Confession of Sins

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St. Elisabethschurch in Grave, The Netherlands

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Modern confessional in the Church of the Holy Name, Dunedin, New Zealand. The penitent may kneel on the kneeler or sit in a chair facing the priest (not shown)

Confession of sins is part of the Christian faith and practice The meaning is essentially the same as the criminal one – to admit one's guilt. Confession of one's sins, or at least of one's sinfulness, is seen by most churches as a pre-requisite for becoming a Christian.

Catholic and Orthodox confession

Catholic tradition

In Roman Catholic teaching, the Roman Catholic sacrament of penance is the method initiated by Christ by which individual men and women may confess sins committed after baptism and have them absolved by a priest. This sacrament is known by several names, including penance, reconciliation, and confession.

The intent of this sacrament is to provide healing for the soul as well as to regain the grace of God, lost by sin. The Council of Trent (Session Fourteen, Chapter I) quotes John 20:22-23 as the primary Scriptural proof for the doctrine concerning this sacrament. Here, the resurrected Jesus tells his disciples:

"Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Catholics also consider Matthew 9:2-8, 1 Corinthians 11:27, Matthew 16:17-20, to be among the Scriptural bases for the sacrament.

Roman Catholics believe that priests have been delegated the authority by Jesus to exercise the forgiveness of sins on earth. This power belongs to Jesus alone; however, he exercises vicariously it through the priesthood.

The basic form of confession has not changed for centuries, although in the early church confessions were made publicly. The penitent must confess mortal sins in order to restore his/her connection to God's grace and not to merit Hell. The sinner is also encouraged to confess venial sins. The penitent must a) be truly sorry for each of the mortal sins he committed, b) have a firm intention never to commit them again, and c) perform the penance imposed by the priest. Also, in addition to confessing the types of mortal sins committed, the penitent must disclose how many times each sin was committed, to the best of his ability.

The penitent sinner begins with the words, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," followed by a statement of how long it has been his his or her last confession and a listing of the sins committed since then. Absolution by the priest takes this form:

God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

John Paul II went to confession weekly and strongly recommended frequent confession

The penitent must make an act of contrition, a prayer acknowledging his/her faults before God. It typically commences: O my God, I am heartily sorry... The reception of sacramental absolution is considered necessary before receiving the Eucharist if one has guilt for a mortal sin. The sacrament of penance is the only ordinary way in which a person can receive forgiveness for mortal sins committed after baptism in Catholic tradition. However, if there is no opportunity of confessing to a priest, then perfect contrition—a sorrow motivated by love of God rather than of fear of punishment—exists as an "extraordinary means" of removing the guilt of mortal sin without confession. Mortal sin, according to Roman Catholic teaching, include, among others, murder, blasphemy, adultery, and fornication.

In 1215, after the Fourth Council of the Lateran, the Code of Canon Law required all Roman Catholics to confess at least once a year, although frequent reception of the sacrament is recommended such as reception weekly or monthly. Frequent confession is a spiritual practice of going to the sacrament of penance often and regularly in order to grow in holiness.

For Catholic priests, the confidentiality of all statements made by penitents during the course of confession is absolute. This strict confidentiality is known as the Seal of the Confessional. Priests may not reveal what they have learned during confession to anyone, even under the threat of their own death or that of others. For a priest to break that confidentiality would lead to a latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication reserved to the Holy See (Code of Canon Law, 1388 §1). In a criminal matter, a priest may encourage the penitent to surrender to authorities. However, he may not directly or indirectly disclose the matter to civil authorities himself.

Orthodoxy tradition

Within the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, it is understood that the mystery of confession and repentance has more to do with the spiritual development of the individual and much less to do with purification. Sin is not seen as a stain on the soul, but rather a mistake that needs correction.

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Pilgrims queueing to confess at Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

In general, the Orthodox Christian chooses an individual to trust as his or her spiritual guide. In most cases this is the parish priest, but may be a starets (Elder, a monk who is well-known for his or her advancement in the spiritual life, or any individual, male or female, who has received permission from a bishop to hear confession. This person is often referred to as one's "spiritual father" or "spiritual mother."

The individual turns to his spiritual guide for advice on his or her spiritual development, confessing sins, and asking advice. Orthodox Christians tend to confess only to this individual and the intimacy created by this bond makes the spiritual guide the most qualified in dealing with the person. What is confessed to one's spiritual guide is protected by the same seal as would be any priest hearing a confession. While one does not have to be a priest to hear confession, only an ordained priest may pronounce the absolution.

In Orthodox tradition, confession does not take place in a confessional, but normally in the main part of the church itself, usually before an analogion (lectern) set up near the iconostasion. On the analogion is placed a Gospel Book and a blessing cross. The confession often takes place before an icon of Jesus Christ. Orthodox understand that such confession is not actually made to the priest, but to Christ, and the priest stands only as witness and guide. Before confessing, the penitent venerates the Gospel Book and cross, and places the thumb and first two fingers of his right hand on the feet of Christ as he is depicted on the cross. The confessor will often read an admonition warning the penitent to make a full confession, holding nothing back.

