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If my sins are against God why must I confess my sins to a priest?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
I like this question. Actually, only Catholics do that. But other religions-no, they do not practice such confessions of sins to a priest. You are correct, my friend. Confessing your sins to a priest... is inappropriate. God alone has the right to know said sins. When man sins, he violates the will of God, not the will of the priest. It is therefore more necessary to confess your sins to God Himself rather than to a priest.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoSins committed are not only against God but also against neighbors - our fellow men and women. As noted below, the Catholic and some others like Episcopalians (less frequently) have confessions between the individual and the priest. This is not biblical but a manmade procedure which some believe empowers the priesthood over the followers.
The Bible tells us to pray in private - whether for reconciling oneself to God after sinning or for a physical need (see Matthew 6). If we are to expect forgiveness, we must first forgive our neighbors. It also tells those in a church to confess their sins among each other (see below). The Apostle James has Scripture (James 5) that some have taken to mean we should pray to the 'elders' which is a term that became synonymous with Bishop in the New Testament. However, this is not stated for a sick person to pray with the elder though it could have been the case. James is telling the sick person and any other person he/she needs to be reconciled with to confess due to their sinning against them. If someone is going astray and leaving the 'flock' we as true disciples of Christ are to turn that person back from their erring ways:
James 5:13-17New King James Version (NKJV)Meeting Specific Needs
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess yourtrespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
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Do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?
Yes, but technically, we confess our sins to God through the priest.
What rite helps us to confess our sorrow for any wrongdoing?
The Pentitential Rite at the beginning of Mass is when we confess our sins and are absolved by the priest's blessing of venial (less serious) sins. Mortal (serious) sins must still be confessed in the sacrament of Penance (Confession).
What must you do before receiving holy communion if you have a mortal sin?
You need to confess your sins to a priest in the sacrament of reconciliation
Why must you confess your sins by mouth?
Roman Catholic answerThe priest is sitting in for God. God has provided you a priest so that he may hear your confession, and judge you. Then the priest imparts God's absolution to you. He must actually hear, in person, your sins in order to forgive them. If you do not articulate all of your sins, then none of them are forgiven and you have committed the sin of sacrilege on top of it!
What is it called when you admit your sins to a priest?
When you admit your sins to a priest it is called a confession. Some say it is better to confess your sins to a higher power so that it is only between you and them.
Does a Catholic have to confess to a priest before communion?
If a Catholic has committed a mortal sin, then he must confess this sin to a priest in the Sacrament of Confession before he can receive Communion. If he has committed only venial sins, then he is free to receive Communion without going to Confession, and his reception of Communion will actually result in the forgiveness of those venial sins.
Who do you need to tell your sins to in a Roman Catholic ritual of confession?
In the Roman Catholic sacrament of confession, you confess your sins to a priest.
If you are Muslim do you have to confess your sins?
Muslims confess their sins to God, but not to any person. This differs from some Christian faiths (e.g. Catholic) in which confessions are made to a priest. Most Christian protestant faiths do not include confessions of sins in their practices.
What does confess your sins mean?
It means to pray to God, speak to God and tell Him what you have done as an act of sin... like what I do.. is that I tell God what sin I have comitted and ask for forgiveness. It is the first act of repenting.
Why is it important to confess your sins to a priest?
One does not confess sins to a priest but through a priest. The priest acts as Christ's agent and you are actually confessing to Christ himself. When Jesus said to his disciples "who's sins you shall forgive they are forgiven, who's sins you shall retain they are retained" he instituted the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), the authority to do this has been passed down through the apostolic Catholic priesthood for 2,000 years to the present day. By not confessing through a priest you will not be receiving sanctifying grace from God..Catholic AnswerIt is important to confess your sins to a priest in the sacrament of confession because this is how God set it up for you to be absolved from your sins and to receive sanctifying grace in order to sin no more. In other words, we do it because God told us to.
Is it necessary to have another priest on the other side of the Confessional box when a priest is confessing?
Yes it is necessary. A priest can't "hear" his own confession. Even the Pope has to confess his sins to another priest.
Why do you confess your sins to a priest in the sacrament of penance?
Roman Catholic AnswerBecause that is what God made the ordinary vehicle for His forgiveness.
