I used to sit for hours in confessional boxes listening for confessions when I was assigned in the Shrine of Our lady of Grace Parish in Caloocan City, Philippines a few years back. I remember during holy week, people would queue to priests asking for forgiveness for their sins as well as to ask for advices in their difficult situations.
As a priest, that is one of my responsibilities or duties, a faculty given by the Catholic Church to absolve sins in behalf of God. In fact, we have to pass an exam we call "Ad Auds" to receive that faculty as stated in Canon Law. But how do people understand confession? Do people still believe in confession in a a "traditional" manner in which there must a priest to absolve their sins?
For the Catholic Church, confession is an act of God pardoning our sins through the presence of an ordained person, a priest. It is the Church's teaching that the priest stands as the "alter Christus" or the representative of Christ during confession in which whatever is pardoned on earth will be pardoned in heaven.
But the growing number of qualms about eh validity of confession is becoming significant. Many people now would think, including Catholics, that direct confession is enough to ask for forgiveness for their guilt and sinfulness. But is that the same with what the Church teaches?
Yes, to absolve one's sins is the work of God. That is true! No man can absolve sins because that is the work of God. But the Catholic Church believes that the Church through the ordained priests are given the power and faculty to be an instrument of God's forgiveness through confession. The Church believes that it is not the priests who forgive sins but still, it is the work of God.
When we speak of confession, we speak of sin or sins. There are categories when we speak of sin. There is what we call the simple sins or venial sins and the serious ones we call mortal sins. What's the difference between these two according to the Church?
Basically, venial sins are sins acted unconsciously which have small to the other person(s). Thing like, white lies, failing to pray the rosary, failing to be faithful to prayer life, scolding someone, talking back to parents, cheating in exam, losing one's temper, to mention a few. On the other hand, mortal sins are sins we consciously commit, premeditated. These are actions which we know are wrong and yet we still continue to do. Examples are premarital sex (PMS), abortion, killing, gossiping, masturbation, pornography, adultery, failing to attend the Sunday mass and important Church celebrations, to mention a few. These are serious sins which really need to be confessed.
The venial sins, according to the Church can be confessed and pardoned in the penitential rite during the mass. But not mortal sins. Mortal sins are serious sins which only through an ordained priest they can be pardoned.
It may sound proud, but for the Catholic Church tradition and faith, God has given the Church the power and authority to forgive sins. It is the role given to the Church through Peter. "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gate of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."...(Mt. 16:18-19).
I am not imposing what the Catholic Church believes to non-Catholics because I know they also have their own tradition to follow. But for Catholics, confession is one of our traditions and faith that we have to follow and live.
In the end, confession is not so much about our own sinfulness. It is still the work of God in love to forgive sins; to show his compassion and mercy amidst our sinful world. I just hope that Catholics will search for that grace of forgiveness through confession because when our sins are pardoned, we know that the gates of heaven will be opened for us.
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