In cases of emergency, confession may be heard anywhere. For this reason, especially in the Russian Orthodox Church, the pectoral cross that the priest wears at all times will often have the appropriate icon of Christ inscribed on it.

In general practice, after one confesses to one's spiritual guide, the parish priest covers the head of the person with his stole and reads the Prayer of Absolution, asking God to forgive the transgression of the individual. It is not uncommon for a person to confess his sins to his spiritual guide on a regular basis and only seek out the priest to read the prayer before receiving Holy Communion.

It is required of all that they go to confession before receiving any of the Sacred Mysteries (sacraments), including not just Holy Communion, but Unction, Marriage, etc. Orthodox Christians should go to confession at least four times a year, often during one of the four fasting periods (Great Lent, Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast, and Dormition Fast). Many pastors encourage frequent confession and communion. In some of the monasteries on Mount Athos, the monks will confess their sins daily.

Orthodox Christians will also practice a form of general confession, referred to as the rite of "Mutual Forgiveness." The rite involves an exchange between the priest and the congregation (or, in monasteries, between the superior and the brotherhood). The priest will make a prostration before all and ask their forgiveness for sins committed in act, word, deed, and thought. Those present ask that God may forgive him, and then they in turn all prostrate themselves and ask the priest's forgiveness. The priest then pronounces a blessing. The rite of Mutual Forgiveness does not replace the Mystery of Confession and Absolution, but is for the purpose of maintaining Christian charity and a humble and contrite spirit. This general confession is practiced in monasteries at the first service on arising (the Midnight Office) and the last service before retiring to sleep (Compline). Old Believers will perform the rite regularly before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. The best-known asking of mutual forgiveness occurs at Vespers on the Sunday of Forgiveness, and it is with this act that Great Lent begins.

Protestantism

Protestant churches believe that no intermediary is necessary between the Christian and God in order to be absolved from sins. Protestants, however, confess their sins in private prayer before God, believing this suffices to gain God's pardon. However confession to another is often encouraged when a wrong has been done to a person as well as to God. Confession is then made to the person wronged, and is part of the reconciliation process. In cases where sin has resulted in the exclusion of a person from church membership due to unrepentance, public confession is often a pre-requisite to readmission. The sinner confesses to the church his or her repentance and is received back into fellowship. In neither case is there any required format to the confessions, except for the steps taken in

Lutheranism

Lutheran churches practice "confession and absolution" with the emphasis on the absolution, which is God's word of forgiveness. Confession and absolution may be either private to the pastor, called the "confessor" with the person confessing known as the "penitent," or corporate with the assembled congregation making a general confession to the pastor in the Divine Service. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries private confession and absolution largely fell into disuse; and, even at the present time, it is generally only used when specifically requested by the penitent or suggested by the confessor.

In his 1529 catechisms, Martin Luther praised private confession (before a pastor or a fellow Christian) "for the sake of absolution," the forgiveness of sins bestowed in an audible, concrete way (see John 20:23; Matthew 16:19; 18:18). The Lutheran reformers held that a complete enumeration of sins is impossible (Augsburg Confession XI with reference to Psalm 19:12) and that one's confidence of forgiveness is not to be based on the sincerity of one's contrition nor on one's doing works of satisfaction imposed by the confessor. The medieval church held confession to be composed of three parts: contritio cordis ("contrition of the heart"), confessio oris ("confession of the mouth"), and satisfactio operis ("satisfaction of deeds"). The Lutheran reformers abolished the "satisfaction of deeds," holding that confession and absolution consist of only two parts (Large Catechism VI, 15): the confession of the penitent and the absolution spoken by the confessor. Faith or trust in Jesus' complete active and passive satisfaction is what receives the forgiveness and salvation won by him and imparted to the penitent by the word of absolution.

The Lutheran Church of Sweden emphasizes the teaching of the Book of Concord that "confession and absolution" is a sacrament (Apology of the Augsburg Confession XIII, 4): sacramental confession to a Lutheran priest is contained in the Swedish massbook.

Anglicanism

The Anglican sacrament of confession and absolution is usually a component part of corporate worship, particularly at services of the Holy Eucharist. The form involves an exhortation to repentance by the priest, a period of silent prayer during which believers may inwardly confess their sins, a form of general confession said together by all present, and the pronouncement of absolution by the priest, often accompanied by the sign of the cross.

Private or auricular confession is also practiced by Anglicans, either through the venue of the traditional confessional, or more frequently in a private meeting with the priest. This practice permits a period of counseling and suggestions of acts of penance. Following the confession of sins and the discussion of remedies, the priest makes the pronouncement of absolution. The seal of the confessional, as with Roman Catholicism, is absolute and any confessor who divulges information revealed in confession is subject to deposition and removal from office. Historically, the practice of auricular confession was originally a highly controversial one within Anglicanism when priests of the Oxford Movement in the nineteenth century began to hear confessions, but they responded to criticisms by pointing to the fact that such is explicitly sanctioned in The Order for the Visitation of the Sick in the Book of Common Prayer, which contains the following direction:

Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special Confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter. After which Confession, the Priest shall absolve him (if he humbly and heartily desire it)

Though still not widely practiced, auricular confession within mainstream Anglicanism became accepted in the second half of the 20th century; the 1979 Book of Common Prayer for the Episcopal Church in the USA provides two forms for it in the section "The Reconciliation of a Penitent."

