Why confess to a priest and not just to God?

Catholics confess to a priest because Jesus gave his apostles the power to forgive sins in his name, and that ministry has been handed on to bishops and priests ever since. The priest doesn't forgive by his own power. God forgives, and the priest acts in the person of Christ, so you hear the forgiveness spoken out loud. You can and should tell God you're sorry every day. Confession is the way Christ gave for serious sins to be forgiven and for you to be reconciled with the Church.

Where does confessing to a priest come from?

It starts on the evening of the first Easter. The risen Jesus appears to the apostles, who are hiding behind locked doors, and says: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." Then he breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21–23).

Notice what he does. He doesn't only tell them that God forgives. He sends them, and he gives them the authority to forgive or to hold back forgiveness. They can't do either without knowing what they're forgiving. That's why, from the start, this sacrament involves saying your sins out loud to someone.

The rest of the New Testament carries the same idea. Saint Paul writes that God "gave us the ministry of reconciliation" and calls the apostles "ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). The Letter of James, right after telling the sick to call for the elders of the Church, says: "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). We walk through every passage in confession in the Bible.

The Church has kept this ministry ever since. Bishops, as successors of the apostles, and priests, as their co-workers, have the power to forgive all sins through the sacrament of Holy Orders (CCC 1461).

Isn't it only God who forgives sins?

Yes, and the Church says so plainly: only God forgives sins (CCC 1441). The priest doesn't claim a power of his own. Through Holy Orders, he acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ (CCC 1548). When he says "I absolve you," it's Christ forgiving you through a human voice.

When Jesus healed the paralyzed man and forgave his sins, the crowd "glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matthew 9:8). They didn't see a man stealing God's place. They saw God using a man.

This also means the priest's own holiness isn't what makes your Confession work. Priests are sinners too, and they go to Confession to another priest. The forgiveness is Christ's, so it's real whoever is sitting in the chair.

There's a second reason it's a priest. Sin hurts your friendship with God, and it also wounds the Church, the family you belong to. Forgiveness brings reconciliation with God and with the Church (CCC 1462). The priest stands there for both.

Can't I just confess to God?

You can, and you should, every day. Telling God you're sorry at night, in your own words or in an Act of Contrition, is one of the best habits a Catholic can have. Everyday venial sins are forgiven in many ways: through real sorrow, through prayer, and through the Eucharist, which wipes them away (CCC 1394).

Serious sin is different. A mortal sin breaks your friendship with God, and Christ gave this sacrament as the way back. The Church asks you to confess every mortal sin you're aware of to a priest (CCC 1456), and calls individual confession with absolution "the only ordinary means" of reconciliation with God and the Church for grave sins (CCC 1497).

So the two aren't rivals. Sorrow from love of God even obtains forgiveness of mortal sin before you reach the confessional, as long as it includes the firm intention to confess as soon as you can (CCC 1452). Real sorrow leads you to the sacrament, not around it. We explain that in perfect and imperfect contrition.

The Church also recommends confessing venial sins. It helps form your conscience, fight bad habits and grow in the spiritual life (CCC 1458).

What do you get from saying it out loud?

God could have arranged forgiveness some other way. He chose one that fits how people are made. Some of what that gives you:

• You hear the words. You don't have to wonder whether you're forgiven. A priest says, "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," and you can hold on to that.
• You face it honestly. The Catechism notes that confession, even from a simply human point of view, frees us. Naming a sin out loud means taking responsibility for it, and that opens a new future (CCC 1455).
• You get counsel. A priest has very likely heard your sin many times before. He can give a practical word for the one you keep falling into, or a question that helps you see it differently.
• You have some accountability. Knowing you'll be back in a few weeks to say how it went is a quiet help on a hard evening.
• You receive a penance. A small, concrete step to begin making things right, so you leave with something to do.

What if I'm embarrassed to tell a priest?

Almost everyone is, at least the first time back. A few things help.

The priest is bound by the seal of confession. He can never reveal what you say or use it against you, for any reason. He also isn't keeping score. He has heard every kind of sin before, and he's there because he wants you to come back.

You can stay anonymous. Church law requires that confessionals with a fixed screen between you and the priest always be available, so anyone who wants one can use it (Code of Canon Law, can. 964). If you'd rather sit face to face and talk, you can ask for that too.

And you don't need perfect words. "Father, it's been a long time and I'm nervous" is a fine way to begin. He'll help with the rest.

If you're thinking about going

Look up the confession times at a nearby parish, or call and ask for an appointment. Take ten quiet minutes beforehand to look back at your life, and write down what you need to say. If you'd like the steps laid out, start with how to go to Confession. The priest will be glad to see you, and God already is.