Defending the Catholic Faith: Confession

Why should I believe that a priest has the power to forgive my sins? Why can't I just tell my sins to Jesus in private without confessing them to a priest? What is the purpose of Reconciliation anyway? There are many difficult questions when discussing Confession, also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But Jesus does give us the answer within the Bible and we can look to his powerful words to give us clues as to why the Sacrament of Reconciliation exists.

First, however, we should think about why we need the Sacrament of Reconciliation and penance. Reconciliation, or confession, of our sins is necessary to know absolutely, 100% for sure that our sins that we commit here on Earth are forgiven. Sure, we could confess our sins in the privacy of our own homes in our hearts to God, but there are a couple complications to that process. First, how often would we truly use this practice? One could go years without actually confessing sins to God in their own heart. Confessing one's sins with a priest helps us to make the sacrament real. Second, when and if we do confess our sins in our heart instead of within the confines of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is one really sure that he or she is cleansed of that sin? When one enters the confessional, however, and goes through the Sacrament of Reconciliation with the priest, he or she is absolutely certain that their sins are forgiven.

The Gospel of John has Jesus' words that institute the sacrament of Confession. Jesus commissions his disciples in Chapter 20, verses 22 and 23, to go out and forgive sins in this power of His name. Jesus says, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." This verse is pretty much self-explanatory because it gives Jesus' apostles the power to forgive sins. It is the basis for the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus passed the authority on to his Apostles, and this power has been conferred on to priests, bishops, and popes all throughout the ages.

In Jesus' words we find that He gave his Apostles the authority to forgive sins, and through that, established the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament, which gives us assurance that our sins are erased completely, has blessed the Catholic Church for many ages, and will continue to be a source of powerful healing for ages to come!