About Confession

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (commonly called 'confession' and also known as the sacrament of penance) is one of the 2 'Sacraments of Healing', as it heals Christians of the greatest sickness, sin, which corrupts our true humanity and separates us from God and from each other.

Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with Him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

As sin is an offence against God, only God can forgive sins. It is noteworthy that the fundamental objection so often urged against the Sacrament of Penance was first thought of by the Scribes when Christ said to the sick man of the palsy: "Your sins are forgiven." "And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts: Why does this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins but God only?" But Jesus seeing their thoughts, said to them: "Which is easier to say to the sick of the palsy: Your sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say to thee: Arise, take up yur bed, and go into thy house" (Mark, ii, 5-11; Matt., ix, 2-7). Christ wrought a miracle to show that He had power to forgive sins and that this power could be exerted not only in heaven but also on earth.

However, reconciliation and forgiveness did not end with Jesus, but became the ministry of the Church - "Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation....So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:18-20). By virtue of His divine authority, Christ entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry where the apostle is sent out "on behalf of Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and pleading "Be reconciled with God".

In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ's solemn words to Simon Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head. This is re-iterated in John's Gospel, when Jesus appeared to the apostles on Easter and said "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Jn 20:22-23).

The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.

This reconciliation process is to return to communion with God after having lost it through sin and is a process born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men. One must ask for this precious gift for oneself and for others.

The movement of return to God, called conversion and repentance, entails sorrow for and abhorrence of sins committed, and the firm purpose of sinning no more in the future. Conversion touches the past and the future and is nourished by hope in God's mercy.

back

top

next

For further information or comments please contact info@ourladysbryn.org.uk