Why confess to a priest

About About Kathleen Mulhern, Ph. She teaches courses in world history, European history, and history of Christianity. Kathleen graduated with a B. Most Popular. Haitian kidnappings: Dark side of US missionary group Barry Duke. How often should a married couple make love? Dave Willis. If you are unsure or uneasy, ask the priest to help.

Place your trust in God, a merciful Father who wants to forgive you. I am sorry for these and all my sins. The priest will assign you a 5 penance. The penance takes into account your personal situation and supports your spiritual good.

It may be a prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service, or sacrifice; whatever the penance, the individual is joined in some way to Christ and the cross. The effects of just that one sin can really cause a world of damage and take people away from each other. God offers us a remedy and a beautiful one at that: The sacrament of reconciliation. He forgives us for the horror that we inflict on his creation, whether we meant to or not. Not only that, but God offers it freely and with joy — wow!

Another great reason for us to go to the sacrament of reconciliation is because we are, ultimately, physical creatures. We were created with a need to see, to hear and to touch. We are all aware of our own ability to deceive ourselves, but the priest in the confessional has nothing to gain by lying to us about forgiveness.

The conviction in his voice alone can, at times, be a big part of the healing. Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest, rather than going directly to God? Tags: Catholicism Sacraments. Support Aleteia! Here are some numbers: 20 million users around the world read Aleteia. As you can imagine, these numbers represent a lot of work. We need you. It only takes a minute. Thank you!