Expert: Fr. Michael - 8/7/2010

Question
Father, Hate to bore you with this but need to find out your thoughts on the following; I had a parochial eduction.  I attend mass. I sometimes have discussions with family or friends re; catholicism. The discussions with Non catholic friends the subject of confession always comes up. they believe that every single sin a catholic commits no matter how minor, needs to be confessed to a priest. They don't understand confession. Why do catholics do this????..they told me they speak to God when they feel they need to confess sins or a sin.. & I must admit I also feel that when I speak with God in prayer, &  I'm confessing things I feel truly sorry for.  I feel God is forgiving me. I believe in  a merciful God not a vengeful one..one time I went to confession (I had missed mass) and I'm sure guilty of the usual minor things people do,  and our priest said to put it before God. he sometimes says this. And I truly believe that, I believe if I ask God's forgiveness it will be given. NO need to go to a priest all the time. Although if I miss mass I go directly to confession and confess. They say I'm wrong. That I will always have to bare my soul to a priest otherwise I will not be given absolution.    don't worry this does not mean I'm some sort of murderer or guilty of some sort of horrible crime, I'm not saying I've done terrible things & afraid to confess.. I have not, I feel I 'm a charitable person leading a christian life.  my protestant friends say praying is enough for them. If they have doubts or problems it's enough for them to pray to God, or if they feel the need they will speak with their minister. AS I said I have to say this is something I believe in  to an extent.   I guess what  all this is leading to is, if I speak to God in my private way and confess things I'm guilty of & am truly sorry, I feel I"m given forgiveness. He is merciful and as the nuns always told us he loves us and he is forgiving if we want to be forgiven. I remember one time in religion class the story of Judas was being discussed and how he committed suicide, one student said he must have gone to Hell.  Our nun told us not to presume that, how do we know he didn't say an Act of Contrition, and was truly sorry, as he must have been.  I say why not say an act of contrition. And we shall be forgiven.   Just wondering what your thoughts were on this, because I see, in your profile that your replies are on traditional catholic faith. I take it you don't approve of Vatican II...my religious education was before Vatican II, I was an adult in '62.  The prayers at church are different from when I was growing up.  such as saying Holy Spirit in school we always said Holy Ghost, look forward to hearing from you..thank you.

Answer
Obviously, your family and friends don't read the Bible.  Clearly, Christ gives the Sacramental power to forgive sin (when the penitent is contrite and has a firm purpose of amendment).  After His Resurrection, Christ made a special point of conferring this power upon his Church when He "breathed on them; and He said to them:  ...Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them:  and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."