think badly of me if he remembers my sins.

The priest’s purpose is not to keep a checklist on people, but to be an instrument of Christ in receiving someone’s sorrow, bringing forgiveness and helping the people move forward.

A priest hears a large number of confessions. He is not there to judge the person, rather to offer counsel and encouragement to overcome the sin and to grow spiritually. He too goes to confession, so he knows how it feels to confront one’s own sins and ask for forgiveness.

George Paul is a Communication Designer currently working with the Catholic Health Association of India. An avid student of Theology, Philosophy and History, George is still active in JY, helping youngsters connect with the Catholic intellectual tradition.