Why do I need to go to a priest to confess my sins when I can go straight to God?
Why do I need to go to a priest to confess my sins when I can go straight to God?
Confession is an important step in gaining that release, that victory over sin. Confession to God and others helps us recognize that we have a problem with a particular sin, and we want God’s help and the help of others to stop committing that sin. This is primarily what the Bible means by “forgiveness.”
What happens when you confess your sins to a priest?
“If someone confesses an intention to commit a crime, the priest [likely will try to] dissuade the penitent from carrying out the crime, but he may not divulge what he is told during confession.” Breaking the “seal of the confessional,” Dodge emphasizes, results in automatic excommunication for the priest involved.
What is it called when you tell a priest your sins?
In Catholic teaching, the Sacrament of Penance is the method of the Church by which individual men and women confess sins committed after baptism and have them absolved by God through the administration of a Priest.
Can a priest tell if you killed someone?
Under Roman Catholic law, it is forbidden for a priest to disclose information — under any circumstances — obtained in the form of religious confession. If a priest breaks what’s called “the sacred seal of confession,” he will be subject to excommunication from the church.
Can a priest reveal confessions to police?
The short answer is “no”. Under penalty of excommunication, a priest can not contact the police to disclose the identity of a penitent who had confessed a crime to him sacramentally.
Can a priest call the police?
In many cases, the rule of evidence of confessional privilege forbids judicial inquiry into communications made under the seal of confession. However, the Court later ruled that a priest has no duty to report confidential information heard during a sacramental confession.
Can a priest forgive sin?
According to the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” confession involves either “venial” (minor sins) which are confessed to God and “mortal” (major sins) which must be confessed through a priest. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). …