Private confession is also envisaged by the Canon Law of the Church of England, which contains the following, intended to safeguard the Seal of the Confessional:

if any man confess his secret and hidden sins to the minister, for the unburdening of his conscience, and to receive spiritual consolation and ease of mind from him; we...do straitly charge and admonish him, that he do not at any time reveal and make known to any person whatsoever any crime or offense so committed to his trust and secrecy

There is no requirement for private confession, but a common understanding that it may be desirable depending on individual circumstances. An Anglican aphorism regarding the practice is "All may; none must; some should". Compare James 5:16: "Confess your sins to one another."

Confession of faith

Confession is also used by many churches in the sense of a statement of faith. The word is used in many Bible translations to mean admit one's faith publicly (e.g. Epistle to the Romans 10:9).

The Confession of a church may therefore be used to mean its public statement of faith or doctrine. A church or group that belongs to a Confessing Movement strives to adhere to its public confessions strictly.

The term confessio (from Latin) is sometimes used to describe a public defense of one's faith or life, e.g. the Confessio of St. Patrick, written around 450.

Confession as remains of a Saint

The Latin term, confessio was originally used to designate the burial-place of a Saint -confessor or martyr- (known also as a memoria or martyrion), this term gradually came to have a variety of applications: the altar erected over the grave; the underground cubiculum which contained the tomb; the high altar of the basilica erected over the confession; later on in the Middle Ages the basilica itself (Joan. Bar., De invent. s. Sabini); and finally the new resting-place to which the remains of a martyr had been transferred (Thierry Ruinart, II, 35).

In case of translation the relics of a martyr were deposited in a crypt below the high altar, or in a hollow space beneath the altar, behind a transenna or pierced marble screen such as were used in the catacombs. Thus the tomb was left accessible to the faithful who wished to touch the shrine with cloths brandea) to be venerated in their turn as "relics." In the Roman church of St. Clemente the urn containing the remains of St. Clement and St. Ignatius of Antioch is visible behind such a transenna. Later still the term confession was adopted for the hollow reliquary in an altar (Ordo Rom. de dedic. altaris). The oil from the numerous lamps kept lighted in a confession was considered as a relic.

Among the most famous subterranean confessions of Rome are those in the churches of S. Martino al Monti; S. Lorenzo fuori le Mure, containing the bodies of St. Laurence and St. Stephen; S. Prassede containing the bodies of the two sisters Saints Praxedes and Pudentiana. The most celebrated confession is that of St. Peter. Over the tomb of the Apostle Pope St. Anacletus built a memoria, which Constantine when building his basilica replaced with the Confession of St. Peter. Behind the brass statues of Sts. Peter and Paul is the niche over the grated floor which covers the tomb. In this niche is the gold coffer, the work of Benvenuto Cellini, which contains the palliums, generally to be sent to Metropolitan archbishops. All through the Middle Ages the palliums after being blessed were let down through the grating on to the tomb of the Apostle, where they remained for a whole night (Phillips, Kirchenrecht, V, 624, n. 61). During the restoration of the present basilica in 1594 the floor gave way, revealing the tomb of St. Peter and on it the golden cross weighing 150 pounds placed there by Emperor Constantine I, and inscribed with his own and his mother St.Helen's names.

Confession in other religions

In Buddhism, confessing one's faults to a superior is an important part of Buddhist practice. In the various sutras, followers of the Buddha confessed their wrongdoing to Buddha [1].

In Judaism, confession is an important part of attaining forgiveness for both sins against God and another man. However, confession of sins is made to God and not man (except in asking for forgiveness of the victim of the sin). In addition, confession in Judaism is done communally in plural. Unlike the Christian "I have sinned," Jews confess that "We have sinned."

In Islam, confession of faith is one of the five pillars of Islam (see Shahadah). The act of seeking forgiveness from God is called Istighfar.

See also

• Augsburg Confession, the central document describing the religious convictions of the Lutheran reformation
• See Confessions for a list of books and albums of that title, most notably Confessions by St. Augustine of Hippo
• A Confession by Leo Tolstoy in which he describes his conversion to Christianity
• Westminster Confession of Faith

External links

All links are retrieved November 24, 2007.

• Confessions.me.uk, home page. Web site for anonymous confessions.
• Confession.co.in, home page. Web site for anonymous confessions.
• Have You Confessed, home page. Web site for anonymous confessions.
• The Sacrament of Penance, The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent. An article on the sacrament of reconciliation.
• Confession, The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent.
• The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation, American Catholic.
• Confession in Anglicanism, Project Canterbury.

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Confession boxes

reconciliation is a great thing because of its greatness

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