Why do Catholics Confess their Sins to a Priest?
Catholics confess their sins to priests because as it is clearly stated in Sacred Scripture – God in the Person of Jesus Christ authorized the priests of His church to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins in His Name. To the Apostles, the first priests of His Church, Christ said: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23) Then again: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18) Catholics confess their sins to priests because priests are God’s duly authorized agents in the world, representing Him in all matters pertaining to the ways and means of attaining eternal salvation. When Catholics confess their sins to a priest they are, in real
Catholics confess their sins to a priest because, as Holy Scripture states, Jesus authorized and empowered his Apostles to forgive sin in his name: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. Receive the Holy Spirit: Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.” (Jn 20:21-23). Return to top Do Catholics accept the Bible? Catholics believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word (2 Tim 3:16). It was the Catholic Church that saved the Bible from destruction during the Dark Ages. Catholics are strongly encouraged to read and study the Bible. The Bible contains the written record of God’s revelation. It is the ultimate reliable written foundation of Church teaching on matters of faith and morality. Readings from the Bible are a prominent part of Catholic worship services. See Daily Bible Readings from nccb/uscc Return to top Why does the Catholic Bible have more books than the Protestant Bible? The Catholic Church, through its Councils of Hippo (393 A.D.) and Carthage
