Who hears the Confession of the Pope?
Any Priest to whom the Pope chooses to confess.
Confession & Penance
37 articles from the existing collection.
Have not many authorities held that Christ intended to build His Church not upon Peter, but upon Peter9* confession of faith in His divinity?
That is an antiquated interpretation abandoned by all the best scholars, Protestants included. Christ did demand a profession of faith from Peter as a pre-required condition, after that, conferring the fundamental primacy upon him personally. But to say that the profession itself was the rock has not a single valid reason in its…
Christ said that it is just as easy to say9 “Get up and walk” as to forgive sin. Do this and we will believe in your power to forgive sin.
It is just as easy to God to say, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” as to say, “Arise and walk.” But it is not just as easy to a man unless God has given him the power. But I presume that you are a Christian, and believe in Baptism. What does Baptism do? It destroys sin. Prior to Baptism, the soul is without the life of grace and in…
Is it possible to secure forgiveness without confessing to a Priest?
Catholics who are unable to find a Priest are forgiven if they make an act of perfect contrition or sorrow, but such an act supposes at least the intention of going to Confession when the opportunity presents itself. For perfect sorrow supposes the will to do God’s will. Protestants and other non-Catholics can also secure forgiv…
Will a Catholic who is convicted of murder go to Heaven if he confesses his sin to a Priest?
If he has confessed his sin sincerely and with genuine sorrow, his sin will be forgiven and his soul saved.
I must confess that I find all this rather baffling.
You are outside Catholicity, and no more understand the spirit of the Catholic religion than a man standing outside a Cathedral can discern the wonderful beauty of the stained glass windows. But a reasonable man would say, “Well, I can hardly expect to perceive the real sense and design from here. But there must be something in …
But if Confession does not stop sin what is the good of it?
Confession is an immense help in the prevention of further sin. Remember that Christ did not institute this Sacrament precisely to prevent further sin, but to forgive sin once it has been unhappily committed. To prevent sin there are other Sacraments, and other means such as good example, religious instruction, prayer, and the g…
Advantages of Confession – The Catholic Church has the Answer
Granting that priests do have the power to forgive sins in the name of God, what advantage does confessing one’s sins to a priest have over confessing directly to God in private prayer?
We Protestants regard Confession as an intolerable burden.
Why should you worry about a thing which does not affect you? Let Catholics, who do go to Confession, do the worrying. They find it full of compensating consolations. Your only worry should be your ignoring of the words of Christ as recorded in St. John XX., 21-23.
Why not preach charity, instead of speaking always with self-satisfaction of your “only right dogmas”?
With so many conflicting Churches in existence, it is a vital matter to find the truth. If the Catholic Church were self-satisfied, she would be content to have the truth herself and not bother about those without it. As for charity, it is better to exercise charity than talk about it, and there can be no greater charity than to…
Did not the Lateran Council in 1215 first oblige auricular Confession?
No. It decreed that Catholics must go to Confession at least once a year, merely specifying how often one must go. If the idea of auricular Confession were then introduced for the first time, and Christians were not used to it, there would have been an uproar of protest throughout the whole Church. But all Christians were perfec…
Details of Confession – The Catholic Church has the Answer
Do Catholics confess all the sordid details of their sins to the priest?
God would not demand expiation after having forgiven the sin.
What you think God would or would not do cannot avail against that which He does do. When David repented of his great sin God sent the prophet Nathan with the message to him, “The Lord hath taken away thy sin. Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, thy child shall surely die.” 2 S…