The Confusion Around Confession

By Madeline Mauro

One of the most common misunderstandings between Catholics and Protestants is over who can forgive sins.
"If I can pray directly to God," some ask, "why do I need a priest to forgive me?"

It's a sincere question—and one I've heard many times. Catholics believe private prayer is part of forgiveness, but it's not enough. Without the words "I absolve you"—spoken by Jesus through the priest—we remain disconnected from the fullness of the Body of Christ. Reconciliation with the Bride of Christ, the Church, is necessary so that we may continue building her up in holiness.

This confusion often stems from forgetting that we are part of the same Body in Christ. Seeking true intimacy with God also means including His Church.
We are not our own; we were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
The Catholic Church holds this as a Sacrament because Jesus Himself authorized His apostles to forgive sins in His name.

We all know that admitting sin is not easy. It requires humility, courage, and honesty. Seeking forgiveness is the only path to healing, peace, and restoration in our relationship with God and others.

Jesus didn't leave us to figure this out on our own. Forgiveness was central to His teaching—even in the Lord's Prayer, we are told to forgive others before asking the Father to forgive us. So it's no surprise that when He first appears to the apostles after the resurrection, He speaks of forgiveness right away—entrusting them to continue His work of mercy in His name.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus appears to the apostles after His resurrection, breathing the Holy Spirit upon them and giving them this mission. Notice that this happens before His Ascension and before Pentecost. In this moment, Jesus passes on a sacred authority:

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
And with that he breathed on them and said,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
(John 20:21–23)

Jesus commissions them to forgive sins in His name—this is His divine authority.

But there is more.

St. Paul directly addresses it in 2 Corinthians 5:18–20, referring to this work of reconciliation as a ministry given by God, through Jesus Christ, to those He called:

All this is from God,
who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting people's sins against them.
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We are, therefore, Christ's ambassadors,
as though God were making his appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ's behalf:
Be reconciled to God.

Paul isn't just encouraging general repentance; he is claiming his apostolic authority to mediate reconciliation on behalf of Christ Himself.

A bit of history here.

As we travel to the Old Testament, we learn how God chose men from the tribe of Levi and the line of Aaron to perform priestly duties. These priests would offer sacrifices, atonements, and reparations—knowing these rituals could never truly forgive sins. Only God could do that. The priesthood was still in its early stages, foreshadowing what would come. God permitted these offerings with the anticipation of the day when He would graft the priesthood into the eternal line of Melchizedek through His Son. The Jewish people longed for that time—when all peoples could live in grace and friendship with God.

So you can see that when Jesus chose His apostles, He gave them the power to remove sin in His name. Even though every child of God receives the priestly mark at baptism, God continues to set apart some to handle the vocation of priestly duties on behalf of the people, just as He did in the Old Testament.

We also know that Jesus is the High Priest from the line of Melchizedek. He offered Himself once and for all to take away sin and established a new vocation of priests to continue His ministry on earth (Hebrews 5:7–10, 10:5–13).

There is another common argument that needs to be cleared up. Some point to a passage in the book of James to claim that we don't need priests to forgive sins. But they forget that Jesus did not do away with the law—He came to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). And without reading the full passage, especially the verses just before, the meaning gets distorted:

Is any among you sick?
Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
and the prayer of faith will save the sick man,
and the Lord will raise him up;
and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
(James 5:14–16)

St. James instructs the faithful to call upon the Church's elders—spiritual leaders—when illness and sin weigh heavily. This is not just for imminent danger. He also ties in the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, showing that the forgiveness of sins brings about healing of body and soul.

When we confess to one another, we should not exclude the role of the priest. This verse reminds us that sin doesn't just affect our relationship with God—it wounds the whole Body of Christ. Yet, one vital element often missing from both sides is the power of intercessory prayer.

Priests often cannot remain with a person after the sacrament is given. That's where the Body of Christ—the laity—can step in, especially those called to healing ministry. In my own work, I've found that intercessory prayer following a good confession allows the grace of that sacrament to reach its fullest effect. One prepares the soul; the other helps carry it forward in healing (Luke 5:17–26).

I want to bring up a sensitive issue that has kept many away from this Sacrament. Some have been hurt by priests so much that they refuse to ever confess to a priest again. Still, we must remember that the Sacrament of Reconciliation doesn't depend on the priest's personality or state of grace. The absolution you receive is from Jesus, not man. These appointed men simply speak the words for its execution. Don’t let one man's failure keep you from the healing Jesus longs to give you. There is nothing wrong with seeking a confessor that resonates with your heart.

Thankfully, we are not living in the early stages of the Church. Back then, penance was public and long—sometimes taking years to complete before a person was welcomed back into the community. Everyone knew what you had done by the type of penance assigned.
Praise God, we have grown in wisdom and mercy. Today, confession is seen for what it truly is: a sacred moment—an encounter with our Healer.

What you reveal to a priest is so protected that these men would rather go to jail than face the gravest penalties the Church would impose if they break the seal of confession—penalties so severe that it makes one pause: excommunication? Hell itself?

1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him.
He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives.
This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament.
— Catechism of the Catholic Church

Let us not fall into the mindset of the two on the road to Emmaus, whom Jesus chastised for being slow to believe (Luke 24:25–27).
Don't be afraid to open your heart to your Healer—with the men He ordained.