Why should I confess my sins to a priest?

Nothing makes adults more nervous than going to Confession for the first time. I saw it in RCIA classes year after year. Really, who can blame them? Tell another person my deepest, darkest faults and secret thoughts — sign me up! However, they always came out of that first Confession better, more peaceful, more at ease with their past and genuinely feeling forgiven.

Unsurprisingly, people try to find a loophole in the Confession conundrum. It’s uncomfortable. So, do you need to confess your sins to a priest? Can you just confess in private? Well, yes and no.

In John 20:21-23, Jesus says to the apostles, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins and the authority to judge whether they should forgive them. What does that imply? The penitent must first speak their sins aloud. The minister can’t decide unless they know the person’s sins.

So, sacramental Confession is necessary for mortal sin. However, it’s true that venial sins can be forgiven in private prayer and within the Mass. Do you need Confession if you haven’t committed a mortal sin? Here’s the thing. If you skip regular sacramental Confession altogether, you’re missing the larger picture and depriving yourself of vital help in the spiritual life. We are fallen and tend toward sin. The sacraments are our primary means to overcome sinful tendencies. Sacraments give a particular kind of grace unique to the sacrament’s character. When you confess your sins and receive absolution, you also receive the power to fight the very sins you confessed.

Catechism 1458 says, “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit.”

Marc Cardaronella is the director of the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation.

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is for Catholics who have sinned since their Baptism, above all, those who gravely sin and lose their baptismal grace, i.e., commit mortal sin. This type of sin ruptures communion with the Lord. It necessitates the mediation of a priest capable of judging the disposition of the penitent and ministering reconciliation.

It’s clear that, from the beginning, Jesus intended the forgiveness of sins to happen primarily through Confession.

In my experience, if I stay away from confession too long, temptations creep in, and it becomes challenging to say no. The grace of the sacrament is like a shot in the arm that wards off the infection of sinful thoughts and inclinations.

So, sacramental Confession gives a double benefit. Not only are your sins forgiven (and you know they are forgiven), but you also receive help in not sinning again. The truth is that forgiveness alone will not keep you from repeating that sin. You need God’s power, and confessing your sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the way to get it.

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