Expert: Charlie B - 12/31/2010

Question
QUESTION: Why does the RCC require people to go to confession? Confession in the early church was said out loud, also we pray before par taking in the Eucharist for God to forgive us...it says nothing in the Holy Scriptures about going to a "priest" or any individual...it says confess your sins to EACH OTHER not to a certain per...son who doesn't confess their sins back to you. Even in the Didache it says ask for forgivness before going to receive the Holy meal, but it says nothing to go to a priest in private...also throughout time this has been changed many times...at odds with this very much.

ANSWER: Shawn,
Thanks for your question.  Why does the Catholic Church make available the sacrament of reconciliation in confession to a priest?

First, an introduction:  I'm a convert from the United Methodist church over 15 years ago, and to me, it's the easiest and BEST decision that I ever made in my life.  The jump or leap from my Protestant beliefs and history to Catholicism was quite small ... it was very easy, and took very little time after listening to a lot of CDs (like you'll find at www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org) and reading lots of books over a decade.  

Shawn, start with Matthew, chapter 18:15-18.  It goes through a series of authority if someone offends you.  At the end, it says "take it to t-h-e church."   It doesn't say, 'take it to A church.'   Thus, if someone has wronged you (similar to how sin wrongs God), do you take it to the Baptist church or to the Methodist church?   The Bible says "THE" Church, which in my opinion and over a billion others, refers to the RCC.  

To your references about "says nothing in the Holy Scriptures about going to a 'priest' or any individual."  Let's look again:

When Judas had died, the apostles needed to replace him, right?  How did they do this?  The Bible says (ACTS 1:26) that they drew lots, very similar to how the Jewish people would chose their Priests.  Matthias was chosen.  Thus, as with then, so it is now that priests would be chosen by the Church that the apostles were the creators.  "On this rock (Peter), I shall build my Church."

See also:
James 5:14-16 -- see http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=3355 for the best interpretation of this passage, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."  Mr. Martignoni is a former Protestant who "discovered" the early Church Fathers (like I did!)

2 Corinthians 5:18: All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  (quoted from my Protestant bible)  :-)

John 20:22-23 “... if you forgive sins of any, they are forgiven."
Luke 22:19:  Jesus was making his Body and Blood into bread & wine as the first Communion or Eucharist, thereby making new priests from his apostles to spread the word of Jesus Christ

1 Tim 3:1-7 (qualifications for Deacons & overseers)
1 Timothy 5:17:  The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. (Who are the elders today but our Catholic priests)

Shawn, if you're really at odds with this, a final suggestion:  listen to Stephen Ray, a former evangelical Christian as he explains it in his book, Crossing the Tiber or listen to his audio CD, Finding the Fullness of the Faith at http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.com/store/refer/1528 (and search for the title).  It's very inexpensive, less than $3 to download.

I went to Confession last Sunday.  Is it hard?  Yes, it's not easy confessing your sins to anyone, but I trust our Catholic priests.  IF it could be true that a priest could absolve you from all of your sins and make you pure & shiny white in God's eyes -- if that could be true -- why wouldn't anyone every week take advantage of such a grace, gift and sacrament?

Feel free to reply back with any questions.  Again, I encourage looking at the above audio or book resources.  Keep asking questions, Shawn ....
God bless,
Charlie


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer, but this still does not answer my question...why has the sacrament changed overtime? Why do we ask God to forgive our sins in the beginning of Mass...also, what sense does it really make to confess the most serious sins to somebody and the lesser ones to God alone? This is ludicrous, there is no middle-man between God and man accept the Son Christ Jesus. I'm catholic, but like many I'm leaving the church over issues like this..it allows no reason/logic for the parishioners.

Answer
Shawn,
If you're leaving the Church, you don't need me to answer to your questions.  We'd hate to lose you though.

Shawn, I'm not going to cut you any slack here.  Faith is a gift.  Second, faith is a gift of grace.  Pray for the grace, and see what happens.  You have plenty of time and eternity to get it right in your head.

You're looking for perfect reason and rationale for having the sacrament of Reconcilation available to you.  Being Catholic and having some sense of faith is not a mental exercise where everything has to make perfect 'sense' and be rationale to us.  We ask God at the beginning of Mass for forgiveness of sins because -- it's the best time to ask God, before you begin the liturgy.

One can find a thousand reasons to leave the Catholic church -- in fact, fallen-away Catholics make up the second largest religion.  It only takes one reason to stay, however.  Do you find Jesus in the Mass, in the Eucharist?   My best advice, besides listening to the recommended audio CD or mp3 audio, is to read the Catechism for this area:  http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

My experience of 54 years on the earth also tell me that lots of people suffer from unconscious and conscious guilt they have laid upon themselves for unknown reasons.  If Confession doesn't appeal to you, then it's time to re-educate yourself (and cut yourself some slack by forgiving yourself first) by listening the inspirational audio CDs like the one by Stephen Ray that I suggested.  Or listen to Scott Hahn, Matthew Kelly or Tim Staples.  I challenge you to put some other's teachings (perspectives) in your head.  Context is everything.  The Church has changed, yet basic truths and tenets will never change, and that's a good thing.

I hope you don't leave the Church, but instead give such a serious decision the diligence and intellectual persistance & rigor that this requires of anyone.  Ping me back after you listened to one of the audios, and Happy New Year, Shawn.
God bless,
Charlie